Emergency custody and temporary detention; transportation; transfer of custody. Makes clear that, in cases in which transportation of a person subject to an emergency custody order or temporary detention order is ordered to be provided by an alternative transportation provider, the primary law-enforcement agency that executes the order may transfer custody of the person to the alternative transportation provider immediately upon execution of the order, and that the alternative transportation provider shall maintain custody of the person from the time custody is transferred to the alternative transportation provider by the primary law-enforcement agency until such time as custody of the person is transferred to the community services board or its designee that is responsible for conducting the evaluation or the temporary detention facility, as is appropriate. The bill also adds employees of and persons providing services pursuant to a contract with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to the list of individuals who may serve as alternative transportation providers. This bill was incorporated into SB 650.
Sponsored bills
Compensation of local jails for cost of incarceration. Provides for local jails to be compensated for the actual cost ofincarcerating convicted felons at the rate calculated in the CompensationBoard's annual jail cost report. Current law provides for jails tobe compensated for the cost of incarceration of convicted felonsas provided for in the general appropriation act.
Commending Michael Cherry.
Celebrating the life of Officer Michael D. Chandler.
Commending Grant Holloway.
Commending Lynchburg Daily Bread, Inc.
Celebrating the life of Dr. Henry Irving Willett,Jr.
Commending Richard D. Holcomb.
Virginia Human Rights Act; employee safety;definition changes. Amends the definitions of "domestic worker"to exclude babysitters, nannies, caretakers, home health aides, andpersonal care aids; "employer" to one who employs at least three persons; and "domestic service" to exclude services performed bycompanions.
Human rights and fair housing; religious organizations; promotion of religious principles. Provides that nothing in the Virginia Human Rights Act prohibits a religious corporation, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from taking any action to promote the religious principles for which it is established or maintained. The bill exempts any place of accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association, or society from the nondiscrimination in public places of accommodation provisions of the Virginia Human Rights Act. Under current law, such places of accommodation are exempt only when not open to the public. The bill adds preschools to the list of educational institutions that are exempt from discriminatory hiring practices with respect to the hiring and employment of employees of a particular religion when such institutions are owned, supported, controlled, or managed by a particular religion or religious corporation, association, or society. The bill clarifies that the term "religion" includes all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief for the purposes of the exemption from discrimination in employment of individuals employed to perform work associated with the activities of a particular religion by a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society. The bill removes provisions allowing (i) a court or jury in a civil action that finds unlawful discrimination has occurred to order such affirmative action as may be appropriate and (ii) the Attorney General to seek to obtain such relief as would be available to a private party when he intervenes in a civil action for unlawful discrimination. The bill also removes the provision of the exemption for religious organizations under the Virginia Fair Housing Law that denies such exemption where the membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability.