Del. Robert B. Bell

Rabid animals. Raises from a Class 4 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor the punishment for an owner of a dog or cat who has been ordered to or agreed to confine such dog or cat pursuant to an animal confinement agreement or a plan upon suspicion of the dog or cat having rabies to permit the dog or cat to stray from his premises and such dog or cat (i) bites, attacks, or inflicts injury on a companion animal that is a dog or cat; (ii) kills a companion animal that is a dog or cat; or (iii) bites, attacks, or inflicts injury on a person.

Sexual assault nurse examiners; place of practice. Requires every hospital to report quarterly to the Department ofHealth information regarding the number of certified sexual assaultnurse examiners employed by the hospital and the location, includingstreet address, and contact information for the location at whicheach certified sexual assault nurse examiner provides services. Thebill also requires the Department of Health to make information regardingthe availability of certified sexual assault nurse examiners in theCommonwealth, including the name of each hospital at which a certifiedsexual assault nurse examiner is employed, the location, includingstreet address, of such hospital, and the contact information forsuch hospital, available on the Department's website.

Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention Fund; report. Creates the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention Fund, which shall be administered by the Department of Social Services, in coordination with the Department of Health and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and used to develop, support, and evaluate programs that prevent sexual and domestic violence through strategies that (i) promote healthy practices related to relationships, sexuality, and social-emotional development and (ii) counteract the factors associated with the initial perpetration of sexual and domestic violence. This bill is identical to SB 297.

Involuntary admission; transportation; transfer to local law enforcement. Establishes procedures for changing the transportation provider designated to provide transportation to a minor or a person who is the subject of a temporary detention order and provides that in cases in which an alternative transportation provider providing transportation of a minor or a person who is subject to an involuntary admission order becomes unable to continue providing transportation, local law enforcement shall take custody of the minor or person and provide transportation to the proper facility. This bill incorporates HB 1117 and is identical to SB 603.

Voluntary Registry for People with Special Communication Needs; vehicle registration. Directs the Department of MotorVehicles to include on the application for registration of a motorvehicle an option for the owner to indicate and provide evidence thathe or a member of his immediate family has a disability that canimpair communication. The bill directs the Superintendent of StatePolice to keep and maintain the Voluntary Registry for People withSpecial Communication Needs (the Registry). The bill provides thatthe Department of State Police shall make the Registry informationavailable to law-enforcement agencies through the Virginia CriminalInformation Network (VCIN) and ensure that any search of motor vehicleinformation includes an indication that the registered owner or amember of his immediate family is included in the Registry. The billexempts any information provided on such completed form and in theRegistry from being subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Health insurance program for local governmentemployees; transit companies. Adds employees of a transit companyto the definition of "employees of local governments" for the purposesof the Commonwealth's health insurance program for local governmentemployees. The bill defines "transit company" as a public servicecorporation wholly owned by a locality, or combination of localities,that provides public transportation services.

Exposure to a decedent's body fluids; testing. Provides that, in cases in which any law-enforcement officer, salaried or volunteer firefighter, or salaried or volunteer emergency medical services provider is directly exposed to body fluids of a deceased person in a manner that may, according to the then-current guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transmit human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C viruses, the next of kin of the deceased person shall be deemed to have consented to testing of the decedent's blood for infection with human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C viruses and release of such test results to the person who was exposed. Under current law, whenever a law-enforcement officer, salaried or volunteer firefighter, or salaried or volunteer emergency medical services provider is directly exposed to body fluids of a deceased person in a manner that may, according to the then-current guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transmit human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis B or C viruses, consent for testing and release of the results must be obtained from the next of kin of the deceased person before testing may be initiated.

Virginia Defense Force; maximum age for recruitment. Permits the Adjutant General of Virginia to recruit members to the Virginia Defense Force who are between the ages of 65 and 75. Under current law, the Adjutant General is only permitted to retain existing members of the Virginia Defense Force once they have attained the age of 65.

Donation by locality of in-kind resources to certain volunteer or nonprofit organizations. Expands the scope of permitted in-kind donations by a locality to include the provision of in-kind resources for contract management services for capital projects; assistance in preparing requests for information, bids, or proposals; and budgeting services to any association or other organization furnishing voluntary firefighting services or a nonprofit or volunteer emergency medical services agency. This bill is identical to SB 465.

Professional use by practitioners; administration of albuterol inhalers or nebulized albuterol. Provides that, pursuant to an order or standing protocol issued by the prescriber within the course of his professional practice, any school nurse, school board employee, employee of a local governing body, employee of a local health department, employee of a school for students with disabilities, or employee of an accredited private school who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of albuterol inhalers or nebulized albuterol may possess or administer an albuterol inhaler or nebulized albuterol to a student diagnosed with a condition requiring an albuterol inhaler or nebulized albuterol when the student is believed to be experiencing or about to experience an asthmatic crisis. The bill also provides that a school nurse, employee of a school board, employee of a local governing body, or employee of a local health department who is authorized by a prescriber and trained in the administration of albuterol inhalers or nebulized albuterol who provides, administers, or assists in the administration of an albuterol inhaler or nebulized albuterol for a student believed in good faith to be in need of such medication, or is the prescriber of such medication, is not liable for civil damages for ordinary negligence in acts or omissions resulting from the rendering of such treatment. This bill is identical to HB 1174.