Reporting lost or stolen firearms; civil penalty. Requires that, if a firearm is lost or stolen from a person wholawfully possessed it, such person shall report the loss or theftof the firearm to any local law-enforcement agency or the Departmentof State Police within 24 hours after such person discovers the lossor theft or is informed by a person with personal knowledge of theloss or theft. The bill requires the relevant law-enforcement agencyto enter the report information into the National Crime InformationCenter. A violation is punishable by a civil penalty of not morethan $250. The bill provides that a person who, in good faith, reportsthe loss or theft is immune from criminal or civil liability foracts or omissions that result from the loss or theft. The immunitydoes not apply to a person who knowingly gives a false report. Thebill does not apply to the loss or theft of an antique firearm.
Sponsored bills
Study; Department of Rail and Public Transportation; Commonwealth Corridor passenger rail service; report. Requeststhe Department of Rail and Public Transportation to study the feasibilityof an east-west Commonwealth Corridor passenger rail service connectingHampton Roads, Richmond, and the New River Valley.
Juveniles; trial as adult. Increases from14 years of age to 16 years of age the minimum age at which a juvenilecan be tried as an adult in circuit court for a felony.
Tribal Land Repatriation Program and Fund created. Establishes the Tribal Land Repatriation Program and Fund, administeredby the Secretary of the Commonwealth, for the purpose of fundinggrants to Indian tribes for purchase and repatriation of land. Thebill defines "tribe" as the Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Rappahannock, Upper Mattaponi, Nansemond, Monacan IndianNation, Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Nottoway of Virginia, Patawomeck,or any other Indian tribe recognized by the federal government orby the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Secretary to develop anapplication process by which tribes may apply for grants from theFund and to develop criteria for the monetary amount of grants tobe awarded from the Fund. The Secretary would issue grants on a pro rata basis based on the amount in the Fund.
Black Women's Heritage Month. Designatesthe month of June as Black Women's Heritage Month in Virginia tofocus on and celebrate the myriad achievements and contributionsof African American women throughout the history of the Commonwealthand the United States.
Commending the League of Women Voters.
Commending William H. Goodwin, Jr.
Juvenile community correctional centers andfacilities; establishment; placement of juveniles. Changes theterm "juvenile correctional centers and facilities" to "juvenile community correctional centers and facilities." The bill furtherprovides that any juvenile community correctional center establishedafter July 1, 2020, shall (i) be located within a locality in whichat least five percent of all juvenile commitments occur statewide,using an average of the rate of commitments of the three most recentconsecutive years, and (ii) be designed to confine 30 juveniles orfewer. The bill also states that the Department of Juvenile Justiceshall place children at the juvenile community correctional centerlocated closest to their primary residence and within one hour ofsuch residence via motor vehicle and within one and one-half hoursof such residence via public transportation. If such placement isnot available, the Department shall use an alternative placementthat is closest to the juvenile's primary residence, such as a localjuvenile detention center. Under current law, the Department may place such children at such facilities as are available.
Virginia Equal Pay Act; civil penalties. Prohibitspublic and private employers from discriminating between employees on the basisof membership in a protected class in the payment of wages or other compensation,including benefits, by paying wages or other compensation to employees who aremembers of a protected class at a rate less than the rate at which it payswages or other compensation to employees who are not members of the protectedclass for substantially similar work. The measure also prohibits an employerfrom (i) discriminating between employees by providing less favorableemployment opportunities on the basis of membership in a protected class, (ii)limiting an employee's right to discuss wages, (iii) relying on the wagehistory of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee foremployment or determining the wages that the prospective employee is to be paidby the employer upon hire, or (iv) taking certain retaliatory actions againstan employee. The measure also establishes criteria for when wage differentialsbetween employees are permitted. The measure requires employers to (a) providea prospective employee with the wage range for the position for which theprospective employee is applying upon request or prior to inquiring about theprospective employee's wage expectations or providing an offer of compensationand (b) maintain records of the wages and wage rates, job classifications, andother terms and conditions of employment for a period of three years. Themeasure gives an employee who is the subject of a violation a right of actionto recover, for certain violations, the greater of compensatory damages or$10,000, liquidated damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. Violationsare also subject to civil penalties.
Orders of restitution; enforcement. Provides that an order of restitution shall be docketed in the name of the Commonwealth on behalf of a victim and that the clerk of such court, prior to satisfaction of the judgment and upon written request of the victim, shall enter a judgment in the victim's favor for the amount of unpaid restitution, remove from its automated financial system the amount of unpaid restitution, and record a release of any judgment for restitution previously entered in favor of the Commonwealth on behalf of the victim.