Del. Mark H. Levine

Landlord and tenant; victims of family abuse; evidence to mitigate low credit score; damages. Allows an applicant for a lease to recover actual damages, including all amounts paid to the landlord as an application fee, application deposit, or reimbursement for any of the landlord's out-of-pocket expenses that were charged to the applicant, along with attorney fees, if the landlord does not consider evidence of the applicant's status as a victim of family abuse to mitigate any adverse effect of the otherwise qualified applicant's low credit score.

Concealed handgun permits; demonstration of competence. Removes the option for concealed handgun permit applicants to demonstrate competence with a handgun by completing an electronic, video, or online course conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor. The bill does not affect any in-person means of satisfying the requirement to demonstrate competence with a handgun under current law. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 263.

Legal holidays; Lee-Jackson Day; Election Day. Designates Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, as a state holiday and removes Lee-Jackson Day as a state holiday. This bill is identical to SB 601.

Definition of birth control. Defines "birth control," for the purposes of the regulation of medicine, as contraceptive methods that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationand provides that birth control shall not be considered abortionfor the purposes of Title 18.2 (Crimes and Offenses Generally).

Tax credit for participating landlords; eligible housing areas. Expands the definition of "eligible housing area" for the housing choice voucher tax credit to include Virginia census tracts in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area in which less than 10 percent of the population lives below the poverty level. Landlords who rent qualified housing units within such areas are eligible for an income tax credit. Current law only applies to such areas within the Richmond and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Statistical Areas.The bill establishes a 2025 sunset date on the credit. The bill incorporates HB 1014 and is identical to SB 200.

Eligibility for food stamps and TANF; drug-related felonies. Provides that a person who is otherwise eligible to receive food stamp benefits shall not be denied such assistance solely because he has been convicted of a drug-related felony. Under current law, such individuals may not be denied food stamp benefits based on a felony conviction of possession of a controlled substance in violation of § 18.2-250, provided that such person is complying with, or has already complied with, all obligations imposed by the criminal court, is actively engaged in or has completed a substance abuse treatment program, participates in periodic drug screenings, and meets any other obligations as determined by the Department of Social Services. The bill also provides that a person who is otherwise eligible to receive TANF benefits shall not be denied such assistance solely because he has been convicted of a drug-related felony. This bill incorporates HB 391, HB 786, HB 814, and HB 1130 and is identical to SB 124.

Strategic lawsuits against public participation; specialmotion to dismiss; stay of discovery; special motion to quash; fees and costs.Establishes a procedure by which a party alleging that a claim filed against himis a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP), as defined in thebill, may file a special motion to dismiss within 45 days after service of sucha claim. The bill provides that the filing of such a special motion to dismissshall stay discovery proceedings related to the claim, pending the entry of anorder adjudicating the special motion to dismiss, unless the court allowslimited and specific discovery for good cause shown. The bill furtherestablishes a special motion to quash procedure for persons whose personalidentifying information is sought pursuant to a discovery order, request, orsubpoena in connection with an alleged SLAPP. The bill provides that a partyaggrieved by an entry of an order granting or denying a special motion to dismissor special motion to quash shall be permitted to submit a petition for anappeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia. The bill provides that a court shallaward reasonable expenses related to a special motion to dismiss or quash,including attorney fees and costs, if the moving party prevails, in whole or inpart, on such a special motion. The bill allows the court to award suchreasonable expenses to a prevailing responding party to a special motion todismiss or quash if the court finds that such a motion was filed in bad faithor solely with the intent to delay the underlying proceedings.

Department of Taxation sharing information withthe Department of Social Services. Authorizes the Departmentof Taxation to share tax information related to the federal earnedincome tax credit and the Virginia income tax credit for low-incometaxpayers with the Department of Social Services as necessary toadminister outreach and enrollment related to such credits.

Disturbing animals; certain species. Changesfrom "molest" to "disturb" the term used in describing certain unlawfulacts against animals of certain species.

Elections; preclearance of certain covered practicesrequired. Requires the governing body of any county, city, or town tosubmit, prior to enacting or seeking to administer any voting qualification orprerequisite to voting, or any standard, practice, or procedure with respect tovoting, that is a covered practice, such qualification, prerequisite, standard,practice, or procedure by either (i) instituting an action in the Court of Appealsfor a declaratory judgment that such qualification, prerequisite, standard,practice, or procedure neither has the purpose nor will have the effect ofdenying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color ormembership in a language minority group or (ii) submitting such qualification,prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure to the Office of the AttorneyGeneral. No qualification, prerequisite, standard, practice, or procedure thatis a covered practice shall be given effect until (a) the circuit court hasentered such judgment, (b) the Attorney General has not interposed an objectionwithin 60 days of the governing body's submission, or (c) upon good cause shownand to facilitate an expedited approval within 60 days of the governing body'ssubmission, the Attorney General has affirmatively indicated that no suchobjection will be made. The bill is modeled after the Section 5 preclearancerequirement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended. The bill defines"covered practice" as any change to the method of election in alocality, any change to jurisdiction boundaries, any change to electiondistricts or wards, or any change that reduces, consolidates, or relocatesvoting locations.