Constitutional amendment (voter referendum);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Provides for a referendum at the November 8, 2022,election to approve or reject an amendment that would repeal theconstitutional provision defining marriage as only a union betweena man and woman as well as the related provisions that are no longervalid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision inObergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment providesthat the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the libertyof persons and requires the Commonwealth and its political subdivisionsand agents to issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treatall marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex or genderof the parties to the marriage. Religious organizations and clergyacting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to performany marriage.
Sponsored bills
Study; JLARC; election governance structure; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to conduct a two-year study on the election governance structure in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, JLARC shall (i) review the roles and responsibilities of state and local election officials in the administration and conduct of elections in the Commonwealth, including the level of oversight by state election officials and the degree of decision-making by local election officials; (ii) review the methods of selection and removal of state and local election officials and evaluate how such methods shape accountability mechanisms; (iii) review the level of funding provided by the state and localities; (iv) evaluate the potential for partisan pressures and influence in administrative decisions at the state and local election level; (v) develop recommendations for objective methods of evaluating the performance of both local and state election officers to determine if they are appropriately fulfilling the responsibilities of their positions and whether removal may be necessary; and (vi) make other recommendations as necessary and review other issues as warranted.
Assault and battery; persons diagnosed withautism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or mental illness;penalties. Provides that any person charged with a simple assaultand battery offense who has been diagnosed by a psychiatrist or clinicalpsychologist with an autism spectrum disorder, an intellectual disability,or mental illness and the violation was caused by or had a directand substantial relationship to the person's disorder or disabilityis guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and shall not be subject to mandatoryminimum punishment. Under current law, certain simple assault and battery offenses carry a mandatory minimum punishment when such offensesare committed against certain groups of people.
Public institutions of higher education; debtcollection; transcripts and diplomas. Prohibits public institutionsof higher education from (i) refusing to provide a transcript ordiploma for a current or former student on the grounds that the studentowes a debt; (ii) conditioning the provision of a transcript or diplomafor a current or former student on the payment of a debt, other thana fee charged to provide the transcript or diploma; (iii) charginga higher fee to a current or former student for obtaining a transcript or diploma, or providing less favorable treatment of a transcriptor diploma request because a current or former student owes a debt;or (iv) using transcript or diploma issuance as a tool for debt collection.The bill states that any violation of these provisions constitutesa prohibited practice and is subject to any and all of the enforcementprovisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
County manager plan of government; independentpolicing auditor. Allows the governing body of any county withthe county manager plan of government (Arlington County) to appointan independent policing auditor. The independent policing auditorshall support any law-enforcement civilian oversight body createdby the governing body and shall have all the powers of the law-enforcementcivilian oversight body, to the extent such powers are delegatedto the independent policing auditor by the oversight body. The independentpolicing auditor shall serve at the pleasure of the governing body.
Oversight of research breeders; Animal WelfareOversight Officer; Animal Welfare Oversight Advisory Committee; civilpenalty. Directs the State Veterinarian to hire an Animal WelfareOversight Officer to inspect and oversee the operations of researchbreeders, defined in the bill as a person or entity that breeds dogsor cats for sale or transfer for use in testing or research withinor outside the Commonwealth, and report any violations of state orfederal law by the research breeder. The bill requires each researchbreeder to register with the Animal Welfare Oversight Officer, paya registration fee as determined by the Commissioner of Agricultureand Consumer Services, and allow the Animal Welfare Oversight Officer continuous access to its facilities located in the Commonwealth.The bill subjects a research breeder that does not register, paythe fee, or allow the Animal Welfare Oversight Officer access toits facilities to a civil penalty of $1,000 for each day of noncompliance.The bill also establishes an Animal Welfare Oversight Advisory Committee.
Removing, altering, etc., serial number on firearm; selling, giving, etc., or possessing firearm with removed, altered, etc., serial number; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person, firm, association, or corporation to knowingly possess any pistol, shotgun, rifle, machine gun, or any other firearm, except for an antique firearm, that has a serial number that has been removed, altered, changed, destroyed, or obliterated in any manner. The bill also makes it a Class 6 felony for any person, firm, association, or corporation to knowingly sell, give, or distribute any pistol, shotgun, rifle, machine gun, or other firearm, except for an antique firearm, that has a serial number that has been removed, defaced, altered, changed, destroyed, or obliterated in any manner.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution 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. 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 provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.
Constitutional amendment (second reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriageas only a union between one man and one woman as well as the relatedprovisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United StatesSupreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644(2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamentalright inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses,recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law,regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religiousorganizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.
Chiropractic Health Month. Designates October,in 2022 and in each succeeding year, as Chiropractic Health Monthin Virginia.