Higher education; students and student organizations; remedies for certain violations. Permits any student or student organization aggrieved by a violation of certain provisions of lawrelating to campus free speech by a public institution of highereducation or any employee of such institution acting in his officialcapacity to (i) bring a cause of action against such institutionor employee for appropriate relief, including injunctive relief,monetary damages, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs; (ii)assert such violation as a defense or counterclaim in any disciplinaryaction or civil or administrative proceeding brought against suchstudent or student organization; and (iii) pursue any other remedyavailable to such student or student organization.
Del. Nick Freitas
Sponsored bills
Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts established.Permits the parents of certain children to apply to the schooldivision in which the child resides for a one-year, renewable ParentalChoice Education Savings Account that consists of an amount thatis equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standardsof Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposesand apportioned to the resident school division in which the studentresides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education fundingfor which the student is eligible. The bill permits the parent touse the moneys in such account for certain education-related expenses of the student, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooksat a private elementary school or secondary school that is locatedin the Commonwealth. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expenses made from such accounts.
Shelters for victims of domestic violence; population served. Provides that a shelter for victims of domestic violence may be established for the purpose of providing services to individuals of a single sex and may exclude individuals who are not of that sex from the registered shelter.
Virginia National Guard; state active duty for emergency response; pay and allowances for members. Establishes rates of pay and allowances for members of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia Defense Force.
Virginia taxable income; subtractions; volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical services personnel.Provides a state income tax subtraction of $20 per hour, up toa maximum of 300 hours per taxable year, for bona fide volunteerswho perform qualifying services, defined in the bill as volunteerfirefighting and fire prevention services, emergency medical services,ambulance services, emergency rescue services, and all training andtraining-related activities required by law.
Possession, purchase, and transport of certainfirearms in certain localities; withholding state funds. Allowsa person to lawfully possess, purchase, or transport a firearm orfirearms magazine that he would otherwise be lawfully permitted to possess, purchase, or transport on January 1, 2020, while he isin a locality that has adopted or enforced any ordinance, resolution,or motion that declares such locality a sanctuary for Second Amendmentrights. The bill also provides that no funds payable by the Commonwealthto a locality for any and all purposes shall be withheld from a localitysolely on the basis of such locality adopting or enforcing any ordinance,resolution, or motion that declares such locality a sanctuary for Second Amendment rights.
Prescribing of opioids; required patient disclosures. Requires prescribers to discuss with a patient or the patient'sparent or guardian prior to prescribing an opioid information regardingthe prescribed opioid, including the risks of addiction and overdoseassociated with opioids; the dangers of taking opioids with alcohol,benzodiazepines, and other central nervous system depressants; thereasons why the prescription is necessary; and alternative treatmentsthat may be available. The bill also requires the prescriber to includea notation in the patient's medical record indicating that theserequired patient disclosures were discussed.
General Assembly meetings; streaming and recording. Requires the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of theSenate to ensure that every (i) subcommittee or committee meetingof a standing committee of the General Assembly, regardless of meetingdate, and (ii) floor session of the House of Delegates or the Senate,including any joint session of the houses, is streamed with closedcaptioning, recorded and archived. The bill defines "stream" and specifiesthat a qualifying meeting is one the date and time of which havebeen scheduled on a public website of any agency of the General Assemblyfor at least one hour prior to the meeting and that takes place inthe State Capitol, the Pocahontas Building, or the General AssemblyBuilding in Richmond. The bill has a delayed effective date of October1, 2020.
Commending Mission BBQ.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; scholasticrecords; charges. Provides that, upon request, scholastic recordsshall be furnished electronically once per academic quarter and physicallyonce per academic year at no charge to the student who is the subject thereof or the student's parent or legal guardian.