Sen. Creigh Deeds

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.

Confirming Governor's appointments; December1. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by GovernorRalph Northam and communicated to the General Assembly December 1,2019.

Certificate of public need; psychiatric bedsand facilities. Removes mental hospitals and psychiatric hospitalsand intermediate care facilities established primarily for the medical,psychiatric, or psychological treatment and rehabilitation of individualswith substance abuse from the list of medical care facilities forwhich a certificate of public need is required prior to initiationof a project. The bill makes clear that only facilities licensedas hospitals by the Department of Health are subject to certificateof public need requirements; removes from the definition of projectthe addition of a new psychiatric or substance abuse treatment serviceand conversion of beds in an existing medical care facility to psychiatricbeds; and prohibits the conversion in an existing medical care facilityof psychiatric beds to non-psychiatric beds.

Commending William H. Goodwin, Jr.

Hospitals; custody of person subject to emergencycustody order; regulations. Extends the maximum period of timeduring which a person may be involuntarily held pursuant to an emergencycustody order from eight hours, or in some cases 12 hours, to 24 hoursand requires the Board of Health to include in regulations governinghospitals a requirement that every hospital be licensed for and actuallycapable of accepting from law enforcement the transfer of custodyof a person who is the subject of an emergency custody order.

Handheld speed monitoring devices. Authorizesthe Department of State Police and local law-enforcement agenciesto operate handheld photo speed monitoring devices, defined in thebill, in or around highway work zones for the purpose of recordingimages of vehicles that are traveling at speeds of at least 12 milesper hour above the posted highway work zone speed limit within suchhighway work zone when (i) workers are present, (ii) such highwaywork zone is indicated by conspicuously placed signs displaying themaximum speed limit and the use of such handheld photo speed monitoringdevice, and (iii) a law-enforcement vehicle is present and displayingblue lights. The bill provides that the operator of a vehicle shallbe liable for a monetary civil penalty, not to exceed $125, if suchvehicle is found to be traveling at speeds of at least 12 miles perhour above the posted highway work zone speed limit by the handheldphoto speed monitoring device, but that the violation shall not bereported on the driver's operating record or to the driver's insuranceagency.

Confirming Governor's appointments; October1. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Ralph Northam and communicated to the General Assembly October 1, 2019.

Confirming Governor's appointments; January3. Confirms appointments of certain persons made by GovernorRalph Northam and communicated to the General Assembly January 3,2020.

Confirming Governor's appointments; August 1.Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Ralph Northamand communicated to the General Assembly August 1, 2019.

Confirming Governor's appointments; June 1.Confirms appointments of certain persons made by Governor Ralph Northamand communicated to the General Assembly June 1, 2019.