Del. Nadarius Clark

Divorce; cruelty, reasonable apprehension ofbodily hurt, or willful desertion or abandonment; divorce from bedand board. Eliminates the one-year waiting period for being decreeda divorce on the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodilyhurt, or willful desertion or abandonment by either party. The billalso repeals the provision allowing for a divorce from bed and boardon the grounds of cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily hurt,or willful desertion or abandonment. The provisions of the bill applyto suits for divorce filed on or after July 1, 2024.

Firearm locking device required for sale or transfer of handguns; child safety warning required; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer any handgun to any person, other than a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer, unless the transferee is provided with a locking device for such handgun and the handgun is accompanied by a warning, in conspicuous and legible type in capital letters printed on a label affixed to the gun and on a separate sheet of paper included within the packaging enclosing the handgun, that handguns should be locked and kept away from children and that there may be civil and criminal liability for failing to do so. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement and governmental agencies. This bill was incorporated into HB 158.

Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures; report. Directs the State Health Commissioner to reestablish the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures for the purpose of evaluating maternal health data collection processes to guide policies in the Commonwealth to improve maternal care, quality, and outcomes for all birthing people in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Task Force to report its findings and conclusions to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1 of each year regarding its activities. This bill reestablishes the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures that concluded on December 1, 2023. This bill was incorporated into HB 781.

Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.

Stillbirth Support Grant Program. Establishesthe Stillbirth Support Grant Program for the purpose of providinggrants to individuals who delivered a stillborn child, as definedby the bill, to assist with out-of-pocket costs associated with suchdelivery. Under the bill, an application for such a grant must besubmitted within the same calendar year as such delivery of a stillborn child occurs.

Department of Environmental Quality; enforcementof regulations; Clean Water Act; cooling water intakes at power plants.Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to promptly enforcefederal regulations implementing a provision of the federal CleanWater Act for cooling water intakes at power plants to reduce negativeimpacts on fish populations in the waters of the Commonwealth.

Stillbirth Support Grant Program. Establishesthe Stillbirth Support Grant Program for the purpose of providinggrants to individuals who delivered a stillborn child, as definedby the bill, to assist with out-of-pocket costs associated with suchdelivery. Under the bill, an application for such a grant must besubmitted within the same calendar year as such delivery of a stillborn child occurs.

Local government; installation of water-basedfire protection systems in new townhouse construction. Permitsa locality to allow the installation of automatic water-based fireprotection systems in new townhouse construction. The bill providesthat such ordinance shall require that the installation be completedin compliance with standards, requirements, and specifications forthe installation of an automatic water-based fire protection systemas prescribed by the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems; NFPA13R, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Low-RiseResidential Occupancies; or NFPA 13D, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellingsand Manufactured Homes in accordance with the Uniform StatewideBuilding Code.

Local correctional facilities; fees. Eliminates certain fees charged to inmates within a local correctional facility,including a fee to defray the costs associated with an inmate's keep,travel and other expenses associated with an inmate's work releaseemployment or participation in an educational or rehabilitative program,and telephone systems. The bill also reduces certain fees chargedto inmates within a local correctional facility, including that thecost of items within a correctional facility's store or commissaryshall not exceed 10 percent of the typical market rate for the samegoods or services, and that the fee associated with electronic visitationand messaging systems shall not exceed the actual costs of establishingand operating such systems. The bill removes provisions that if aninmate is unable to pay in full such fees, the inmate must enter intoa deferred or installment payment agreement with the local correctionalfacility, or that such facility may enter into a contract for collectionof such fees with a private entity, a local governing body, or thecounty or city treasurer. The bill also provides that, upon dischargefrom a local correctional facility, an inmate shall receive, in theform of a check, electronic transfer, or a debit or other accountcard, the balance of all accounts maintained by the facility foran inmate's use.

Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes; established; report. Establishes the Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes in the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of performing a comprehensive review of Virginia law to assess ways in which it must be revised to include federally recognized Tribal Nations located in the Commonwealth as distinct governments with the right to exercise general sovereignty and powers of government. The Commission is required to submit an annual report on its interim activities and work by the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2024.