Substance abuse services providers; assessment; tobacco use. Requires every provider licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services who provides services to individuals with substance use disorder to assess each individual receiving services for use of all tobacco products at the time the provider begins providing services and provides that, in cases in which an individual receiving services is identified as having a tobacco use disorder, the provider shall (i) provide information to the individual about how continued use of tobacco products may affect the individual's long-term success in recovery from substance use disorder; (ii) recommend treatment for tobacco use disorder in the treatment plan; and (iii) offer either treatment for tobacco use disorder as part of the individual's treatment plan, if the provider is licensed to provide such treatment, or referral for treatment of tobacco use disorder.
Sponsored bills
Teacher compensation; at or above national average.Requires that public school teachers be compensated at a rate thatis at or above the national average. Under current law, compensationat such rate is aspirational. The bill requires state funding tobe provided pursuant to the general appropriation act in a sum sufficientto fund a 4.5 percent annual increase for public school teacher salaries,effective from the 2023-24 school year through the 2027-28 schoolyear. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2023.
Discretionary sentencing guidelines; prior convictions and juvenile adjudications. Provides that, for the purposes of discretionary sentencing, previous convictions shall not include (i) any adult conviction more than 10 years prior to the date of the commission of the present offense, unless the prior adult conviction was for a violent felony offense punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years or more, the defendant was sentenced to an active prison term of more than 12 months for the offense, and the defendant has committed another violent felony within a 15-year period between the date of the defendant's sentencing for the prior offense and commission of the present offense and (ii) any juvenile adjudications of delinquency or any juvenile convictions, unless the juvenile was tried as an adult and the conviction was for a violent felony offense punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years or more, the defendant was sentenced to an active prison term of more than 12 months, and the date of offense was within the 10 years preceding sentencing for the present offense. The bill also provides that juvenile adjudications of delinquency and certain adult prior convictions shall not serve as the basis for any sentencing enhancement in an adult criminal case.
Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which persons convicted of certain felony marijuana-related offenses committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remain incarcerated or on community supervision on July 1, 2022, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The provisions of the bill sunset on July 1, 2024.
Elections; campaign finance; contribution limits;penalty. Imposes contribution limits on individuals giving tocampaigns, political action committees and political party committeesand on campaign committees contributing to other campaign committees,political action committees, or political party committees. The billauthorizes a political party committee to keep a separate legal fundfor the sole purpose of paying for legal expenses.
Commending Jesse Waltz.
Elimination of mandatory minimum sentences; modificationof sentence to mandatory minimum term of confinement for felony offenses;report. Except for aggravated murder of a law-enforcement officer,eliminates all mandatory minimum sentences of confinement from theCode of Virginia. The bill directs the Secretary of Public Safetyand Homeland Security to establish a work group to evaluate the feasibilityof resentencing persons previously convicted of a felony offense thatwas punishable by a mandatory minimum term of confinement and to reportits findings by November 1, 2022.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable HarryRussell Potts, Jr.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable JohnHowson Rust, Jr.
Commending Rita Carter Forrester.