Sen. Mark Obenshain

Commending Rita Carter Forrester.

Public charter schools; applications; reviewand approval. Permits the Board of Education (the Board) to receive, review, and rule upon applications for public charter schools andenter into agreements for the establishment of public charter schools.Under current law, the power to grant or deny a public charter schoolapplication and enter into an agreement for the establishment ofa public charter school rests solely with local school boards. Thebill also provides that the decision of the Board or a local schoolboard to grant or deny a public charter school application or to revoke or fail to renew a public charter school agreement is finaland is not subject to appeal. Current law contains an appeal processfor such decisions.

Killing the fetus of another; manslaughter;penalties. Provides that any person who kills the fetus of anotherby an intentional act committed while in the sudden heat of passion upon reasonable provocation is guilty of voluntary manslaughter,which is punishable as a Class 5 felony. The bill also provides thatany person who kills the fetus of another accidentally, contraryto the intention of the parties and while engaged in conduct so gross,wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life,is guilty of involuntary manslaughter, which is also punishable asa Class 5 felony.

Commending Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable FrankDuVal Hargrove, Sr.

Abuse and neglect; financial exploitation; incapacitated adults; penalties. Changes the term "incapacitated adult" to "vulnerable adult" for the purposes of the crime of abuse and neglect of such adults and defines "vulnerable adult" as any person 18 years of age or older who is impaired by reason of mental illness, intellectual or developmental disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age, or other causes to the extent the adult lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate, or carry out reasonable decisions concerning his well-being or has one or more limitations that substantially impair the adult's ability to independently provide for his daily needs or safeguard his person, property, or legal interests. The bill adds the definition of "advanced age" as it is used in the definition of "vulnerable adult" to mean 65 years of age or older. The bill also changes the term "person with mental incapacity" to the same meaning of "vulnerable adult" for the purposes of the crime of financial exploitation. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference and is incorporated into SB 687.

Commending the Honorable Paul S. Trible, Jr.

Conditional release of geriatric prisoners.Expands the list of offenses that would prohibit a person from petitioningthe Parole Board for conditional release as a geriatric prisonerif the offense was committed on or after July 1, 2022.

Commending the Rotary Club of Harrisonburg.

Public schools; regional charter school divisions. Authorizes the Board of Education (the Board) to establish regionalcharter school divisions consisting of at least two but not morethan three existing school divisions in regions in which each underlyingschool division has (i) an enrollment of more than 3,000 studentsand (ii) one or more schools that have accreditation denied statusfor two out of the past three years. The bill requires such regional charter school divisions to be supervised by a school board thatconsists of eight members appointed by the Board and one member appointedby the localities of each of the underlying divisions. The bill authorizesthe school board, after a review by the Board, to review and approvepublic charter school applications in the regional charter schooldivisions and to contract with the applicant. The bill requires thatthe state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding of theunderlying school district in which the student resides be transferredto such school.