Sen. Jeremy McPike

Commending Major General Timothy P. Williams,VNG.

Virginia Public Procurement Act; construction management and design-build contracting. Limits the use of construction management or design-build contracts by state public bodies and covered institutions for complex projects. The bill requires state public bodies, covered institutions, and local public bodies to provide documentation of the processes used for the final selection of a contract to all the unsuccessful applicants upon request. The bill adds certain requirements for covered institutions, including posting all documents exchanged between the Department of General Services and the covered institution on the central electronic procurement website eVA and requires approval by the covered institution's board of visitors or governing board if the covered institution chooses to proceed with construction management or design-build against the recommendation of the Department. The bill requires a local public body to adopt a resolution or motion to use construction management or design-build prior to issuing a Request for Qualifications and to publish notice of such resolution or motion on its website or eVA. Finally, the bill provides that the Department shall report annually, for any construction management or design-build project, on the qualifications that made such project complex. This bill was incorporated into SB 18.

Electric utilities; customer energy choice;notice required for customer return to service. Removes certainrestrictions on the ability of individual retail customers of electricenergy within the Commonwealth, regardless of customer class, topurchase electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energyfrom any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell retail electricenergy within the Commonwealth. The bill also decreases the requiredwritten notice period from five years to six months for certain electricenergy customers to return to service by Dominion Energy Virginiaafter purchasing electric energy from other suppliers.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides that everyindividual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom andthat the right to make and effectuate one's own decisions about allmatters related to one's pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, orotherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified bya compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing,prosecuting, or otherwise taking adverse action against an individualfor exercising the individual's right to reproductive freedom or foraiding another individual in the exercise of such right, unless justifiedby a compelling state interest.

Constitutional amendment (first reference);qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled tovote. Provides that every person who meets the qualificationsof voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have thefundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such rightshall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convictedof a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacityto understand the act of voting. A person who has been convictedof a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarcerationfor such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration forthat felony conviction and without further action required of him,such person shall be invested with all political rights, includingthe right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a personconvicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by theGovernor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also providesthat a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction aslacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacityhas been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitutionof Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to bementally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competencyis reestablished.

Workers' compensation benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters. Removes the provision in the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act requiring that benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depressive disorder incurred by law-enforcement officers and firefighters acting in the line of duty be provided for a maximum of 52 weeks from the date of diagnosis.

Commending John Ray Grisham, Jr.

Celebrating the life of Shawn Soares.

Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.

Commending Margaret L. Sanner.