Department of Motor Vehicles; issuance of certain documents; citizenship requirement. Removes the citizenship and legal presence requirements for obtaining a driver's license or special identification card. The bill requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel any (i) REAL ID-compliant driver's license or special identification card and (ii) commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit if the Department is notified by a federal agency that the individual to whom such document was issued is not in compliance with the citizenship and lawful residency requirements for such license, card, or permit. The bill has a delayed effective date of October 2, 2020, and contains technical amendments. This bill was incorporated into SB 34.
Sponsored bills
Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.
Expungement of police and court records; misdemeanor and felony convictions. Allows a person convicted of a criminal offense to file a petition requesting expungement of the police and court records relating to the conviction if such person (i) has been free from any term of incarceration, probation, and postrelease supervision imposed as a result of such conviction for (a) at least eight years for a misdemeanor offense or (b) at least 12 years for a felony offense; (ii) has no subsequent convictions other than traffic infractions; and (iii) has no pending criminal proceeding.
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.
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.
Commending the Washington Nationals.
Protective orders; possession of firearms; penalty. Provides that it is a Class 6 felony for a person who is subjectto a permanent protective order (i.e., a protective order with amaximum duration of two years) for subjecting another person to anact of violence, force, or threat to possess a firearm while theorder is in effect, which is equivalent to the existing penalty forpossession of a firearm by a person subject to a permanent protectiveorder for family abuse. The bill also provides that such person may continue to possess and transport a firearm for 24 hours after beingserved with the order for the purposes of selling or transferringthe firearm to another person.
Allowing access to firearms by minors; penalty. Provides that any person who recklessly leaves a loaded, unsecuredfirearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any personunder the age of 18 is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. Current lawprovides that any person who recklessly leaves a loaded, unsecuredfirearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any childunder the age of 14 is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Celebrating the life of Alan Arnold Diamonstein.
Commending the Washington Nationals.