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 and prohibits such discrimination. 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 incorporates SB 120 and is identical to HB 18.
Sponsored bills
Legal notices and publications; online-only news publications; requirements. Provides that, where any ordinance, resolution, notice, or advertisement is required by law to be published in a newspaper, such ordinance, resolution, notice, or advertisement instead may be published in an online-only news publication subject to certain requirements specified in the bill. The bill sets out a process by which an online-only news publication shall petition the circuit court of the appropriate jurisdiction to publish such ordinances, resolutions, notices, or advertisements and authorizes the court to grant such online-only news publication the authority to publish such ordinances, resolutions, notices, or advertisements for a period of one year. The bill also describes the process by which an online-only news publication may continue renewing such authority to publish in each successive year. This bill is identical to HB 264.
Certain powers of attorney; transfer on death deeds. Provides that an agent under a power of attorney shall not have the authority to create, change, or revoke a transfer on death deed unless specifically granted the power to create or change a beneficiary designation as otherwise provided by law. This bill is identical to HB 336.
Maximum width of vehicles; school buses.Increases from 100 inches to 102 inches the maximum total outsidewidth permitted for school buses.
Center for Rural Virginia; name change. Renames the Center for Rural Virginia as the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia. This bill is identical to HB 1381.
Conveyance of certain property from the Departmentof Corrections to the Town of Craigsville; Augusta Correctional Center. Provides for the transfer of certain property in Augusta County fromthe Department of Corrections to the Town of Craigsville.
Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities; trusts; certain nonvested property interests or powers of appointment over property or property interests. Extends from 90 years to 1,000 years the period for which a nonvested property interest held in trust may vest or terminate, or for which a power of appointment over property or property interests may be exercised. The bill clarifies that such extension applies only to such interests or powers that were created on or after July 1, 2024, and that such extension does not apply to real property held in trust or a power of appointment over real property granted under a trust. The bill also provides that the current law that allows the terms of a trust instrument to provide an exception to the Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities shall apply only to a nonvested interest in or power of appointment over personal property held in trust, or a power of appointment over personal property granted under a trust, if such interest or power was created between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2024, but shall not apply to such interests or powers created on or after July 1, 2024. This bill is identical to HB 836.
Elections; campaign finance; exemptions for candidates for certain offices; directors of soil and water conservation districts. Provides that a candidate for director of a soil and water conservation district may also seek an exemption from the requirement that he designate a separate campaign depository by certifying that (i) he has not and will not contribute any money to his own campaign and (ii) he has not and will not expend any money in the course of the campaign. The bill also provides that a candidate for local office or for director of a soil and water conservation district applying for a general exemption is exempt from having to make special reports for certain large pre-election contributions. This bill is identical to HB 1346.
Assessment of omitted taxes; erroneous payments. Provides that any retail sales tax payment erroneously remitted by a taxpayer to the Department of Taxation shall be applied to the taxpayer's delinquent use tax accounts. The taxpayer must provide evidence of the erroneous sales tax collected and remitted in each transaction. The provisions of this bill do not apply in the case of (i) the taxpayer already applying for and receiving the relief described in this bill or (ii) a false or fraudulent action by the taxpayer with the intention of evading the payment of the tax. Further, the taxpayer must show that the erroneous retail sales tax has been refunded to the purchaser or credited to the purchaser's account prior to receiving a refund from Department of Taxation. This bill is identical to HB 1508.
Senator Richard L. "Dick" Saslaw; portrait.Establishes a committee to contract for a portrait of SenatorRichard L. "Dick" Saslaw to be painted, framed, and installed inthe Capitol.