Rep. Wendell Walker

Constitutional amendment (first reference);right of parents. Adds to the Constitution of Virginia the fundamentalright of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care oftheir children. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from infringingthese rights without demonstrating that the governmental interestas applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwiseserved. This section shall not be construed to apply to a parentalaction or decision that would physically harm or end the life ofthe child.

Group Violence Intervention Board; Divisionof Group Violence Intervention; Project Ceasefire Grant Fund; ProjectExit Grant Fund. Establishes the Group Violence Intervention Boardto coordinate and assist federal, state, and local group violenceintervention efforts. The bill also establishes within the Departmentof Criminal Justice Services (the Department) the Division of Group Violence Intervention (the Division), to be headed by an executivedirector appointed by the Director of the Department. The bill providesthat the Division is responsible for (i) coordinating the effortsof members of state and local law enforcement, community members,and social services providers to combat group violence; (ii) servingas a clearinghouse for research, best practices, and strategies thatmay be utilized in the implementation, execution, and evaluationof group violence interventions; and (iii) implementing and administeringvarious federal, state, and local grant funds that aid group violence intervention efforts. Finally, the bill creates the Project CeasefireGrant Fund, which provides money to organizations that are involvedin group violence intervention efforts, and creates the Project Exit Grant Fund, which provides money to organizations that assist formergang members or individuals attempting to leave gangs.

Powers of State Health Commissioner in epidemic;vaccine; religious tenets or practices. Allows a parent or guardianto object to the vaccination or immunization of a child on the groundsthat the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with his religioustenets or practices, even if an emergency or epidemic of diseasehas been declared by the State Board of Health, which is not allowedunder current law. The bill also provides that nothing shall precludethe State Health Commissioner from requiring immediate immunizationof all persons in the case of an epidemic of any disease of publichealth importance for which a vaccine exists other than a person,including a parent or guardian on behalf of a child, who objectson the grounds that the administration of the vaccine conflicts withhis religious tenets or practices. Under current law, the only exceptionto the Commissioner's power to require immediate immunization of all persons in case of an epidemic of any disease of public health importancefor which a vaccine exists is for a person to whose health the administrationof a vaccine would be detrimental as certified in writing by a physicianlicensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth.

Celebrating the life of Dave Andrew Weeks, Jr.

Fundamental right to be free from medical mandates.Declares that, except as otherwise provided by law, each adult hasa fundamental right to be free from medical mandates of the Commonwealthor any locality, private employer, health care entity or provider,or provider of public accommodations. The bill defines "medical mandate" as any affirmative requirement by the Commonwealth or any locality, private employer, health care entity or provider, or providerof public accommodations for an individual to undergo or participatein a health-related test, procedure, tracking or monitoring program,or bodily insertion or injection of any drug or the wearing of anymedical equipment or apparel. The bill provides that it shall beno less a medical mandate for such entities to condition an individual'sreceipt of otherwise ordinary services, benefits, or employment uponthe performance or acquiescence of undergoing or participating ina health-related test, procedure, tracking or monitoring program,or bodily insertion or injection of any drug or the wearing of any medical equipment or apparel. The bill sets out exceptions, includingprotocols in health care facilities and food handling operationsand valid orders of quarantine or isolation.

Facilitate the administration of the COVID-19vaccine; emergency.

Commending the Monument Terrace "Support Our Troops" rallies.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.

Individual and corporate income tax credit;employers of National Guard members and self-employed National Guardmembers. Provides for taxable years 2020 through 2024 a nonrefundabletax credit against individual and corporate income taxes for (i) wages paid by an employer to an employee who is an active or reserveVirginia National Guard member or (ii) income of a self-employedactive or reserve Virginia National Guard member attributable to his business. The amount of the credit shall be 25 percent if such memberwas in a military pay status for 65 days or more during such taxableyear or 15 percent if such member was in a military pay status forat least 45 days but less than 65 days during such taxable year.The credit shall not be allowed if such member was in a military pay status for less than 45 days during such taxable year. The billallows a taxpayer to carry unused credits over for up to five taxableyears.