Sen. Emily Jordan

Celebrating the life of Terry Lynn Hedgepeth.

Commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. RobertRussa Moton.

Armed robbery; penalty. Increases the punishmentfor robbery by the threat or presenting of firearms, or other deadlyweapon or instrumentality whatsoever, by including a mandatory minimumterm of confinement of five years. Under current law, such offenseis punishable by a term of confinement in a state correctional facilityfor life or any term not less than five years, which remains thesame, but current law does not include a mandatory minimum term of confinement.

State-Funded Kinship Guardianship Assistanceprogram. Creates the State-Funded Kinship Guardianship Assistanceprogram (the program) to facilitate child placements with relatives,including fictive kin, and ensure permanency for children in fostercare. The bill sets forth eligibility criteria for the program, paymentallowances to kinship guardians, and requirements for kinship guardianshipassistance agreements. The bill also expands eligibility for theFederal-Funded Kinship Guardianship Assistance program by allowingpayments to be made to fictive kin who receive custody of a childof whom they have been the foster parent.

Felony homicide; certain drug offenses; penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of felony homicide, which constitutessecond degree murder and is punishable by confinement of not lessthan five nor more than 40 years, if the underlying felonious actthat resulted in the killing of another involved the manufacture,sale, gift, or distribution of a Schedule I or II controlled substanceto another and (i) such other person's death results from his useof the controlled substance and (ii) the controlled substance is the proximate cause of his death. The bill also provides that venuefor a prosecution of this crime shall lie in the locality where theunderlying felony occurred, where the use of the controlled substanceoccurred, or where death occurred. This bill serves to overrule theCourt of Appeals of Virginia decision in Woodard v. Commonwealth,61 Va. App. 567, 739 S.E.2d 220 (2013), aff'd, 287 Va. 276,754 S.E.2d 309 (2014).

Virginia National Guard; state active duty for emergency response; pay and allowances for members. Establishes rates of pay and allowances for members of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia Defense Force.

Virginia taxable income; subtractions; volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical services personnel.Provides a state income tax subtraction of $20 per hour, up toa maximum of 300 hours per taxable year, for bona fide volunteerswho perform qualifying services, defined in the bill as volunteerfirefighting and fire prevention services, emergency medical services,ambulance services, emergency rescue services, and all training andtraining-related activities required by law.

Possession, purchase, and transport of certainfirearms in certain localities; withholding state funds. Allowsa person to lawfully possess, purchase, or transport a firearm orfirearms magazine that he would otherwise be lawfully permitted to possess, purchase, or transport on January 1, 2020, while he isin a locality that has adopted or enforced any ordinance, resolution,or motion that declares such locality a sanctuary for Second Amendmentrights. The bill also provides that no funds payable by the Commonwealthto a locality for any and all purposes shall be withheld from a localitysolely on the basis of such locality adopting or enforcing any ordinance,resolution, or motion that declares such locality a sanctuary for Second Amendment rights.

General Assembly meetings; streaming and recording. Requires the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of theSenate to ensure that every (i) subcommittee or committee meetingof a standing committee of the General Assembly, regardless of meetingdate, and (ii) floor session of the House of Delegates or the Senate,including any joint session of the houses, is streamed with closedcaptioning, recorded and archived. The bill defines "stream" and specifiesthat a qualifying meeting is one the date and time of which havebeen scheduled on a public website of any agency of the General Assemblyfor at least one hour prior to the meeting and that takes place inthe State Capitol, the Pocahontas Building, or the General AssemblyBuilding in Richmond. The bill has a delayed effective date of October1, 2020.

Commending the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department.