Rep. Jerrauld C. "Jay" Jones

Department of Forestry; stakeholder advisorygroup to study and evaluate enabling statutes for local ordinancesrelated to the preservation, planting, and replacement of trees duringthe land development process; report. Requests the Departmentof Forestry to convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purposesof studying and evaluating Virginia's current enabling statutes for local ordinances related to the preservation, planting, and replacementof trees during the land development process.

Clarence Clemons Day. Designates January11, in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as Clarence Clemons Dayin Virginia.

Department of Law; Division of Civil Rightscreated; duties. Creates in the Department of Law a Divisionof Civil Rights that has the power and duty to investigate crimesinvolving the nonpayment of wages.

Teacher compensation; at or above national average.Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate thatis at or above the national average. Under current law, compensationat such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund a 4.5 percent annual increase for public school teacher salaries,effective from the 2022-23 school year through the 2026-27 schoolyear. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022.

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.

Celebrating the life of George H. Banks.

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.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);franchise and officers; felon disenfranchisement; automatic restorationof political rights. Provides that no person who has been convictedof a felony shall be qualified to vote until the completion of hissentence of imprisonment or active supervision, at which time, withoutfurther action required of him, his political rights, including theright to vote, shall be restored. A person convicted of a felonymay also have his civil rights restored by the Governor or otherappropriate authority.