Rep. Phil Scott

Absentee voting; deadline for returning absenteeballot. Requires that an absentee ballot be received before the closing of the polls on election day in order to be counted. Currently,an absentee ballot that is received after the closing of the pollsbut before noon on the third day after the election is counted ifit is postmarked on or before the date of the election.

Absentee voting; return of absentee ballots;drop-off locations. Repeals the provisions of law providing forthe establishment of drop-off locations for the return of absenteeballots.

Absentee voting in person; available beginningon the fourteenth day prior to election; hours of operation. Limits absentee voting in person to the two weeks immediately precedingan election. During these two weeks, the bill requires that absenteevoting in person be available Monday through Saturday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.

Elections; voter identification containing aphotograph required; permanent absentee voter list repealed.Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photographin order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permittinga voter who does not have one of the required forms of identificationto vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties forfalse statements, that he is the named registered voter he claimsto be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled tocast a provisional ballot. The bill also repeals the provisions oflaw by which any registered voter may apply to receive absentee ballotsfor all elections in which he is eligible to vote and remains onthe list until the voter requests in writing to be removed from thelist, the voter's registration is canceled or placed on inactivestatus pursuant to law, or the voter moves to a different addressnot in the same county or city of his registration.

Voter registration; registration permittedup to and including the day of the election. Repeals a provisionthat would permit any person who is qualified to register to voteto register to vote in person up to and including the day of theelection, notwithstanding any deadline for the close of registration records. The repeal will limit the persons who are entitled to registerto vote after the close of registration records to (i) any member of a uniformed service of the United States who is on active duty,(ii) any person residing temporarily outside of the United States,and (iii) the spouse or dependent residing with someone listed in(i) or (ii).

Minimum wage; small employers. Exempts employersthat are individuals or entities with 10 or fewer employees fromthe state minimum wage requirements.

Unemployment compensation; disqualificationfor benefits; misconduct does not include refusing COVID-19 vaccine.Provides that for the purposes of the Virginia Employment Commissiondetermining if an individual was separated or partially separatedfrom employment for misconduct and would be disqualified for unemploymentbenefits, the term "misconduct" does not include an employee's refusalto receive or receive in part any primary series or booster shotof a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.

Concealed handgun permits; penalties. Changesthe penalty for a first violation of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a civil penalty ofnot more than $100, a second violation from a Class 6 felony to a Class 2 misdemeanor, and a third or subsequent violation from a Class5 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that aperson, unless otherwise disqualified, shall not be precluded fromapplying for a concealed handgun permit during the pendency of theproceedings for a violation. If such person is issued a valid concealedhandgun permit while a charge for a violation is pending, he mayoffer such permit to the court, and the court may dismiss the charge.

Minimum wage. Repeals certain provisionsof the Code of Virginia related to increasing the state minimum wageto more than $11.00 per hour. The bill also repeals provisions relatedto increasing the state minimum wage based on an annual adjustedminimum wage determined by the Department of Labor and Industry.

Commending the Virginia Manufacturers Association.