Victims of human trafficking; eligibility forin-state tuition. Provides that a non-Virginia student who iscurrently present in the Commonwealth as a result of being a victimof human trafficking, defined in the bill, is eligible for in-statetuition. The bill provides that a person may be a victim of humantrafficking regardless of whether any person has been charged withor convicted of any offense and that eligibility for in-state tuitionmay be proved by a certification of such status as a victim of humantrafficking by a federal, state, or local agency or not-for-profitagency, one of whose primary missions is to provide services to victimsof human trafficking. The bill also requires institutions of highereducation to automatically record such a student as opting out ofmaking any directory or educational information available to thepublic unless the student voluntarily and affirmatively chooses toopt in to allowing such directory or educational information to be made available.
Sponsored bills
Motor vehicles used for the delivery of property;trade dress. Requires motor vehicles used for the delivery ofproperty to the purchaser to display a logo, insignia, or emblemidentifying the person or entity with which the driver of the vehicleis associated during the delivery.
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.
Public education; student education accounts.Permits any school division to establish a program to create savingsaccounts for students to be used for alternative educational programs.The bill requires the Department of Education to establish policiesand procedures under which the parent of each student may use suchfunds on public or private educational programs.
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.
Voter identification; optional restrictive identification requirement. Allows a voter to opt into being required to showa valid photo identification issued by the Commonwealth, one of itspolitical subdivisions, or the United States when voting in person.When a voter offers to vote and the pollbook indicates he has optedinto such requirement, he shall be required to show a valid photoidentification issued by the Commonwealth, one of its political subdivisions,or the United States in order to vote a regular ballot. The voterregistration application shall permit an applicant to opt into thisrequirement and the Department of Elections is required to providethe means for currently registered voters to opt in as well.
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.
Conduct of elections; vote counting; requiredlive video recording. Requires the general registrar of each county and city to provide for a live video recording of each pollingplace while absentee ballots are cast, votes are counted, and returnsare completed, and of each central absentee precinct while ballots are handled and returns are completed. The general registrars arerequired to ensure the video coverage is recorded and retained untilthe deadline to request a recount has passed and, if any contestor recount is pending thereafter, until it has been concluded. The bill provides that each live video recording must include date andtime indicators and be linked to the official website of the countyor city. The Department of Elections is required to post links onits official website to the video coverage for viewing by the public.The bill provides that any disruption in video coverage shall notaffect or prevent the continued casting of absentee ballots, countingof votes, or completion of returns, and is not grounds for an electioncontest.
Alcoholic beverage control; mobile retailerlicense. Creates a mobile retailer license, which authorizesthe licensee to sell wine and beer during events within designatedareas for on-premises consumption or in closed containers for off-premisesconsumption. The bill requires such licensees to (i) comply withany requirements or limitations imposed by the Board of Directorsof the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and (ii) servefood, prepared on or off premises, whenever wine or beer is served. The bill allows such licenses to be granted to persons operatinga mobile retail venture that sells wine or beer to patrons at specialevents or private gatherings through trucks or trailers equippedwith no more than four beverage taps.
Group Violence Intervention Board; Divisionof Group Violence Intervention; Project Ceasefire Grant Fund; ProjectExit Grant Fund. Establishes the Group Violence Intervention Boardto coordinate and assist federal, state, and local group violenceintervention efforts. The bill also establishes within the Departmentof Criminal Justice Services (the Department) the Division of Group Violence Intervention (the Division), to be headed by an executivedirector appointed by the Director of the Department. The bill providesthat the Division is responsible for (i) coordinating the effortsof members of state and local law enforcement, community members,and social services providers to combat group violence; (ii) servingas a clearinghouse for research, best practices, and strategies thatmay be utilized in the implementation, execution, and evaluationof group violence interventions; and (iii) implementing and administeringvarious federal, state, and local grant funds that aid group violence intervention efforts. Finally, the bill creates the Project CeasefireGrant Fund, which provides money to organizations that are involvedin group violence intervention efforts, and creates the Project Exit Grant Fund, which provides money to organizations that assist formergang members or individuals attempting to leave gangs.