Sen. Creigh Deeds

Mortgage brokers; prohibition on dual compensation. Clarifies the existing provisions that prohibit a licensed mortgagebroker from negotiating, placing, or finding a mortgage loan thatwill be used to finance the purchase of residential property if themortgage broker or its affiliate is acting as a real estate broker,agent, salesman, or firm in connection with the sale of the propertythat will secure the loan and receiving a commission or other thingof value for such services. Mortgage brokers who were licensed by the State Corporation Commission as of February 25, 1989, remainexempt from the prohibition if they furnish the prescribed writtennotice to the borrower.

Involuntary commitment; notice and participation;family members. Clarifies the role of family members and otherindividuals authorized to receive medical records and informationabout a person who is involved in the involuntary commitment process,including the family member or other person's right to receive medicalrecords, notice of hearings, and copies of orders and to participatein hearings and the discharge planning process.

Referrals to specialty dockets. Providesthat any court may refer a defendant to a local specialty docketif such specialty docket exists within that jurisdiction. The billprovides that a court that has received a referral shall have jurisdictionover the defendant for any matter that does not dispose of a chargeor defense for the duration of the referral and shall enter an ordermaking a recommendation for disposing the matter, including any proposedfindings of fact, at the end of the referral or any other time as necessary.

Destruction of criminal history information for certain charges and convictions. Provides that a court shall enter an order of destruction for police and court records, in the absence of good cause shown to the contrary by the Commonwealth, for a deferred disposition dismissal of (i) underage alcohol possession when one year has passed since the date of dismissal and all court costs and fines and all orders of restitution have been satisfied or (ii) possession of marijuana when three years have passed since the date of dismissal and all court costs and fines and all orders of restitution have been satisfied. The bill also provides that any person who has received such deferred disposition dismissals may file a petition with the court that disposed of such charge for an order of destruction at any time provided that all court costs and fines and all orders of restitution have been satisfied. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act. This bill incorporates SB 287.

Workers' compensation; post-traumatic stress disorder; law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Provides that post-traumatic stress disorder incurred by a law-enforcement officer or firefighter is compensable under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act if a mental health professional examines a law-enforcement officer or firefighter and diagnoses the individual as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the individual's undergoing a qualifying event, which includes an event occurring in the line of duty on or after July 1, 2020, in which a law-enforcement officer or firefighter views a deceased minor, witnesses the death of a person or an incident involving the death of a person, witnesses an injury to a person who subsequently dies, has physical contact with and treats an injured person who subsequently dies, transports an injured person who subsequently dies, or witnesses a traumatic physical injury that results in the loss of a vital body part or a vital body function that results in permanent disfigurement of the victim. Other conditions for compensability include (i) if the post-traumatic stress disorder resulted from the law-enforcement officer or firefighter acting in the line of duty and, in the case of a firefighter, such firefighter complied with certain federal Occupational Safety and Health Act standards; (ii) if the law-enforcement officer's or firefighter's undergoing a qualifying event was a substantial factor in causing his post-traumatic stress disorder; (iii) if such qualifying event, and not another event or source of stress, was the primary cause of the post-traumatic stress disorder; and (iv) if the post-traumatic stress disorder did not result from any disciplinary action, work evaluation, job transfer, layoff, demotion, promotion, termination, retirement, or similar action of the officer or firefighter. The measure establishes procedural requirements on employers that contest a claim for such benefits. The measure also establishes requirements for resilience and self-care technique training.

Control of firearms by localities; permitted events. Authorizes any locality by ordinance to prohibit the possession or carrying of firearms, ammunition, or components or any combination thereof in (i) any building, or part thereof, owned or used by such locality for governmental purposes; (ii) any public park owned or operated by the locality; (iii) any recreation or community center facility; or (iv) any public street, road, alley, sidewalk or public right-of-way or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public and is being used by or is adjacent to a permitted event or an event that would otherwise require a permit. Provisions limiting the authority of localities and state governmental entities to bring lawsuits against certain firearms manufacturers and others are also repealed. The bill also provides that any firearm received by the locality pursuant to a gun buy-back program shall be destroyed by the locality unless the person surrendering such firearm requests in writing that such surrendered firearm be sold. The provisions of the bill do not apply to the activities of a Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program operated at a public or private institution of higher education or (ii) any intercollegiate athletics program operated by a public or private institution of higher education and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or any club sports team recognized by a public or private institution of higher education where the sport engaged in by such program or team involves the use of a firearm. The bill contains technical amendments. This bill incorporates SB 450, SB 505, SB 506, and SB 615. This bill is identical to HB 421.

Temporary detention for observation and treatment. Clarifies that a person can be subject to a temporary detention order for observation and treatment related to intoxication where the person is located, upon a finding that (i) probable cause exists to believe the person is incapable of making or communicating an informed decision regarding treatment due to intoxication and (ii) the medical standard of care calls for observation, testing, or treatment within the next 24 hours to prevent injury, disability, death, or other harm to the individual resulting from such intoxication. The bill limits the duration of such temporary detention to 24 hours. The bill provides that a person subject to emergency custody due to a mental illness shall remain in custody until (a) a temporary detention order is issued in accordance with § 37.2-809; (b) an order for temporary detention for observation, testing, or treatment is entered in accordance with § 37.2-1104, ending law-enforcement custody; (c) the person is released; or (d) the emergency custody order expires. The bill directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to convene a work group to develop standard policies and procedures regarding medical temporary detention orders. This bill is identical to HB 1452.

Charter; Town of Scottsville; town council and other town officers. Provides staggered elections for the town council and removes authority of the town council to appoint other police officers besides the town sergeant. The bill authorizes the town council to appoint a town administrator, and authorizes the town council to appoint one person to multiple offices. The bill changes the term "president of the council" to "vice-mayor" and includes female pronouns with all instances of male pronouns. The bill contains an emergency clause and is identical to HB 345.

Licensure of psychologists; Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. The Compact permits eligible licensed psychologists to practice in Compact member states, provided that they are licensed in at least one member state. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021, and directs the Board of Psychology to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Prohibited discrimination; public accommodations, employment, credit, and housing: causes of action; sexual orientation and gender identity. Creates causes of action for unlawful discrimination in public accommodations and employment in the Virginia Human Rights Act. Currently, under the Act there is no cause of action for discrimination in public accommodations, and the only causes of action for discrimination in employment are for (i) unlawful discharge on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, or childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation by employers employing more than five but fewer than 15 persons and (ii) unlawful discharge on the basis of age by employers employing more than five but fewer than 20 persons. The bill allows the causes of action to be pursued privately by the aggrieved person or, in certain circumstances, by the Attorney General. Before a civil cause of action may be brought in a court of the Commonwealth, an aggrieved individual must file a complaint with the Division of Human Rights of the Department of Law, participate in an administrative process, and receive a notice of his right to commence a civil action. The bill prohibits discrimination in public and private employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill also codifies for state and local government employment the current prohibitions on discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran. Additionally, the bill (a) prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran; (b) prohibits discrimination in credit on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, disability, and status as a veteran; and (c) adds discrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a veteran as an unlawful housing practice. The bill makes technical amendments. This bill incorporates SB 66 and SB 159.