Sen. Scott Surovell

Provides that the court has the discretion to conduct an in camera interview of a child whose custody or visitation is at issue. The bill requires that any record or transcript of such interview be prepared and made available to the parties. Current law requires that, when such an interview is conducted, a record shall be prepared.

Provides that a person who operates a motor vehicle in a careless or distracted manner and is the proximate cause of serious physical injury to a vulnerable road user, defined in the bill as a pedestrian or person riding a bicycle, electric wheelchair, electric bicycle, wheelchair, skateboard, skates, foot-scooter, animal, or animal-drawn vehicle, is guilty of a traffic infraction.

Provides that a person is guilty of an offense of driving or operating a motor vehicle (i) after his driver's license has been revoked for certain offenses, (ii) in violation of the terms of a restricted license, (iii) without an ignition interlock system if one is required, or (iv) if the person's license had been restricted, suspended, or revoked for certain driving under the influence offenses, with a blood alcohol content of 0.02 percent or more, only if such person was driving or operating the motor vehicle on a highway, as defined in § 46.2-100.

Prohibits the driver of a motor vehicle from using a bicycle lane to pass or attempt to pass another vehicle.

Prohibits any person from texting or otherwise using a handheld personal communications device while operating a motor vehicle in a highway work zone, defined in the bill, when workers are present. The bill adds an exemption to the prohibition against using a handheld personal communications device in a moving motor vehicle for an operator of a vehicle who activates, deactivates, or initiates a factory-installed feature or function on the vehicle.

Designating April 23, in 2018 and in each succeeding year, as Barbara Johns Day in Virginia.

Designates the State Route 143 bridge in the City of Newport News at exit 255 over Interstate 64 the "Trooper Chad Phillip Dermyer Memorial Bridge." This bill is identical to

Requires that any arbitration proceeding regarding the exercise of an employer's right of subrogation to an employee's claim against a third party shall be limited solely to arbitrating the amount and validity of the employer's lien and shall not affect the employee's rights in any way. Such arbitration shall not be held unless (i) any contested expenses remaining have been submitted to the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission (the Commission) for a determination of their validity and the Commission has made such determination of validity prior to the commencement of the arbitration; (ii) prior to the commencement of such arbitration the employer has provided the injured employee and his attorney, if any, with an itemization of the expenses associated with the lien that is the subject of the arbitration; (iii) upon receipt of the itemization of the lien, the employee shall have 21 days to provide a written objection to any expenses included in the lien to the employer, and if the employee does not do so any objections to the lien to be arbitrated shall be deemed waived; and (iv) the employer shall have 14 days after receipt of the written objection to notify the employee of any contested expenses that the employer does not agree to remove from the lien, and if the employer does not do so any itemized expense objected to by the employee shall be deemed withdrawn and not included in the arbitration. This bill is identical to

Provides that if a preliminary protective order is issued in an ex parte hearing where the petition for the order is supported by sworn testimony and not an affidavit or a completed form submitted with an emergency protective order request, the court issuing the order shall state in the order the basis on which the order was entered, including a summary of the allegations made and the court's findings.