Sen. Dave Marsden

Release of hunting dogs; state highway or right-of-way.Creates a Class 3 misdemeanor for the intentional release of hunting dogs on a Department of Transportation right-of-way or on a highwayowned or maintained by the Department of Transportation to hunt deerwithout the consent of the Department. The bill provides that a secondoffense is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and a third or subsequent offenseis a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also permits the stopping of avehicle on a highway for the retrieval of a companion animal froma highway or area adjacent to a highway.

Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund created. Creates the Driving Decarbonization Program and Fund to assist privatedevelopers with non-utility costs associated with the installationof electric vehicle charging stations. The bill provides that a privatedeveloper is eligible to receive grants of 70 percent of such non-utilitycosts for electric vehicle charging stations installed in a historicallyeconomically disadvantaged community or a rural community, as thoseterms are defined in the bill, and 50 percent of such non-utilitycosts for electric vehicle charging stations installed in any otherarea of the Commonwealth. The bill caps the total amount of grantsawarded in any fiscal year at $20 million.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable EdwardDeJarnette Berry.

Commending Major General Timothy P. Williams,VNG.

Commending Virginia's forest products industry.

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; 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provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015).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 provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Commending John Ray Grisham, Jr.

Commending the Honorable Dr. Luke E. Torian.

Commending Margaret L. Sanner.

Income tax; rolling conformity. Providesthat when Virginia does not conform on a rolling basis to federaltax laws due to any changes in a single act of Congress with an impactof more than $15 million on revenues in the year in which the amendmentwas enacted or any of the next four years, such nonconformity shallnot be considered for purposes of calculating the nonconformity thresholdfor all amendments in a year with a cumulative projected impact ofmore than $75 million in the year in which the amendments were enactedor any of the next four years.