Confirming the appointment of the Director ofthe Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Confirms the appointmentof Ryan Brown as the Director of the Department of Game and InlandFisheries.
Election day voter registration; pilot program.Requires the State Board of Elections to develop a pilot programfor election day voter registration, by which a person who (i) offersto vote on election day but is not a registered voter, (ii) providesone of the allowable forms of identification specified by law, and(iii) provides proof of his residency, in a form specified by theState Board for this purpose, in the precinct in which he offersto vote, shall be permitted to register to vote and to cast a ballot.The bill provides a process by which the validity of such votes isdetermined. The bill requires participating localities to provideinformation on the implementation of the pilot program in its localityto the State Board by December 1 of each year in which it participates.The bill requires the State Board to submit a report on the pilotprogram to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the House andSenate Committees on Privileges and Elections, including a recommendation as to whether there should be statewide election day voter registration.The bill has an expiration date of December 31, 2022.
Temporary detention; evaluation; who may perform. Expands the category of individuals who may evaluate a person whois the subject of an emergency custody order to determine whetherthe person meets the criteria for temporary detention to includeany person described in the definition of "mental health professional"in § 54.1-2400.1 who (i) is skilled in the diagnosis and treatmentof mental illness, (ii) has completed a certification program approvedby the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services,and (iii) complies with regulations of the Board of Behavioral Healthand Developmental Services related to performance of such evaluations.
War memorials for veterans. Removes a prohibition on (i) disturbing or interfering with any war monument or memorial erected by a locality or (ii) preventing citizens from maintaining such monument or memorial. The bill authorizes a locality to alter, move, or remove any monument or memorial from the locality's public property and removes certain criminal and civil penalties for such. This bill was incorporated into SB 183.
Attorneys for the Commonwealth; compensation and collection of fees. Prohibits the Compensation Board, when determining staffing and funding levels for offices of attorneys for the Commonwealth, from (i) considering the number of charges brought or the number of convictions obtained by such attorney for the Commonwealth; (ii) relying on standards devised or recommended by the attorney for the Commonwealth, law-enforcement agencies, or professional associations representing attorneys for the Commonwealth or law-enforcement officers; or (iii) using measures that increase if an attorney for the Commonwealth (a) elects to prosecute a more serious charge, (b) elects to prosecute additional charges from a single arrest or criminal incident, (c) obtains convictions rather than dismissing charges or offering reduced charges, or (d) proceeds with prosecution rather than diversion. The bill also requires attorneys for the Commonwealth to pay all fees collected by them in consideration of the performance of official duties or functions into the state treasury, instead of only half of such fees. The bill requires the State Treasurer to pay to the treasuries of the respective counties and cities of the attorneys for the Commonwealth a proportion of half of all such fees collected by all attorneys for the Commonwealth, as determined by each county or city's crime rate, criminal incident rate, or arrest rate. Finally, the bill changes the fees collected by attorneys for the Commonwealth on trials of felony indictments from $40 on each count to $120 for each trial of a Class 1 or Class 2 felony indictment, or other felony that carries a possible penalty of life in prison, except robbery, and $40 for each trial on robbery and all other felony indictments regardless of the number of counts. The bill contains technical amendments.
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. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference. This bill was incorporated into SB 306.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Mary T.Christian.
Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.
Commending Albemarle County.
Bystander claims for intentional or negligentinfliction of injury or death; emotional distress. Provides that a bystander who witnesses, live and in-person, an event during whichthe intentional or negligent infliction of injury to or death ofa victim occurs may recover damages for resulting emotional distress,proven by a preponderance of the evidence, with or without a physicalimpact or physical injury to the bystander, if (i) the bystanderis related to the victim or (ii) although not related to the victim, the bystander is in close proximity to the victim at the time theevent occurs and is aware that such event is causing injury to orthe death of the victim.
