Sen. Scott Surovell

Affordable housing near Metrorail station.Provides that in any locality with an existing or planned Metrorailstation, such locality shall require that at least 10 percent ofnew residential dwelling units in any building that is at least sixstories in height be affordable dwelling units, defined in the bill,if the proposed project is within one-half mile of an existing or planned Metrorail station.

Practice of medicine and other healing arts;provision of litigation assistance. Requires practitioners ofmedicine and other healing arts to provide litigation assistanceto treated patients and their attorneys. Such litigation assistanceincludes providing a legal consult fee schedule upon request, schedulingand participating in meetings with a treated patient's attorney uponrequest, participating in trial or de bene esse depositions as needed,and providing a written estimate of the cost of the patient's medicalservices related to the litigation. The bill prohibits providersfrom refusing services to a patient who is insured or otherwise hasthe ability to pay for provided services on the ground that such personwas involved in an incident that is the subject of litigation orcould result in litigation.

Firearms; removal from persons posing substantial risk; penalties. Creates a procedure by which any attorney for the Commonwealth or two law-enforcement officers may apply to a general district court, circuit court, or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge or magistrate, who must consult with the attorney for the Commonwealth, for an emergency substantial risk order to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk of injury to himself or others from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. Upon service of an emergency substantial risk order, the person who is subject to the order shall be given the opportunity to voluntarily relinquish any firearm. An emergency substantial risk order shall expire on the fourteenth day following issuance of the order. The bill requires a court hearing in the circuit court for the jurisdiction where the order was issued within 14 days from issuance of an emergency substantial risk order to determine whether a substantial risk order should be issued. Seized firearms shall be retained by a law-enforcement agency for the duration of an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order or, for a substantial risk order and with court approval, may be transferred to a third party 21 years of age or older chosen by the person from whom they were seized. The bill allows the complainant of the original warrant to file a motion for a hearing to extend the substantial risk order prior to its expiration. The court may extend the substantial risk order for a period not longer than 180 days. The bill provides that persons who are subject to a substantial risk order, until such order has been dissolved by a court, are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm; are disqualified from having a concealed handgun permit; and may not be employed by a licensed firearms dealer. The bill also provides that a person who transfers a firearm to a person he knows has been served with a warrant or who is the subject of a substantial risk order is guilty of a Class 4 felony. The bill creates a computerized substantial risk order registry for the entry of orders issued pursuant to provisions in the bill.

Public institutions of higher education; eligibility for in-state tuition. Provides that any student is eligible for in-state tuition who (i) attended high school for at least two years in the Commonwealth and either (a) graduated on or after July 1, 2008, from a public or private high school or program of home instruction in the Commonwealth or (b) passed, on or after July 1, 2008, a high school equivalency examination approved by the Secretary of Education; (ii) has submitted evidence that he or, in the case of a dependent student, at least one parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis has filed, unless exempted by state law, Virginia income tax returns for at least two years prior to the date of registration or enrollment; and (iii) registers as an entering student or is enrolled in a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. The bill states that students who meet these criteria shall be eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, except students with currently valid visas issued under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(F), 1101(a)(15)(H)(iii), 1101(a)(15)(J) (including only students or trainees), or 1101(a)(15)(M). Information obtained in the implementation of the provisions of the bill shall only be used or disclosed to individuals other than the student for purposes of determining in-state tuition eligibility. This bill is identical to HB 1547.

Sex offenses requiring registration. Clarifiesthe registration and reregistration obligations imposed upon a personconvicted of a foreign sex offense for the purposes of registration with the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The billalso provides that a person who is required to register may notpetition the circuit court for the removal of his name and all identifyinginformation from the Registry if such person was convicted of twoor more offenses for which registration is required and was at libertybetween such convictions. Under current law, a person does not needto be at liberty between such convictions and would be prohibitedfrom petitioning for removal from the Registry.

Tetrahydrocannabinol concentration; definition.Clarifies that "tetrahydrocannabinol concentration" refers to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinoland is determined using post-decarboxylation testing or other equivalentmethod. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Nonagricultural irrigation wells prohibited outside surficial aquifer. Prohibits any person from constructing a well in a ground water management area for nonagricultural irrigation purposes except in the surficial aquifer. The bill authorizes the State Water Control Board (the Board) to adopt regulations to develop a general permit for the regulation of irrigation withdrawals from the surficial aquifer greater than 300,000 gallons in any one month. The bill directs the Board to promulgate regulations establishing criteria for determining whether the quantity or quality of the ground water in a surficial aquifer is adequate to meet a proposed beneficial use and requires that such regulations specify the information required to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) by a golf course or any other person seeking a determination from the Department that either the quantity or quality of the ground water in a surficial aquifer is not adequate to meet a proposed beneficial use. The bill requires such regulations require the Department, within 30 days of receipt of a complete request, to make a determination as to the adequacy of the quantity or quality of the ground water in a surficial aquifer.

Withholding of income for child support; independent contractors. Clarifies that income earned by an independent contractormay be withheld by court order for payment of child support obligations.

Department of Health Professions; conversion therapy prohibited. Prohibits any health care provider or person who performs counseling as part of his training for any profession licensed by a regulatory board of the Department of Health Professions from engaging in conversion therapy, as defined in the bill, with any person under 18 years of age and provides that such counseling constitutes unprofessional conduct and is grounds for disciplinary action. The bill provides that no state funds shall be expended for the purpose of conducting conversion therapy with a person under 18 years of age, referring a person under 18 years of age for conversion therapy, or extending health benefits coverage for conversion therapy with a person under 18 years of age. This bill is identical to HB 386.

Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area;hydraulic fracturing prohibited. Prohibits hydraulic fracturing,as defined in the bill, in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater ManagementArea.