Del. Scott Wyatt

Reduction of speed limits; local authority.Authorizes localities to reduce the speed limit by up to 10 milesper hour on any highway within its boundaries if indicated by lawfullyplaced signs and based on a traffic engineering study and analysis.Current law authorizes localities to reduce the speed limit to lessthan 25 miles per hour, but not less than 15 miles per hour, on highways within its boundaries that are located in a business district or residence district and maintained by the locality.

Public health emergency; emergency orders andregulations; limitations. Provides that any emergency order orregulation adopted by the Board of Health shall be valid for no morethan 45 days and that such order may be extended by the Board fora subsequent period of 45 days, provided that the Board providesnotice and receives public comment on the order or regulation proposedto be extended, but that in no case shall such emergency order or regulation be valid for more than 18 months from the effective dateof the initial order or regulation. The bill also provides that inany case in which the Commissioner of Health exercises the authorityof the Board to enact an emergency order or regulation, such orderor regulation shall be valid for no more than 45 days from the effectivedate of the order or regulation unless the Board adopts an orderor regulation to such effect. Thebill also limits the duration of an emergency temporary standardadopted by the Safety and Health Codes Board to 45 days and providesfor an extension of such emergency temporary standard for a subsequentperiod of 45 days, provided that the Board provides notice and receivespublic comment on the emergency temporary standard proposed to beextended. However, no emergency temporary order shall be valid fora period of more than six months.

Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses;exclusion of evidence. Removes the provisions stating that no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating(i) with an expired registration sticker prior to the first day ofthe fourth month after the original expiration date; (ii) with defectiveand unsafe equipment; (iii) without tail lights or brake lights;(iv) without an exhaust system in good working order; (v) with certain signs, posters, stickers or decals; (vi) with objects or other equipmentsuspended so as to obstruct the driver's view; or (vii) with an expired inspection prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date, as well as the accompanying exclusionary provisions.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);real property tax; exemption for certain surviving spouses of membersof the armed forces. Authorizes the General Assembly to exemptfrom tax the real property of a surviving spouse of a member of thearmed forces who died in the line of duty while performing officialmilitary activities. The amendment provides that such exemption isonly available when the death of such member of the armed forces did not result from criminal conduct. The current Constitution exemptsthe real property of a surviving spouse of a member of the armedforces who was killed in action, a disabled veteran, and the survivingspouse of a disabled veteran.

Hunting deer; use of .22 caliber rifle authorized.Authorizes the use of a rifle equipped with .22 caliber centerfireammunition for hunting big game. Current Department of Wildlife Resourcesregulations allow the use of rifles with a caliber of .23 or greater.

Damage to motor vehicles; penalties. Makesit a Class 6 felony for a person to commit larceny of a catalytic converter from a motor vehicle, regardless of the converter's value.The bill also makes it a Class 6 felony for a person to willfully break, injure, tamper with, or remove any part or parts of any vehicle,aircraft, boat, or vessel for the purpose of injuring, defacing,or destroying said vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel, or temporarilyor permanently preventing its useful operation, or for any purpose against the will or without the consent of the owner, or to in anyother manner willfully or maliciously interfere with or prevent the running or operation of such vehicle, aircraft, boat, or vessel,when such violation causes damage to such vehicle, aircraft, boat,or vessel of $1,000 or more. Current law makes such violation a Class1 misdemeanor with no limit on the amount of damage. Under the bill,the penalty for damage of less than $1,000 remains a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Carrying a concealed handgun; permit not required. Allows any person who is otherwise eligible to obtain a concealedhandgun permit to carry a concealed handgun without a permit anywherehe may lawfully carry a handgun openly within the Commonwealth.

Public education; parental rights; access to certain facilities and accommodations; instructional content; bullying. Declares that the parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth has the right to (i) obtain and review any educational material and curriculum utilized in any class or course in which the student is enrolled; (ii) opt his child out of any class or course activity, lesson, or reading assignment or the use of any audiovisual material or library book to which the parent objects; (iii) easily access a list of the title and author of each book in each classroom and each library in the school in which the student is enrolled; (iv) receive notice of and attend any public meeting of the school board governing the local school division in which the student is enrolled; (v) review the annual school division budget and expenditures; (vi) send his child to attend school in a safe environment; and (vii) be updated by the school principal on any violent activity in the school in which the student is enrolled. The bill requires each school board to adopt policies to require each student and school board employee to have access to restrooms, locker rooms, and other changing facilities in public school buildings that are shared only by members of the same biological sex; lodging accommodations during school-sponsored trips that are shared only by members of the same biological sex; and a single-user restroom, locker room, or other changing facility in a public school building, upon request, if the school can reasonably accommodate such a request. The bill also prohibits any school board employee or individual who provides any school-sponsored program from teaching or promoting to any student or school board employee the concept that (a) any race is inherently superior or inferior; (b) any individual is racist, privileged, oppressive, biased, or responsible for actions committed by others of the same race or skin color by virtue of the individual's race or skin color; (c) the United States is fundamentally racist; or (d) market-based economics is inherently racist. The bill finally requires each school board to implement policies and procedures to educate school board employees about bullying and the need to create a school environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect and any incident of bullying is taken seriously and handled in a robust manner.

Absentee ballots; witness requirement; printedname and residence address. Requires that a witness to a voter's absentee ballot provide, in addition to his signature, his printedname, his date of birth, the last four digits of his social securitynumber, and his residence address.

School principals; incident reports. Requiresthat school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to theparents of any minor student who is the specific object of such actthat the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under currentlaw, principals are required to make such reports only for such actsthat may constitute a felony offense.