Del. Mark L. Cole

Expands the category of flags required to be flown at half staff or mast when a service member, police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical services provider is killed in the line of duty to include flags flown at any building owned and operated by any political subdivision of the Commonwealth. In addition, the bill adds state correctional officers to the list of public safety personnel for whom such flags are flown at half staff or mast.

Allows Stafford County, by ordinance, to restrict the deferral of real property taxes authorized under current law to a taxpayer's sole dwelling whose tax levy for 2016 exceeded the tax levy for 2015 by at least 25 percent due to improvements made to adjacent property by Stafford County. The amount of the deferral shall not exceed 95 percent of such excess. This bill is identical to

Includes like rank and experience as a factor in setting the maximum allowable hourly equivalent compensation paid to part-time deputy sheriffs performing like duties of full-time deputy sheriffs.

Authorizes a school security officer to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties if (i) within 10 years immediately prior to being hired by the local school board he was an active law-enforcement officer in the Commonwealth; (ii) he retired or resigned from his position as a law-enforcement officer in good standing; (iii) he meets the training and qualifications to carry a concealed handgun as a retired law-enforcement officer; (iv) he has met the additional training and certification requirements of the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS); (v) the local school board solicits input from the chief law-enforcement officer of the locality regarding the qualifications of the school security officer and receives verification from such chief law-enforcement officer that the school security officer is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, purchasing, or transporting a firearm; and (vi) the local school board grants him the authority to carry a firearm in the performance of his duties. The bill requires DCJS to establish additional firearms training and certification requirements for school security officers who carry a firearm in the performance of their duties. Existing law requires DCJS to establish minimum training and certification requirements for school security officers.

Updates the purposes and priorities of the Virginia Veteran and Family Support program to, in a cost-effective manner, refer veterans to mental health, physical rehabilitation, and other services as needed to help them achieve individually identified goals and to monitor their progress toward achieving those goals. The program is available to veterans and members of the Virginia National Guard in the Commonwealth, residents of the Commonwealth in the Armed Forces Reserves who are not in active federal service, and family members of covered military members who have been affected by the covered military members' service and deployments and who are located in the Commonwealth. The bill requires an annual report on the program be sent to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Prohibits any individual or group conducting a voter registration drive from compensating its volunteers or employees on the basis of the number of completed voter registration applications the volunteer or employee collects. The bill also prohibits volunteers and employees from accepting compensation based on the number of completed voter registration applications he collects.

Allows Stafford County, by ordinance, to restrict the deferral of real property taxes authorized under current law to a taxpayer's sole dwelling whose tax levy for 2016 exceeded the tax levy for 2015 by at least 25 percent  due to improvements made to adjacent property by Stafford County. The amount of the deferral shall not exceed 95 percent of such excess. This bill is identical to

Authorizes any member of the United States Armed Forces or Virginia National Guard who receives military orders to relocate for a period of service of at least 90 days, his spouse, or his dependent, at any time prior to the conclusion of his period of service, to terminate contracts for certain services. The bill provides that violation of these provisions is a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.