Sen. Lynwood Lewis

Authorizes casino gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board (the Board). The bill specifies the licensing requirements for casino gaming and imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the casino gaming law. Under the bill, casino gaming shall be conducted only (i) by an Indian tribe acknowledged by the United States Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs as an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law that has the authority to conduct gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and (ii) within a city with a population greater than 200,000. The bill imposes a tax of 10 percent on the adjusted gross receipts of licensees and provides for how the tax proceeds are disbursed. In addition, a referendum must be passed in the city on the question of allowing casino gaming in the city. The bill requires the Board to establish and implement a voluntary exclusion program allowing individuals to voluntarily list themselves as being barred from entering a casino gaming establishment or other facility under the jurisdiction of the Board. The bill also establishes the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund administered by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to provide counseling and other support services for compulsive and problem gamblers, develop problem gambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants to support organizations that provide assistance to compulsive gamblers.

Designates July, in 2019 and in each succeeding year, as Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month.

Establishes the Virginia Redistricting Commission, a 16-member Commission tasked with establishing districts for the United States House of Representatives and for the Senate and the House of Delegates of the General Assembly. The Commission consists of eight legislative members and eight citizen members. The legislative members consist of four members of the Senate of Virginia and four members of the House of Delegates, with equal representation given to the political parties having the highest and next highest number of members in their respective houses. The citizen members are selected by a selection committee consisting of five retired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia. The selection committee is tasked with adopting a process by which registered Virginia voters may apply to serve on the Commission and selecting from the applicants a list of 16 candidates. The amendment requires four of the candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, four candidates to be voters who affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and eight candidates to be voters who do not affiliate with any political party. The Speaker of the House of Delegates, the minority leader in the House of Delegates, and the majority and minority leaders in the Senate then strike names from the list until there is the final list of eight citizen members, two of whom affiliate with the political party receiving the highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, two of whom affiliate with the political party receiving the next highest number of votes for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election, and four of whom do not affiliate with any political party. The Commission is required to submit to the General Assembly plans of districts for the Senate and the House of Delegates of the General Assembly no later than 45 days following the receipt of census data and plans of districts for the United States House of Representatives no later than 60 days following the receipt of census data. In order to be submitted to the General Assembly for a vote, a plan must receive an affirmative vote of at least six of the eight legislative members and six of the eight citizen members. No amendments may be made to a plan by the General Assembly or the Governor. In the event that the Commission fails to submit a plan by its deadline, or the General Assembly fails to adopt a plan by its deadline, or the Governor fails to act on or vetoes a plan by his deadline, districts shall be decided by judicial decision.