Del. Wendell Walker

Personal property tax; classification; sunsetdate. Removes the sunset date from the provision of law that authorizes localities to classify most motor vehicles as a class ofproperty subject to a different rate of tax or rate of assessmentfrom the rate applicable to the general class of tangible personalproperty. Under current law, such classification would expire beginningwith taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.

Disorderly conduct; penalty. Removes theprohibition on the applicability of the offense of disorderly conductin public place to any elementary or secondary school student ifthe disorderly conduct occurred on the property of any elementaryor secondary school, on a school bus, or at any activity conductedor sponsored by any elementary or secondary school.

Unlawful picketing or parading to obstruct orinfluence justice; penalty. Provides that any person who, withthe intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administrationof justice, or with the intent of influencing or intimidating inthe discharge of his duty any judge, juror, witness, court officer,or court employee, pickets or parades in or near a residence occupiedor used by such judge, juror, witness, court officer, or court employee is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that theprovisions regarding the issuance and service of summons in placeof a warrant do not apply to such violations.

Smoking with a minor under the age of 15 present;penalty. Creates a Class 3 misdemeanor for any person who smokes,as defined in the bill, in the presence of a minor under the age of15 and directly exposes such minor to secondhand smoke. The billalso allows a conviction for smoking in the presence of a minor ora conviction for smoking in a vehicle with a minor present to beadmissible in any proceeding in which it is alleged that a childis abused and neglected.

Board of Health; hospital regulations; patientdrug testing. Requires the Board of Health to amend its regulationsto require hospitals to test patients who are presenting with overdosesymptoms for fentanyl and to test for fentanyl, marijuana, amphetamines, opioids, and phencyclidine as a part of any routine drug screeningadministered to a patient.

Threats of death or bodily injury to personson school property; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanorfor any person to orally make a threat to kill or do serious bodily injury to any person, regarding that person, while that person is(i) on the grounds or premises of any elementary, middle, or secondaryschool property; (ii) at any elementary, middle, or secondary school-sponsoredevent; or (iii) on a school bus, when the threat places the personwho is the object of the threat in reasonable apprehension of deathor serious bodily injury to himself.

Sexual extortion; penalty. Makes it a Class5 felony for any person to maliciously threaten eviction, loss ofhousing, property damage, or any financial loss with the intent tocause the complaining witness to engage in sexual intercourse, cunnilingus,fellatio, anilingus, anal intercourse, inanimate or animate object sexual penetration, or an act of sexual abuse and thereby engagein sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anilingus, anal intercourse,inanimate or animate object sexual penetration, or an act of sexualabuse. The bill also creates an unclassified felony punishable bynot less than one nor more than 20 years and a fine of not more than$100,000 for any adult who violates the provisions of the bill witha person younger than 18 years of age.

Candidates for office; electronic petitions.Allows for the collection of signatures by electronic means, requiresthe State Board of Elections to prescribe candidate petitions formsin both paper and electronic formats, and provides formal requirementsfor signatures on electronic petitions. The bill also makes technicalamendments to provide uniformity in requirements for such petitions.

Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses.Removes the provisions that provide that no law-enforcement officermay lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating (i) without a lightilluminating a license plate, (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment,(iii) without brake lights or a high mount stop light, (iv) withoutan exhaust system that prevents excessive or unusual levels of noise,(v) with certain sun-shading materials and tinting films, and (vi)with certain objects suspended in the vehicle and removes the accompanyingexclusionary provisions.

Internet Safety Advisory Council; school boards;Internet safety education program. Extends from July 1, 2024,to July 1, 2025, the sunset date for the Internet Safety AdvisoryCouncil. The bill requires each school board, after considering themodel policy, instructional practices, curricula, and other teacherresources that are developed, recommended, or designed by the InternetSafety Advisory Council, to adopt policies (i) requiring all elementaryand secondary schools in the local school division to provide anInternet safety education program to each student in grades threethrough 12 at least once each school year but (ii) permitting theparent of any such student to opt his child out of participating insuch program.