Carrying a firearm or explosive material withinCapitol Square and the surrounding area, into building owned or leasedby the Commonwealth, etc.; penalty. Repeals the prohibition oncarrying a firearm or explosive material within (i) the Capitol ofVirginia; (ii) Capitol Square and the surrounding area; (iii) anybuilding owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof;or (iv) any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agencythereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing theirofficial duties. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyperson to carry a firearm or explosive material within these areas, subject to certain exceptions, including the following individualswhile acting in the conduct of such person's official duties: anylaw-enforcement officer, any authorized security personnel, any activemilitary personnel, any fire marshal when such fire marshal has beengranted police powers, or any member of a cadet corps while suchmember is participating in an official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.
Sponsored bills
Commending Rita Carter Forrester.
Income tax; military benefits subtraction; emergency. Establishes an income tax subtraction for up to $20,000 of militarybenefits in taxable year 2021, up to $30,000 in taxable year 2022,and up to $40,000 in taxable year 2023 and each year thereafter.The bill defines military benefits to include military retirementincome and benefits paid to the surviving spouse of a veteran. The bill contains an emergency clause.
School principals; incident reports. Requires that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to the parents of any minor student who is the specific object of such act that the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under current law, principals are required to make such reports only for such acts that may constitute a felony offense. This bill was incorporated into SB 36.
Public charter schools; applications; reviewand approval. Permits the Board of Education (the Board) to receive, review, and rule upon applications for public charter schools andenter into agreements for the establishment of public charter schools.Under current law, the power to grant or deny a public charter schoolapplication and enter into an agreement for the establishment ofa public charter school rests solely with local school boards. Thebill also provides that the decision of the Board or a local schoolboard to grant or deny a public charter school application or to revoke or fail to renew a public charter school agreement is finaland is not subject to appeal. Current law contains an appeal processfor such decisions.
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act; penalty.Creates the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The Act prohibitsan abortion after 20 weeks gestation unless, in reasonable medicaljudgment, the mother has a condition that so complicates her medicalcondition as to necessitate the abortion to avert her death or toavert serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairmentof a major bodily function. When an abortion is not prohibited post-20weeks' gestation, the physician or authorized nurse practitioner is required to terminate the pregnancy in a manner that would providethe unborn child the best opportunity to survive. The bill punishes performance of an abortion in violation of the Act as a Class 6felony. The bill also provides for civil remedies against a physicianor authorized nurse practitioner who performs an abortion in violationof the Act.
Prescriptions; off-label use. Provides thata licensed health care provider with prescriptive authority may prescribe,administer, or dispense a drug that has been approved for a specificuse by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an off-label usewhen the health care provider determines, in his professional judgment,that such off-label use is appropriate for the care and treatmentof the patient and prohibits a pharmacist from refusing to dispensea drug for off-label use if a valid prescription is presented.
COVID-19 immunization; prohibition on requirement;discrimination prohibited. Prohibits the State Health Commissionerand the Board of Health, the Board of Behavioral Health and DevelopmentalServices, the Department of Health Professions and any regulatoryboard therein, and the Department of Social Services from requiringany person, including any child, to undergo vaccination for COVID-19and prohibits discrimination based on a person's COVID-19 vaccinationstatus (i) with regard to education, employment, or issuance of adriver's license or other state identification or (ii) in numerous other contexts.
Clean Energy and Community Flood PreparednessAct. Repeals the Clean Energy and Community Flood PreparednessAct and directs the Director of the Department of Environmental Qualityto take all steps necessary to suspend the Commonwealth's participationin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative market-based trading program.
Commending Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons.