Simon's Law; health care; life-sustaining treatmentfor minors; exceptions. Requires a physician to obtain the written permission from at least one parent or legal guardian of a minor,defined in the bill as an unemancipated individual who is youngerthan 18 years of age and not under juvenile court supervision or on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, before instituting a Do Not Resuscitate order or similar physician's order.The bill creates an exception for when a physician is unable tocontact a parent or legal guardian of such minor within 72 hoursof the initial contact attempt. The bill also prevents a physicianfrom interfering with such parent's or legal guardian's efforts toobtain other medical opinions, hindering or delaying the necessarymeasures to facilitate a transfer of such minor to another medicalfacility, or refusing to continue providing life-sustaining treatmentto such minor when such a transfer is imminent. Under the bill, suchparent or legal guardian maintains all rights to determine whetherlife-sustaining treatment and cardiopulmonary resuscitation are used on such minor unless a court of law or equity determines that thereis destruction of the circulatory system, respiratory system, andthe entire brain. A parent or legal guardian may also request disclosureof the physician's policies involving cardiopulmonary resuscitationand life-sustaining treatment.
Del. Wendell Walker
Sponsored bills
State parks; First Responder and Veteran Passport;discounted entry and parking. Establishes a First Responder andVeteran Passport that entitles a first responder or a veteran ofthe Armed Forces of the United States or other military service toreceive a 50 percent discount on parking and admission fees at stateparks in the Commonwealth.
Commending the Culpeper County Volunteer FireDepartment.
International Registration Plan; temporary registration authorization. Authorizes the issuance of a temporary registrationdocument valid for no more than 45 days for a vehicle with a pendingregistration application with the International Registration Plan.The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to permit authorizedmotor carrier representatives to (i) update the registration or titlerecord of the vehicle electronically and in real time through theVirginia Motor Carrier System and (ii) regardless of whether suchrecord has been updated electronically or in person, retrieve registrationtags in person at a Department branch office or by mail.
Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.
Standards of Learning; programs of instruction;civics education; instruction on local government. Requires theBoard of Education to include in the Standards of Learning for Virginiaand United States Government for grade 12 and requires each schoolboard to provide as a part of any Virginia and U.S. Government courseor civic education course offered to students in grade 12 instructionon local government, including instruction on the types of localitiesin the Commonwealth and the structure and functions of local governmentsin the Commonwealth. The bill also requires the Board to considerin its criteria for awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civicseducation and understanding of the state and federal constitutionsand the democratic model of government the successful completionof government or civics courses that include instruction on the structuresand functions of local government.
Elections; voting equipment and systems; StateBoard approval process; printed receipt for cast ballot. Requiresvoting systems approved by the State Board of Elections to producea printed receipt for each voter who has cast a ballot that showsthe date and time the voter's ballot was cast, the voter's numbercorresponding to the order in which ballots were cast, and a listof all the voter's selections on the ballot as recorded by the votingsystem.
Annual retail sales and use tax holiday.Establishes an annual retail sales and use tax holiday that takesplace on the first full weekend in August beginning on August 1,2025. During such weekend, state retail sales and use tax will notapply to certain (i) school supplies, (ii) clothing and footwear,(iii) qualified products designated as Energy Star or WaterSense,(iv) portable generators, or (v) hurricane preparedness equipment.
State Air Pollution Control Board; regulations; low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle standards. Repeals theState Air Pollution Control Board's authority to implement low-emissionsand zero-emissions vehicle standards that apply for vehicles witha model year of 2025 and later.
Commending Major General Timothy P. Williams,VNG.