Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy

Childbirth; postpartum process. Requires health care facilities providing services related to labor and childbirth to develop policies to (i) allow every birthing person to have a companion or doula with the person during birth in addition to a partner or spouse; (ii) at the discretion of the treating physician, allow every birthing person to have a companion or doula with the person during birth when a partner or spouse is not permitted to be present; (iii) prioritize newborns bonding with their families in order to facilitate the postpartum process; (iv) prohibit excluding from care any person giving birth or prohibit interrupting the process of birth without the informed consent of the birthing person; (v) detail the facility's process related to receiving a pregnant person's patient information from any provider who has provided care for the pregnant person; (vi) establish processes to transfer and receive pregnant persons across levels of care of licensed facilities within the facility's capacity and capability; and (vii) establish a process to receive individuals who are pregnant, giving birth, or in the postpartum process from locations other than licensed facilities.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. The amendment provides that a person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution of Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

Recording of proceedings in district courts. Allows an audio recording of proceedings in a district court, which includes both general district court and juvenile and domestic relations district court, to be made by a party or his counsel. Under current law, such recordings are only allowed in a general district court.Additionally, the bill (i) allows the judge of a juvenile and domestic relations district court to impose any restriction as necessary to comply with the confidentiality requirements applicable to such district court and (ii) prohibits the judge of a district court from (a) ordering or requiring a party or his counsel to submit a copy of such audio recording or transcript of such recording to the clerk of a district court to be maintained in such party's individual case file or (b) prohibiting a party or his counsel from providing such copy or transcript to the opposing party or his counsel.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two adult persons and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial joint resolution honoring Matthew Robert Chiaverotti. It has no policy provisions or direct impact on legislation, citizens, or government operations. The resolution formally celebrates his life and legacy through a symbolic gesture by the legislature. As a commemorative measure, it does not create new laws or alter existing policies.

Maddy summaryHJ 616 is a ceremonial resolution commending Colonel Gary T. Settle for his service. It does not create new laws or affect any policies, programs, or individuals financially or operationally. The resolution formally recognizes his contributions through a non-binding expression of appreciation from the legislature. This procedural bill was passed unanimously by both chambers with no substantive impact beyond the symbolic commendation.

Improper driving as a lesser included offense of reckless driving. Permits a jury to find an accused, where the degree of culpability is slight, not guilty of reckless driving but guilty of improper driving. Current law only permits the trial court to do so or the attorney for the Commonwealth to reduce a charge of reckless driving to improper driving at any time prior to the court's decision.

Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education; members. Expands from 31 to 32 the minimum number of members of the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education by adding one representative of the Department of Veterans Services to the nonlegislative citizen members of the Commission. This bill incorporates SB 1427 and is identical to HB 2645.

Department of Veterans Services; powers and duties of Commissioner; identification of incarcerated veterans. Provides that the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall assist the Department of Corrections, sheriffs, and local and regional jails in utilizing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Re-Entry Search Services system to identify veterans incarcerated in state prisons and local and regional jails to help such veterans prepare for release or reentry, reduce recidivism and homelessness, connect such veterans to resources to address the challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder, and divert eligible veterans to treatment dockets. This bill is identical to HB 2071.

Publication of personal information of retired or former law-enforcement officers. Adds retired or former law-enforcement officers, defined in the bill, to the definition of "public official" for the purposes of prohibiting the Commonwealth from publishing a public official's personal information on the Internet. The bill clarifies that such retired or former law-enforcement officer be in good standing with no pending investigations or disciplinary actions. The bill provides that the demand in writing required to prohibit the publication of such personal information shall be effective for a period of four years, provided that such retired or former law-enforcement officer was retired or ended his service within four years of filing a petition with a circuit court. This bill is identical to HB 1874.