Sen. Louise Lucas

Emergency Shelters Upgrade Assistance GrantFund. Establishes the Emergency Shelters Upgrade Assistance GrantFund administered by the Department of Emergency Management to providematching funds to localities to install, maintain, or repair infrastructurefor backup energy generation for emergency shelters, including solarenergy generators, and improve the hazard-specific structural integrityof shelter facilities owned by the locality.

Paramilitary activities; penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of unlawful paramilitary activity if such person brandishes a firearm or any air or gas operated weapon or any object similar in appearance while assembled with one or more persons with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons with any firearm, any explosive or incendiary device, or any components or combination thereof. Such unlawful paramilitary activity is punishable as a Class 5 felony.

Corporal Ryan C. McGhee Memorial Bridge. Designatesthe bridge on Guinea Station Road over Interstate 95 in SpotsylvaniaCounty the Corporal Ryan C. McGhee Memorial Bridge.

Specialty dockets; veterans docket. Providesthat any veterans docket authorized and established as a local specialtydocket in accordance with the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginiashall be deemed a "Veterans Treatment Court Program," as that termis used under federal law or by any other entity, for the purposesof applying for, qualifying for, or receiving any federal grants,other federal money, or money from any other entity designated toassist or fund such state programs. The bill contains an emergencyclause.

Telephone privacy protection. Requires atelephone solicitor to immediately disclose who is calling and whatproperty, good, or service is being offered. The measure also prohibitscaller ID spoofing, which is defined in the bill as causing any calleridentification service to transmit caller identification informationthat represents or states that the call originates from a telephonewith an area code assigned to an area in the Commonwealth or froma location in the Commonwealth if the person on whose behalf thetelephone solicitation call is being made does not conduct business from a location in the Commonwealth. Themeasure prohibits a telephone solicitor from making a telephone solicitationcall or the use of an automatic dialing-announcing device in connectionwith making a call to any subscriber who has registered with theVirginia Do Not Call Registry. The measure requires the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to set up by January1, 2021, the Virginia Do Not Call Registry for subscribers who wishto block all solicitation calls and calls that use or are made in connection with automatic dialing-announcing devices.

Holding handheld personal communications devices while driving a motor vehicle. Prohibits any person from holding a handheld personal communications device while driving a motor vehicle. Current law prohibits (i) the reading of any email or text message and manually entering letters or text in such a device as a means of communicating and (ii) holding a personal communications device while driving in a work zone. The bill expands the exemptions to include handheld personal communications devices that are being held and used (a) as an amateur radio or a citizens band radio or (b) for official Department of Transportation or traffic incident management services. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021. This bill incorporates SB 136 and SB 944 and is identical to HB 874.

Virginia Scenic Rivers System; Grays Creek. Designates a six-mile portion of Grays Creek in Surry County as a component of the Virginia Scenic Rivers System. This bill is identical to HB 1612.

Legal holidays; Lee-Jackson Day; Election Day. Designates Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, as a state holiday and removes Lee-Jackson Day as a state holiday. This bill is identical to HB 108.

Insurance for certain retired employees of political subdivisions. Allows localities to extend certain insurance benefits to retired employees of political subdivisions. This bill is identical to HB 1385.

Elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; racial segregation; repeal of provisions. Repeals several Acts of Assembly from 1901 to 1960 that contain provisions relating to the racial segregation of students in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to HB 973.