Del. Bobby Orrock

Commending the Fredericksburg Dog Mart.

Commending Bobbie Jean Meriwether.

Commending Major Wayne R. Lee, Jr., USA, Ret.

Voter identification; identification containinga photograph required. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisionsof law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required formsof identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voterhe claims to be. Instead, such voter would be entitled to cast aprovisional ballot.

Special license plates; NOT FORGOTTEN. Authorizesthe issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for supportersof Americans listed as prisoners of war or missing in action bearingthe legend NOT FORGOTTEN. The bill requires that the design of suchplate incorporate the POW/MIA Flag as designated by the federal NationalPOW/MIA Flag Act. The bill exempts these special license plates fromthe requirement to obtain 450 prepaid applications for such plate.The bill provides that some of the license plate fees will be depositedin the POW/MIA Fund, established within the Department of Accounts,and paid annually to the National League of Families of American Prisonersand Missing in Southeast Asia and used to support its operation andprograms in Virginia.

Local credits for approved local volunteer activities. Enables localities, by ordinance, to provide a credit against taxesand fees imposed by the locality to an individual who provides approvedvolunteer services in the locality. As defined in the bill, "approvedvolunteer services" includes (i) volunteer first responders or (ii)individuals who perform volunteer services to a nonprofit organizationor to the locality, if such services are approved by the locality.The bill specifies that the credit may not be used against any propertytaxes or payments in lieu of property taxes. The bill gives localities discretion to determine which taxes or fees are permissible usesof the credit and which services qualify for the credit.

Local control of firearms; concealed handgunpermit. Provides that any local ordinance that prohibits thepossession, carrying, or transportation of any firearms, ammunition,or components or combination thereof on specified public propertyshall not apply to a person who has a valid concealed handgun permit.

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 and residence address.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);executive power; state of emergency; special session. Limitsthe authority of the Governor to issue an executive order declaringa state of emergency that restricts, limits, or prohibits otherwiselawful action by a private business, nonprofit entity, or individualfor a period more than 45 days in duration without approval by theGeneral Assembly. The Governor is required to convene a special sessionfor the purpose of the General Assembly approving the extension ofsuch executive order beyond the forty-fifth day after its originalissuance and if the General Assembly does not approve such extension,the Governor is prohibited from issuing a subsequent executive orderin the same form for the same declared emergency. The General Assemblyis permitted to extend the executive order to a date requested bythe Governor or to a date of the General Assembly's choosing, butit shall not approve the extension to a date beyond the first fullweek of the next regular session of the General Assembly, unlesssuch date is requested by the Governor.

Absentee voting; definition of postmark; legibility requirement. Requires an absentee ballot returned to the generalregistrar after the closing of the polls on election day to be legiblypostmarked on or before the date of the election in order to be counted.Current law does not specify that the postmark must be legible. Thebill defines postmark, for purposes of absentee ballots returnedafter the closing of the polls on election day, to mean (i) an officialUnited States Postal Service imprint indicating the date of mailingor any other official indicia of the United States Postal Serviceused to identify the date of mailing or (ii) the mailing confirmationdata of a commercial delivery service.