Del. Betsy Carr

Presidential electors; National Popular VoteCompact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known asthe Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by NationalPopular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United Statesgives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the mannerof awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agreesto award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receivesthe most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessinga majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A statemay withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring withinsix months of the end of a President's term shall not become effectiveuntil a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term.

Civil action for deprivation of rights; dutiesand liabilities of certain employers in employing or contractingfor the services of law-enforcement officers. Creates a civilaction for the deprivation of a person's rights by a law-enforcementofficer and provides that a plaintiff may be awarded compensatorydamages, punitive damages, and equitable relief as well as reasonableattorney fees and costs. The bill provides that sovereign immunityand limitations on liability or damages shall not apply to such actionsand that qualified immunity is not a defense to liability for such deprivation of rights. Finally, the bill provides that any publicor private entity that employs or contracts for the services of alaw-enforcement officer owes a duty of reasonable care to third partiesin its hiring, supervision, training, retention, and use of suchofficers under its employment or contract.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable BernardS. Cohen.

Commending Redella S. Pepper.

Landfill siting; historic preservation.Prohibits the construction of any new municipal solid waste landfillwithin three miles of any designated historic district, building, structure, object, or site.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; recognition ofsame-sex marriages. Repeals the constitutional provision definingmarriage as only a union between one man and one woman, as well asthe related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of theUnited States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges,576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and its agents are required to issuemarriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equallyunder the law, regardless of the gender of the two parties to themarriage. The amendment further provides that religious organizationsand clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuseto perform any marriage.

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Conventionon the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Electric utilities; rate reductions. Eliminates provisions that limit any rate reduction ordered by the State Corporation Commission in the first triennial review of Dominion Energy Virginia after January 1, 2021, to $50 million in annual revenues and provides that in any triennial review, regardless of whether the Commission has ordered bill credits, the utility earned above its authorized rate of return during the test period under review, or the utility has made a request regarding any customer credit reinvestment offsets, the Commission may order any rate reduction it deems necessary and appropriate unless it finds that the resulting rates will not provide the utility with the opportunity to (i) fully recover its costs of providing its services and (ii) earn not less than a fair combined rate of return on its generation and distribution services. This bill was incorporated into HB 1835.

Essential workers; hazard pay; personalprotective equipment; civil penalty. Requires, that followingthe declaration by the Governor of a state of emergency that includesor is followed by any additional executive order in furtherance ofsuch declaration that includes a stay-at-home or shelter-in-placeorder, employers shall (i) compensate each of their essential workersat a rate not less than one and one-half times the essential worker'sregular rate of pay for any hours worked during the closure orderand (ii) provide their essential workers with personal protectiveequipment related to the state of emergency and recommended for therelevant work site or job task by the Virginia Department of Laborand Industry, the State Department of Health, the U.S. Centers forDisease Control and Prevention, or the federal Occupational Safetyand Health Administration. The bill defines "essential worker" as an individual employed as a health care provider, home care provider,or airport worker or by an essential retail business, as specifiedin the bill. The bill subjects violators to the same civil penalties,and provides the same cause of action for an employer's failure topay the required hazard pay, as are currently imposed for failing to pay wages generally.

Celebrating the life of Charlotte Melton.