Minimum wage; exemptions. Removes the exemptionfrom the Virginia Minimum Wage Act for individuals who are employedby an employer that does not have four or more persons employed atany one time.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act; applicability to certain records of the Office of Executive Secretary and judicial officers; duties of Executive Secretary to the Supreme Court. Provides that for the purposes of the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act that are applicable to access to public records, the Office of Executive Secretary to the Supreme Court shall be considered a public body and, except as otherwise expressly provided by law, shall have the same obligations to disclose public records as other custodians of public records. The bill clarifies that the public records provisions of the Freedom of Information Act do not apply to judicial officers or information created or maintained on behalf of judicial officers, but do apply to any administrative records of judicial officers that are maintained by the Office of Executive Secretary and unrelated to a record created, collected, received, or maintained in connection with a particular case. The bill also adds to the duties of the Executive Secretary a role as custodian of records of administrative functions performed by persons employed by him or acting under his direction and of aggregated data regarding Virginia courts that may be obtained from systems maintained by his office. Finally, the bill directs the Supreme Court of Virginia to revise the rules of practice and procedure as necessary to comply with the provisions provided for in the bill. This bill incorporates HB 609.
Presidential electors; National Popular Vote Compact. Enters Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the states exclusive and plenary authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact. A state may withdraw from the compact; however, a withdrawal occurring within six months of the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President has qualified to serve the next term. This bill was incorporated into HB 177.
Elections; same-day registration; in-person absentee and election day voting. Provides an exception to the closing of registration records for any person who (i) is qualified to register to vote, (ii) is unregistered or registered in a locality in which the person no longer resides but is otherwise entitled to vote by absentee ballot, (iii) desires to vote absentee in person at the time that they present themselves to be registered, and (iv) provides proof of residency. The bill also permits same-day registrants to vote absentee and provides an excuse for election day absentee voting for such voters. The bill requires all voters who register to vote under the provisions of this bill to fill out an absentee application, including the required oath, in order to vote. This bill was incorporated into HB 201.
Office of the Attorney General; FOIA Ombudsman;powers and duties; report. Requires the Attorney General to appointa Virginia Freedom of Information Act Ombudsman to promote complianceby state agencies with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom ofInformation Act. The bill outlines the powers and duties of the Ombudsmanand provides for the Ombudsman to submit by November 30 of each yeara report on his activities and policy recommendations to the Governorand the General Assembly.
School boards; staffing ratios; librarians.Requires school boards to employ librarians in accordance withthe following ratios: in elementary schools, one part-time to 299students, one full-time at 300 students, and two full-time at 700students; in middle schools, one-half time to 299 students, one full-timeat 300 students, two full-time at 800 students, and three full-time at 1,700 students; and in high schools, one half-time to 299 students,one full-time at 300 students, two full-time at 900 students, andthree full-time at 1,800 students. Under current law, school boards are required to employ librarians in accordance with the followingratios: in elementary schools, one part-time to 299 students and one full-time at 300 students; in middle schools, one-half time to299 students, one full-time at 300 students, and two full-time at1,000 students; and in high schools, one half-time to 299 students,one full-time at 300 students, and two full-time at 1,000 students.
Health insurance; coverage for autism spectrum disorder; individual and small group markets. Eliminates the exemption from the requirements to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder for insurers, corporations, and organizations issuing policies, contracts, and plans in the individual and small group markets. Under current law, only policies, contracts, and plans issued in the large group market are required to provide such coverage. This bill was incorporated into HB 1503.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful discriminatoryhousing practices; sexual orientation and gender identity. Addsdiscrimination on the basis of an individual's sexual orientationor gender identity as an unlawful housing practice. The bill defines"sexual orientation" and "gender identity." This bill was incorporatedinto HB 1663.
Commending the Washington Nationals.
Constitution of the United States; Equal RightsAmendment. Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitutionof the United States that was proposed by Congress in 1972. The jointresolution advocates the position that the 1972 Equal Rights Amendmentremains viable and may be ratified notwithstanding the expirationof the 10-year ratification period set out in the resolving clause,as amended, in the proposal adopted by Congress.
