Provides that in any criminal proceeding the attorney for the Commonwealth or the defendant may request and the court may enter an order authorizing the use of a certified facility dog to aid a testifying witness, provided that the use of a certified facility dog will aid the witness in providing testimony and the presence and use of the certified facility dog will not interfere with or distract from the testimony or proceedings. The bill provides that the court may make any orders necessary to preserve the fairness of the proceeding, including imposing restrictions on and instructing the jury regarding the presence of the certified facility dog. The bill defines "certified facility dog" as a dog that (i) has completed training and been certified by a program accredited by Assistance Dogs International or another organization whose main purpose is to improve training, placement, and utilization of assistance dogs and (ii) is accompanied by a duly trained handler.
Sponsored bills
Provides that a person who appeals a determination by a local department of social services related to child abuse or neglect to a hearing officer designated by the Commissioner of Social Services may request extensions of the hearing but that no extension causing the hearing to be delayed more than 90 days after the date on which the hearing was first scheduled to be held shall be granted absent a showing of compelling reasons to justify such extension.
Creates the Henrietta Lacks Commission to establish through a public-private partnership the Henrietta Lacks Life Sciences Center in Halifax County as a cancer research and treatment center designed to (i) transform and accelerate cancer research and treatment through the use of biodata tools, (ii) provide tailored cancer treatment medicine to an underserved portion of rural Southside Virginia, and (iii) incubate new biotech businesses across the Southside Virginia region. The bill requires the Commission to annually submit a report on its interim activity and work to the Governor and General Assembly. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2021.
Provides that a person who is acquitted by reason of insanity of an offense and convicted of another offense must serve his sentence for the conviction prior to being committed for inpatient hospitalization or, if the person has already been committed at the time of the conviction, be transferred to the custody of the correctional facility where he is to serve his sentence and returned to commitment upon completion of his sentence.
Requires enrollment in the Virtual Virginia online learning program during the school year to be open, on a space-available basis, to each public high school student in the Commonwealth and each high school student in the Commonwealth who receives home instruction.
Requests the Department of Social Services to study regulation of independent living communities. The Department shall examine the operations of independent living communities and the level of services provided therein, including residential health care services coordinated through third-party providers and determine whether some or all independent living communities should be regulated and to what extent and by what agency. The Department shall also determine whether the Commonwealth should establish the Office of the Independent Living Community Ombudsman to receive, record, and respond to complaints submitted by residents and other citizens regarding the operations of independent living communities.
Clarifies that student directory information may be publicly disclosed by a school if the school has given notice to the parent or eligible student of (i) the types of information that the school has designated as directory information; (ii) the right of the parent or eligible student to refuse the designation of any or all of the types of information about the student as directory information; and (iii) the period of time within which a parent or eligible student must notify the school in writing that he does not want any or all of the types of information about the student designated as directory information. The bill also provides, however, that no school shall disclose the address, phone number, or email address of a student pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(11) or the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) unless the parent or eligible student has affirmatively consented in writing to such disclosure.