Sen. Bill DeSteph

Violation of protective order; armed with firearmor other deadly weapon; mandatory minimum sentence; penalty. Providesfor a three-year mandatory minimum sentence to be served consecutivelywith any other sentence upon a conviction for violation of a protectiveorder while knowingly armed with a firearm or other deadly weapon.Current law does not specify a mandatory minimum sentence.

Use or display of firearm in committing felony;penalty. Increases from three to five years for a first offenseand from five to 10 years for a second or subsequent offense themandatory minimum sentences for use or display of a firearm duringthe commission of certain felonies.

Brandishing a firearm; law-enforcement officer;penalty. Provides for a six-month mandatory minimum sentence upon conviction of a person for pointing, holding, or brandishing a firearmor air-operated or gas-operated weapon or object similar in appearance at someone who the person knows or has reason to know is a law-enforcement officer in such manner as to reasonably induce fear in the mind ofanother.

Concealment of firearm in committing felony;penalty. Provides that a person is guilty of a separate felonyif he carries about his person any pistol, shotgun, rifle, or otherfirearm that is hidden from common observation while committing orattempting to commit certain other felonies. A first offense is punishableby a mandatory minimum term of confinement of three years and a secondor subsequent offense is punishable by a mandatory minimum term ofconfinement of five years.

Discharging firearm; penalty. Imposes amandatory minimum term of imprisonment of three years for violationsof (i) maliciously discharging a firearm within or at an occupiedbuilding or dwelling house; (ii) willfully discharging a firearmwithin or at any school building, upon the buildings or grounds ofany school, or upon any public property within 1,000 feet of theproperty line of a school; and (iii) intentionally discharging a firearm while in or on a motor vehicle so as to create risk of deathor injury to another person. The bill also imposes a mandatory minimumterm of imprisonment of one year for violations of (a) unlawfully, but not maliciously, discharging a firearm within or at an occupied building or dwelling house and (b) willfully discharging a firearmin a public place when such discharge results in bodily injury toanother person. The bill imposes a mandatory minimum term of confinementin jail of 90 days for violations of willfully discharging a firearmin a public place when such discharge does not result in bodily injuryto another person.

Celebrating the life of Alan Arnold Diamonstein.

Capital murder; punishment. Provides thatany person convicted of capital murder involving the willful, deliberate,and premeditated killing of more than one person as part of the sameact or transaction or more than one person within a three-year period,and who was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense,shall be sentenced to no less than a mandatory minimum term of confinementfor life.

Apprentice agreements; ratio of journeymen toapprentices. Prohibits the Apprenticeship Council from adoptingstandards for apprenticeship agreements governing the numeric ratioof journeymen to apprentices that require more than one journeymanper two apprentices. Under the bill, this limit on the ratio of journeymento registered apprentices does not apply to work performed underthe federal Davis-Bacon Act.

Issuance of warrants by magistrates. Providesthat a magistrate may not issue an arrest warrant for a misdemeanoroffense where the accused is a law-enforcement officer and the allegedoffense arises out of the performance of his public duties upon thebasis of a complaint by a person other than a law-enforcement officeror an animal control officer without prior authorization by the attorneyfor the Commonwealth or by a law-enforcement agency. The bill providesfor the appointment of an attorney for the Commonwealth from outsidethe jurisdiction if a conflict of interest exists for the attorneyfor the Commonwealth having jurisdiction.

Department of General Services; guidance tostate public bodies regarding purchases of materials made in theUnited States. Directs the Department of General Services to developand maintain a guidance document assisting state public bodies topurchase (i) iron and steel that are made in the United States and (ii) manufactured goods with at least 50 percent of the constituentparts and materials originating in the United States.