Correctional facilities; use of isolated confinement.Prohibits the use of isolated confinement in state correctionalfacilities and juvenile correctional centers, defined in the billas confinement of a prisoner or juvenile to a cell, alone or withanother prisoner or juvenile, for 20 hours or more a day for an adultor for 17 hours or more a day for a juvenile, other than for thepurpose of providing medical or mental health treatment. The bill provides for exceptions for when isolated confinement may be permittedin state correctional facilities and juvenile correctional centers.The bill also requires the Board of Corrections to promulgate andestablish standards placing limits on the use of isolated confinementin local correctional facilities that are consistent with the standardsapplicable to state correctional facilities.
Sponsored bills
Prisoners; obtaining certain identification documentation upon release. Requires the Department of Corrections and the sheriff, jail superintendent, or other jail administrator of a local correctional facility to provide to any prisoner who does not already possess a government-issued identification card a special identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles upon his release. Prior to the release of any prisoner after a period of confinement of 90 days or more, if such prisoner does not already possess an original birth certificate or a Social Security card, the bill also requires the Department of Corrections and the sheriff, jail superintendent, or other jail administrator of a local correctional facility to offer to (i) provide the assistance necessary for the prisoner to apply to the appropriate state and obtain an official copy of the prisoner's birth certificate and (ii) provide the assistance necessary for the prisoner to apply to the Social Security Administration and obtain a replacement Social Security card. The bill requires the correctional institutions to establish procedures for (a) securing such special identification cards through the Department of Motor Vehicles, (b) applying for and obtaining official copies of birth certificates or replacement Social Security cards, and (c) forwarding such documentation if it is not obtained prior to the prisoner's release or discharge. Such procedures shall include an offer to provide, or to assist the prisoner with providing, all paperwork necessary for such prisoner to be issued a special identification card, an official copy of a birth certificate, or a replacement Social Security card. The bill further provides that all costs and fees associated with obtaining such identification documentation shall be paid by the prisoner unless the prisoner is determined to be indigent. Current law authorizes local correctional institutions to issue special identification cards prior to the release of any prisoner and requires the prisoner to pay all costs and fees associated with obtaining such card.
TANF; family cap. Repeals the prohibitionon increasing the amount of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families(TANF) that a family receives upon the birth of a child during theperiod of TANF eligibility or during the period in which the familyor adult recipient is ineligible for TANF benefits pursuant to apenalty imposed by the Commissioner of Social Services for failureto comply with benefit eligibility or child support requirements.
Department of Health; sickle cell anemia; adult and pediatric comprehensive sickle cell clinic network. Specifies that children be included in the voluntary program established by the Commissioner of Health, in cooperation with local health directors, for the screening of individuals for the disease of sickle cell anemia or the sickle cell trait and for other genetically related diseases and genetic traits and inborn errors of metabolism. The bill directs the Board of Health to adopt regulations to implement an adult and pediatric comprehensive sickle cell clinic network.
Housing; housing authorities; notice of intent to demolish, liquidate, or otherwise dispose of housing projects. Requires that any housing authority required to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish, liquidate, or otherwise dispose of a housing project must also serve a notice of intent to demolish, liquidate, or otherwise dispose of such housing project, containing specified information, at least 12 months prior to any application submission date to (i) the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, (ii) any agency that would be responsible for administering tenant-based rental assistance to persons who would otherwise be displaced from the housing project, and (iii) each tenant residing in the housing project. The bill requires the authority to also provide such notice to any prospective tenant who is offered a rental agreement subsequent to the initial notice. During the 12-month period subsequent to the initial notice of intent to demolish, liquidate, or dispose of the housing project, the housing authority is prohibited from (a) increasing rent for any tenant above the amount authorized by any federal assistance program applicable to the housing project; (b) changing the terms of the rental agreement for any tenant, except as permitted under the existing rental agreement; or (c) evicting a tenant or demanding possession of any dwelling unit in the housing project, except for a lease violation or violation of law that threatens the health and safety of the building residents. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 708.
Landlord and tenant; victims of family abuse; evidence to mitigate low credit score; damages. Allows an applicant for a lease to recover actual damages, including all amounts paid to the landlord as an application fee, application deposit, or reimbursement for any of the landlord's out-of-pocket expenses that were charged to the applicant, along with attorney fees, if the landlord does not consider evidence of the applicant's status as a victim of family abuse to mitigate any adverse effect of the otherwise qualified applicant's low credit score.
Public employment; limitations on inquiries by state agencies and localities regarding criminal arrests, charges, or convictions. Prohibits state agencies and localities from including on any employment application a question inquiring whether the prospective employee has ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any crime. The bill prohibits asking a prospective employee if he has ever been arrested or charged with or convicted of any crime unless the inquiry takes place during or after a staff interview of the prospective employee. The prohibition does not apply to applications for employment with law-enforcement agencies or positions related to law-enforcement agencies. The prohibition also does not apply to applications for state agency positions designated as sensitive or to state agencies that are expressly permitted to inquire into an individual's criminal arrests or charges for employment purposes pursuant to any provision of federal or state law. For localities, the prohibition also does not apply to positions for employment by the local school board. This bill incorporates HB 140.
Community health workers; certification.Requires the Department of Health to approve one or more entitiesto certify community health workers in the Commonwealth and prohibitsa person from using or assuming the title of certified communityhealth worker unless he is certified by a credentialing entity approvedby the Department and submits an application to the Department withevidence of such certification. The bill defines the terms "certifiedcommunity health worker" and "community health worker."
Commending the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Income tax subtraction; crime stopper rewards. Increases from $1,000 to $5,000, beginning in taxable year 2020, the maximum amount that may be subtracted from taxable income for amounts received as a reward for providing information to a law-enforcement official or agency, or to a nonprofit corporation created exclusively to assist such law-enforcement official or agency, that is used in the apprehension and conviction of perpetrators of crimes. This bill is identical to SB 931.