Virginia Minimum Wage Act; exemption. Removesthe exemption from the Virginia Minimum Wage Act for persons employedin domestic service or in or about a private home or in an eleemosynaryinstitution primarily supported by public funds.
Department of Corrections; earned sentence credits. Establishes a four-level classification system for the awarding and calculation of earned sentence credits. The bill requires the calculation of earned sentence credits to apply retroactively to the entire sentence of any inmate who is confined in a state correctional facility and participating in the earned sentence credit system on July 1, 2020. This bill incorporates HB 1370.
Possession of marijuana. Allows for possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use.
Protective orders; issuance upon convictionsfor certain felonies; penalty. Authorizes a court to issue aprotective order upon convicting a defendant for a felony offenseof (i) violating a protective order, (ii) homicide, (iii) kidnapping,(iv) assaults and bodily woundings, (v) extortion, or (vi) criminalsexual assault. The bill provides that the duration of such protectiveorder can be for any period of time, including up to the lifetimeof the defendant, that the court deems necessary to protect the health and safety of the victim and may only prohibit (a) acts of familyabuse or of violence, force, or threat against the victim or criminaloffenses that may result in injury to the person or property of thevictim and (b) such contacts by the defendant with the victim asthe court deems necessary for the health or safety of the victim.The bill provides that a violation of a protective order issued uponconviction of one of the enumerated offenses is punishable as a Class1 misdemeanor.
Robbery; penalty. Defines "robbery" and creates degrees of punishment corresponding to the severity of arobbery offense. Any person who commits a robbery by causing seriousbodily injury is guilty of robbery in the first degree, which is punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for a maximum termof life. Any person who commits robbery by displaying a firearm ina threatening manner is guilty of robbery in the second degree, whichis punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility fora maximum term of 20 years. Any person who commits robbery by usingphysical force not resulting in serious bodily injury, or by displayinga deadly weapon other than a firearm in a threatening manner, is guiltyof robbery in the third degree, which is punishable as a Class 5felony. Any person who commits robbery by using threat or intimidationnot involving a deadly weapon is guilty of robbery in the fourthdegree, which is punishable as a Class 6 felony. Under current law,any robbery is punishable by confinement in a state correctionalfacility for life or any term not less than five years.
Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. This bill was incorporated into HB 177.
Elections; same-day registration; in-person absentee and election day voting. Provides an exception to the closing of registration records for any person who (i) is qualified to register to vote, (ii) is unregistered or registered in a locality in which the person no longer resides but is otherwise entitled to vote by absentee ballot, (iii) desires to vote absentee in person at the time that they present themselves to be registered, and (iv) provides proof of residency. The bill also permits same-day registrants to vote absentee and provides an excuse for election day absentee voting for such voters. The bill requires all voters who register to vote under the provisions of this bill to fill out an absentee application, including the required oath, in order to vote. This bill was incorporated into HB 201.
Constitutional amendment (first resolution);real property tax exemption; affordable housing. Provides thatthe General Assembly may authorize a locality to fully or partiallyexempt affordable housing, as such term may be defined by statute,from real property taxation.
Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatoryhousing practices; sexual orientation and gender identity. Addsdiscrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientationor gender identity as an unlawful housing practice. The bill defines"sexual orientation" and "gender identity." This bill was incorporatedinto HB 1663.
