Constitutional amendment (first reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; recognition ofsame-sex marriages. Repeals the constitutional provision definingmarriage as only a union between one man and one woman, as well asthe related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of theUnited States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges,576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and its agents are required to issuemarriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equallyunder the law, regardless of the gender of the two parties to themarriage. The amendment further provides that religious organizationsand clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuseto perform any marriage.
Sponsored bills
Virginia Beach Tourism Authority. Establishesthe Virginia Beach Tourism Authority as a public body corporate andas a political subdivision of the Commonwealth. The Authority, governedby a 13-member board of directors, shall encourage, stimulate, andsupport tourism in the City of Virginia Beach by promoting, marketing,and advertising the City's many tourist attractions and locations.
Flood control; Department of Flood Controland Commonwealth Flood Control Board established; report. Createsthe 14-member Commonwealth Flood Control Board (the Board) as a policyboard in the executive branch of state government with various dutiescoordinating and implementing existing and new flood control programsand measures in Virginia, including flood control components of otherstate agency programs. The 10 nonlegislative citizen members of theBoard shall be appointed by the Governor to five-year terms, initiallystaggered as provided in the bill. Thebill creates the Department of Flood Control (the Department) toassist in the administration of the Board's duties and to provideother technical expertise. The bill requires the Department to provide an annual report. Funding for the Department is provided in partby funds collected from the sale of credits pursuant to the RGGIprogram.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable AugustusBenton Chafin, Jr.
Mortgage loan originators; exemption. Exemptsretailers of manufactured or modular homes and employees of suchretailers from the licensing and other requirements applicable tomortgage loan originators. The exemption applies if the retaileror employee (i) does not receive compensation or gain for engagingin certain activities that exceeds any compensation or gain receivedin a comparable cash transaction; (ii) makes certain disclosures;and (iii) does not directly negotiate loan terms with the consumeror lender.
Department of Education and Department of EnvironmentalQuality; sixth grade science curriculum. Directs the Departmentof Education to coordinate with the Department of Environmental Qualityto update the "Window into a Green Virginia" curriculum developedby the Departments for sixth grade science to include a unit on thebenefits, including the energy benefits, of recycling and reuse.
Cost of competing adjustment; eligibility; certainschool boards. Declares the Accomack County School Board andthe Northampton County School Board eligible to receive the costof competing adjustment to salaries for instructional and supportpositions as part of the state share of basic aid pursuant to thegeneral appropriation act.
Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area; provisional surface water withdrawal permit. Authorizes the State Water Control Board to issue a provisional surface water withdrawal permit within the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area to an applicant that has not identified an end user for the water. Such permit shall not allow the withdrawal of water until an end user has been identified and the permittee has provided a report containing information on the need for and proposed use of the surface water, a description of the raw water intake, and other information. The bill provides that once the Department of Environmental Quality approves the report, the permittee shall request a permit modification. Finally, the bill provides that no potential withdrawal amount of any provisional permit shall be used in the calculation of available water when assessing a subsequent surface water withdrawal application in the affected stream reach if the provisional permit has not been modified to reflect an end user, the Department and the subsequent applicant have found the provisional withdrawal to be inappropriate, and the provisional permit holder has failed to state that an end user will be secured within 12 months.
Virginia Security for Public Deposits Act; collateralfor public deposits; timeframe. Requires a qualified public depositoryto deposit eligible collateral with a qualified escrow agent equalto or in excess of the required collateral within two business daysof accepting a public deposit. Current law requires deposits to becollateralized at the time of deposit.