Sen. Joe Morrissey

Constitutional amendment (second resolution);personal property tax exemption; motor vehicle owned by a veteranwho is disabled. Provides that one motor vehicle of a veteranwho has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disabilityshall be exempt from state and local taxes. The amendment provides that only automobiles and pickup trucks qualify for the exemption. Additionally, the exemption is only applicable on the date the motorvehicle is acquired or the effective date of the amendment, whicheveris later, and is not applicable for any period of time prior to theeffective date of the amendment.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); personal property tax exemption; motor vehicle owned by a veteran who is disabled. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2020, election to approve or reject a personal property tax exemption for a motor vehicle that is owned and used primarily by or for a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or the Virginia National Guard who has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability.

Drug Treatment Court Act; authorization andavailability. Provides that any jurisdiction or jurisdictionsintending or proposing to establish a drug treatment court shallnot be denied permission under the Code of Virginia to establishsuch court solely on the basis of funding such court. The bill alsoprovides that a drug treatment court shall be available to everydefendant irrespective of the jurisdiction.

Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995; Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002; affected local jurisdictions and public entities; consideration of economic impact.Requires a private entity requesting approval to develop and operatea qualifying transportation facility under the Public-Private TransportationAct of 1995 or a qualifying project under the Public-Private EducationFacilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 to include an economicimpact analysis identifying any potentially adverse economic or revenueimpacts a potential comprehensive agreement may have on all affectedlocal jurisdictions. The bill further provides that affected localjurisdictions be given reasonable opportunity to consult with theparties concerning the nature and scope of the impacts and regardingmeasures that may be taken to avoid or mitigate the impacts or make the agreement revenue-neutral. The bill directs each responsiblepublic entity to certify compliance with the review of the economicimpact analysis provisions.

Virginia Personnel Act; hiring preference instate government for persons with disabilities. Establishes ahiring preference in state government for persons with disabilities,provided that such person meets all of the knowledge, skill, andability requirements for the available position. The bill definesthe term "preference" as requiring that a person with a disabilitybe hired over a person without a disability when the two individualsare substantially equal in qualifications for an eligible position.

Carrying weapon into building owned or leasedby the Commonwealth; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanorfor a person to transport any (i) gun or other weapon designed orintended to propel a missile or projectile of any kind; (ii) frame,receiver, muffler, silencer, missile, projectile, or ammunitiondesigned for use with a dangerous weapon; or (iii) other dangerousweapon into a building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or anyagency thereof, where employees of the Commonwealth or agency thereofare regularly present for the purpose of performing their officialduties. The bill provides exceptions for law-enforcement officers, conservators of the peace, magistrates, court officers, judges, cityor county treasurers, commissioners or deputy commissioners of theVirginia Workers' Compensation Commission, authorized security personnel,and active military personnel while in the conduct of such individuals'official duties. The bill requires that notice of the provisionsprohibiting the carrying of such weapons be posted at each publicentrance to all buildings owned or leased by the Commonwealth orany agency thereof.

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.

Parole; exception to limitation on the application of parole statutes. Provides that an incarcerated person is eligible for parole if (i) such person was sentenced by a jury prior to the date of the Supreme Court of Virginia decision in Fishback v. Commonwealth, 260 Va. 104 (June 9, 2000), in which the Court held that a jury should be instructed on the fact that parole has been abolished, for a noncapital felony committed on or after the abolition of parole went into effect (on January 1, 1995) and (ii) the jury was not instructed on the abolition of parole in the Commonwealth. The bill also provides that any person eligible for parole as provided by the provisions of this bill shall be given priority for consideration of parole over all other eligible persons and shall have a parole hearing no later than July 1, 2021. This bill was incorporated into SB 793.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable Mary T.Christian.

Collective bargaining for public employees.Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by publicemployees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board,which will determine appropriate bargaining units and provide forcertification and decertification elections for exclusive bargainingrepresentatives of state employees and local government employees.The measure requires public employers and employee organizationsthat are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonabletimes to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, andother terms and conditions of employment. The measure repeals a provisionenacted in 2013 that declares that, in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organizationto represent employees, the right of an individual employee to voteby secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteedfrom infringement.