Protective orders; issuance upon convictions for certain felonies; penalty. Authorizes a court to issue a protective order upon convicting a defendant for a felony offense of (i) violating a protective order, (ii) homicide, (iii) kidnapping, (iv) assaults and bodily woundings, (v) extortion, or (vi) criminal sexual assault. The bill provides that the duration of such protective order can be for any reasonable period of time, including up to the lifetime of the defendant, that the court deems necessary to protect the health and safety of the victim and may only prohibit (a) acts of family abuse or of violence, force, or threat against the victim or criminal offenses that may result in injury to the person or property of the victim and (b) such contacts by the defendant with the victim as the court deems necessary for the health or safety of the victim. The bill provides that a violation of a protective order issued upon conviction of one of the enumerated offenses is punishable as contempt of court or in the same manner as criminal violations of other protective orders are punished. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general appropriation act.
Sponsored bills
Removal of dangerous roadside conditions; local option. Authorizes any locality, by ordinance, to require the owner of any property located adjacent to a right-of-way maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation to remove any and all trees, tree limbs, shrubs, high grass, or other substance that might dangerously obstruct the line of sight of a driver, be involved in a collision with a vehicle, or interfere with the safe operation of a vehicle. This bill is identical to SB 225.
Driving under the influence; remote alcohol monitoring; penalty. Provides that in the case of an adult offender's first conviction of driving under the influence when the offender's blood alcohol content was less than 0.15, upon motion of the offender, the sole restriction of the offender's restricted driver's license shall be the prohibition of the offender from operating any motor vehicle not equipped with a functioning, certified ignition interlock system for one year without any violation of the ignition interlock system requirements. The bill provides that if a person is ineligible to receive a restricted license, a court may instead authorize such person to use a remote alcohol monitoring device, refrain from alcohol consumption, and participate in an alcohol safety action program; such provisions of the bill shall become effective on July 1, 2021. The bill provides that tampering with a remote alcohol monitoring device is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates SB 154 and SB 520.
Removal of dangerous roadside conditions; local option. Authorizes any locality, by ordinance, to require the owner of any property located adjacent to a right-of-way maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation to remove any and all trees, tree limbs, shrubs, high grass, or other substance that might dangerously obstruct the line of sight of a driver, be involved in a collision with a vehicle, or interfere with the safe operation of a vehicle. This bill is identical to HB 284.
Emergency medical services agency; dissolution; return of property purchased with public funds. Provides that upon dissolution of an emergency medical services agency, any property that was in the possession of such emergency medical services agency and that was purchased using public funds shall be offered to a city or county that was served by the emergency medical services agency to be used for life-saving purposes.
Deferred disposition in criminal cases. Allows a court to defer and dismiss a criminal case where the defendant has been diagnosed with autism or an intellectual disability and the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the criminal conduct was caused by or had a direct and substantial relationship to the person's disorder or disability.
Speeding fines; certain roads. Adds a $15 penalty, in addition to all other penalties, for driving in excess of the posted speed limit on U.S. Routes 15 and 17 in Fauquier County, when such additional penalty is indicated by appropriately placed signs.
Corporal Ryan C. McGhee Memorial Bridge. Designatesthe bridge on Guinea Station Road over Interstate 95 in SpotsylvaniaCounty the Corporal Ryan C. McGhee Memorial Bridge.
Department of Environmental Quality; combinedsewer overflow outfalls; James River watershed. Directs the Departmentof Environmental Quality (DEQ) to identify the owner of any combinedsewer overflow (CSO) outfall east of Charlottesville that dischargesinto the James River watershed and to determine what actions by theowner are necessary to bring such an outfall into compliance withVirginia law, the federal Clean Water Act, and the Presumption Approachdescribed in the CSO Control Policy of the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency. The bill requires any owner of such an outfall to initiateconstruction activities by July 1, 2025, and bring it into complianceby July 1, 2027. Until compliance is achieved, the bill requiresthe outfall owner to annually report its progress to DEQ. The billrequires DEQ to provide all such reports to certain legislative committees,the Virginia delegation to the Chesapeake Bay Commission, the Secretaryof Natural Resources, and the Governor. The bill does not apply to any outfall for which a higher level of control is necessary to complywith a total maximum daily load (TMDL).
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.