Civilian deaths in custody; report. Requires every law-enforcement agency and correctional facility to report to the Department of Criminal Justice Services certain information regarding the death of any person who is detained, under arrest or in the process of being arrested, en route to be incarcerated, incarcerated, or otherwise in the custody of such law-enforcement agency or correctional facility. The bill provides that any law-enforcement agency or correctional facility that fails to comply may, at the discretion of the Department, be declared ineligible for state grants or funds. The bill also requires the Department to analyze the submitted data to (i) determine the means by which such information can be used to reduce the number of such deaths and (ii) examine the relationship, if any, between the number of such deaths and the actions of management of such law-enforcement agencies and correctional facilities. Finally, the bill requires the Director of the Department to annually report the findings and recommendations resulting from the analysis and interpretation of the data to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Attorney General beginning on or before July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter. This bill was incorporated into HB 611.
Sponsored bills
Recognition of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribeof Virginia. Extends state recognition to the Wolf Creek CherokeeTribe of Virginia within the Commonwealth.
Board of Medicine; continuing education; implicitbias and cultural competency in health care. Requires the Boardof Medicine to adopt and implement policies that require each practitionerlicensed by the Board who has direct contact with persons who areor may become pregnant to complete two hours of continuing educationrelated to implicit bias, defined in the bill, and cultural competencyin health care at least once every other license renewal cycle.
Commending Dementi Studio.
Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the HonorableYvonne Bond Miller's service in the Virginia General Assembly.
Study; JLARC; barrier crimes for employeesof and persons regulated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; report. Directs the Joint LegislativeAudit and Review Commission to study barrier crimes for employeesof and persons regulated by the Department of Behavioral Health andDevelopmental Services. The resolution requires JLARC in conductingthe study to (i) identify all barrier crimes and related exceptionsfor employees of and persons regulated by the Department; (ii) determine(a) whether any offenses should be removed from such list of barriercrimes, (b) whether any barrier crime exceptions and waiver processesshould be broadened, and (c) whether the required amount of timethat must pass after conviction of certain barrier crimes shouldbe shortened; and (iii) identify other changes that could be made to such barrier crime laws that would improve the organization, effectiveness, and fairness of such provisions. The resolution requires JLARC toreport its finding to the Governor and the General Assembly by thefirst day of the 2025 Regular Session.
Commending Sandra Gioia Treadway.
Civil actions filed on behalf of multiple persons. Provides that a circuit court may enter an order joining, coordinating, consolidating, or transferring civil actions upon finding that separatecivil actions brought by a plaintiff on behalf of multiple similarlysituated persons involve common questions of law or fact and ariseout of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactionsor occurrences. Under current law, such order is permitted only wheresix or more plaintiffs have filed such actions. The bill furtherrequires the Supreme Court of Virginia to promulgate rules no laterthan November 1, 2024, governing such actions. The bill has a delayedeffective date of July 1, 2025, except that the provisions of thebill requiring the Supreme Court to promulgate rules are effectivein due course.
Hate crimes and discrimination; ethnic animosity; penalties. Provides that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination in employment and in places of public accommodation because of such individual's ethnic origin. The bill also adds victims who are intentionally selected because of their ethnic origin to the categories of victims whose intentional selection for a hate crime involving assault, assault and battery, or trespass for the purpose of damaging another's property results in a higher criminal penalty for the offense. The bill also provides that no provider or user of an interactive computer service on the Internet shall be liable for any action voluntarily taken by it in good faith to restrict access to material that the provider or user considers to be intended to incite hatred on the basis of ethnic origin. This bill was incorporated into SB 7.