Del. Mark H. Levine

Purchase, possession, and transport of firearms following certain convictions; permit to restore rights; penalty. Prohibits a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor violation of assault and battery of a family or household member from possessing or transporting a firearm. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill provides for a process by which a person convicted of such crime may petition the circuit court for a reinstatement of his right to possess or transport a firearm. This bill was incorporated into HB 1288.

Right to work. Repeals the provisions ofthe Code of Virginia that, among other things, prohibit any agreementor combination between an employer and a labor union or labor organizationwhereby (i) nonmembers of the union or organization are denied theright to work for the employer, (ii) membership in the union or organization is made a condition of employment or continuation ofemployment by such employer, or (iii) the union or organization acquiresan employment monopoly in any such enterprise.

Child abuse and neglect; valid report or complaint;alleged abuser. Requires a local department of social servicesto conduct an investigation or family assessment when, among otherthings, a report or complaint of child abuse or neglect is receivedin which the alleged abuser (i) is the child's relative by blood,marriage, or adoption; (ii) is the child's caretaker or has supervisorycontrol over such child; or (iii) resides or is regularly presentin the same household as the child. The bill also amends the definitionof "abused or neglected child" to accommodate this directive. Undercurrent law, local departments are only required to conduct an investigationor family assessment when the alleged abuser is the child's parentor other caretaker.

Prohibition on possession, purchase, or transport of firearms following certain misdemeanor convictions; penalties. Prohibits a person who has been convicted of stalking, sexual battery, assault and battery of a family or household member, brandishing a firearm, or two or more convictions of assault and battery from possessing or transporting a firearm. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor or, upon a third or subsequent conviction of this or certain other firearms offenses, is guilty of a Class 6 felony. This bill was incorporated into HB 1288.

Office of the Independent Living Community Ombudsman. Establishes, in the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services,the Office of the Independent Living Community Ombudsman, to promoteand protect the interests of residents of independent living communitiesin the Commonwealth. The bill defines "independent living community"as any congregate care housing arrangement reserved for residents55 years of age or older who do not require assistance with activitiesof daily living from staff of the independent living community and that includes the provision of two or more of the following services:meals, transportation, laundry, or housekeeping, when such servicesare provided pursuant to an agreement between the resident and the congregate care housing provider or between the resident and a thirdparty that delivers such services at the premises of the independentliving community.

Study; JLARC; reinstatement of discretionaryparole; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and ReviewCommission to study the reinstatement of discretionary parole, whichwas abolished in 1995.

Campaign finance; prohibited contributions tocandidates. Prohibits any candidate from soliciting or acceptinga contribution from any public service corporation, as defined in§ 56-1, or any political action committee established and administeredby such a corporation.

Telephone privacy protection. Requires a telephone solicitor to immediately disclose who is calling and what property, good, or service is being offered. The measure also prohibits caller ID spoofing, which is defined in the measure as causing any caller identification service to transmit caller identification information that represents or states that the call originates from a telephone with an area code assigned to an area in the Commonwealth or from a location in the Commonwealth if the person on whose behalf the telephone solicitation call is being made does not conduct business from a location in the Commonwealth.The measure prohibits a telephone solicitor from making a telephone solicitation call or the use of an automatic dialing-announcing device in connection with making a call to any subscriber who has registered with the Virginia Do Not Call Registry. The measure requires the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to set up by January 1, 2021, the Virginia Do Not Call Registry for subscribers who wish to block all solicitation calls and calls that use or are made in connection with automatic dialing-announcing devices. The measure becomes effective three months after the Virginia Do Not Call Registry is established by the Department.

War memorials for veterans. Removes a prohibition on (i) disturbing or interfering with any war monument or memorial erected by a locality or (ii) preventing citizens from maintaining such monument or memorial. The bill authorizes a locality to remove, relocate, or alter any such monument or memorial on the locality's public property upon the affirmative vote of its governing body, regardless of when the monument or memorial was erected, and removes certain criminal and civil penalties for such removal, relocation, or alteration. The bill also restricts bringing a cause of action pursuant to such penalties to the attorney for the locality in which the memorial or monument is located. Current law authorizes any person having an interest in the matter to bring such action if no action is brought within 60 days of the violation. The bill repeals an 1890 act of assembly related to the placement of a statue in the City of Alexandria. This bill was incorporated into HB 1537.

Determination of tie votes; recounts; special elections. Provides that, in elections for the General Assembly and local offices, if two or more persons have an equal number of votes, and a higher number than any other person, there shall be a recount of the vote without any action being required by any of the candidates receiving the equal number of votes. The bill also provides that, except in the case of a recount of an election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General, if the recount court finds that each party to the recount has received an equal number of votes, there shall be a special election held to determine which candidate is elected to the office. Only one recount of any election is permitted. This bill was incorporated into HB 198.