Carrying a firearm or explosive material withinCapitol Square and the surrounding area, into building owned or leasedby the Commonwealth, etc.; penalty. Repeals the prohibition oncarrying a firearm or explosive material within (i) the Capitol ofVirginia; (ii) Capitol Square and the surrounding area; (iii) anybuilding owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof;or (iv) any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agencythereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing theirofficial duties. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyperson to carry a firearm or explosive material within these areas, subject to certain exceptions, including the following individualswhile acting in the conduct of such person's official duties: anylaw-enforcement officer, any authorized security personnel, any activemilitary personnel, any fire marshal when such fire marshal has beengranted police powers, or any member of a cadet corps while suchmember is participating in an official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.
Sponsored bills
Employer medical mandates; cause of action. Provides for a cause of action for any employee who suffers any adverse reaction or injury sustained by reason of a medical mandate, defined in the bill, issued by the employer as a condition of employment. The bill provides that in any such action the employee may recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Falun Gong; Persecution by Chinese CommunistParty. Condemns the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners bythe Chinese Communist Party.
Regional criminal justice academy; Town of Pulaski. Allows the Town of Pulaski to withdraw from the Cardinal CriminalJustice Academy and send its cadets to the New River Criminal JusticeTraining Academy without penalty.
Relocation of monument and memorials. Requiresa locality that votes to remove, relocate, contextualize, or covercertain war monuments or memorials to initiate a process to giftthe monument or memorial to a nonprofit organization that is mostrelated to the mission and spirit of the monument or memorial, atthe locality's expense. The bill provides that the placement of themonument or memorial shall be decided by an independent committeeand that a majority vote by the committee as to the relocation ofthe memorial is binding on the locality and shall be carried out within six months from the date of the committee's decision.
Commending Michael D. Gale.
Commending Kellean K. Gale.
Public-Private Competition Act. Createsthe Public-Private Competition Act, which prohibits public bodiesfrom engaging in any commercial activity, defined in the bill tomean any activity that can be performed by an existing private business.The bill creates an exemption for commercial activities that publicbodies are required to perform pursuant to the Constitution of Virginia.The bill also repeals the Competitive Government Act, which requiresthe Governor to (i) conduct a study at least once every two yearsto examine whether at least three commercial activities being performedby state employees at state agencies and institutions are being accomplishedin the most cost-efficient and effective manner and (ii) outsource any commercial activity for which the study determines that outsourcingmay result in reduced costs or otherwise provide a measurable benefitto the Commonwealth.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable FrankDuVal Hargrove, Sr.
Commending the Honorable Mark Cole.