Del. Nick Freitas

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act; penalty. Creates the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The Act prohibits an abortion after 20 weeks gestation unless, in reasonable medical judgment, the mother has a condition that so complicates her medical condition as to necessitate the abortion to avert her death or to avert serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. When an abortion is not prohibited post-20 weeks' gestation, the physician or authorized nurse practitioner is required to terminate the pregnancy in a manner that would provide the unborn child the best opportunity to survive. The bill punishes performance of an abortion in violation of the Act as a Class 6 felony. The bill also provides for civil remedies against a physician or authorized nurse practitioner who performs an abortion in violation of the Act.

Campaign finance; prohibited contributionsto candidates; Phase I Utility and Phase II Utility. Prohibitscandidates, campaign committees, and political committees from solicitingor accepting contributions from any public utility, as defined inthe bill, and prohibits any public utility or any political committeeestablished by such public utility from making any such contribution.

Concealed handgun permits; demonstration ofcompetence. Removes the requirement that concealed handgun permitapplicants demonstrate competence with a handgun by completing anin-person course and adds the option for applicants to demonstratecompetence by completing an electronic, video, or online course conductedby a state-certified or National Rifle Association-certified firearmsinstructor.

Public institutions of higher education; perstudent enrollment-based funding; noncredit workforce training programs.Requires the per student enrollment-based funding provided to publicinstitutions of higher education to include funding for each Virginiastudent enrolled in a noncredit workforce training program. Undercurrent law, per student enrollment-based funding follows each Virginiaundergraduate student.

Elimination of daylight saving time in Virginia. Exempts Virginia from observing daylight saving time, thereby makingEastern Standard Time the standard time in Virginia year-round.

Alcoholic beverage control; sales conductedon licensed premises. Provides that any reasonable markup imposedby the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage ControlAuthority on spirits sold at a government store established on adistiller's licensed premises shall be retained by such distiller.The bill also repeals the commission of not less than 20 percentof the retail price of any goods sold that is currently paid to alicensed distiller that operates a government store on the distiller'slicensed premises or at the site of an event licensed by the Board.

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.

Elections; absentee voting; ballots to be sortedand results to be reported by precinct. Provides that absentee ballots processed at a central absentee precinct must be sorted bythe precinct to which the voter who cast the absentee ballot is assignedand that the resulting vote totals from such ballots must be reportedseparately for each voter precinct.

Virginia Credential Registry; established.Directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to createthe Virginia Credential Registry for the purpose of ensuring thatthe general public has access to essential information about alleducational and occupational credentials that are delivered, issued,funded, recognized, authorized, overseen, or governed in the Commonwealth.The bill describes such credentials as all degrees, certificates,certifications, licenses, apprenticeships, military training, diplomas,and badges that are available in the Commonwealth. The bill setsout other information required to be included in the Registry andrequires the Council to establish and populate the Registry no laterthan July 1, 2023, and report on its progress in implementing theVirginia Credential Registry to the General Assembly no later thanOctober 1, 2023.

Alcoholic beverage control; distiller licenses;Internet orders and shipments. Allows the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to include in its agency agreements withlicensed distillers provisions that allow distillers to sell spiritsand low alcohol beverage coolers through Internet orders and shipsuch orders to consumers and licensees within the Commonwealth. Thebill imposes certain quantity, carriage, transaction, and labelingrequirements on such sales and shipments.