HJR9 - Constitutional amendment; marriage between two individuals.

28 Co-Sponsors

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

HB386 - Public schools; increase staffing ratios for specialized student support positions.

19 Co-Sponsors

Public school staffing ratios; specialized student support positions. Increases the number of specialized student support positions required to be employed by each local school board from at least three to at least four such positions per 1,000 students in the local school division. Such specialized student support positions include school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, licensed behavior analysts, licensed assistant behavior analysts, and other licensed health and behavioral positions.

HB100 - Child labor offenses; increases civil penalties.

45 Co-Sponsors

Child labor offenses; civil penalties. Increases from $10,000 to $25,000 the civil penalty for each violation of child labor laws that results in the employment of a child who is seriously injured or dies in the course of employment. The bill also increases from $1,000 to $2,500 the maximum civil penalty for each other violation of child labor laws and provides that such civil penalty shall not be less than $500. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a stakeholder work group to develop education and outreach plans to inform young workers and employers about child labor laws.

HB925 - Towing; vehicles with expired registration, civil penalty.

1 Co-Sponsor

Towing; vehicles with expired registration; civil penalty. Requires a towing operator, defined in the bill, for a parking lot of a multifamily dwelling unit, defined in the bill, to post written notice on a vehicle providing at least 48 hours' notice to a resident prior to removing a resident's vehicle, defined in the bill, from such parking lot of the multifamily dwelling unit for an expired registration or expired vehicle inspection sticker and to provide a copy of such notice to the landlord of such multifamily dwelling unit. The bill provides that a towing operator who fails to comply with these requirements shall be required to reimburse the resident for the cost of the tow and shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100. Towing; vehicles with expired registration; civil penalty. Requires a towing operator, defined in the bill, for a parking lot of a multifamily dwelling unit, defined in the bill, to post written notice on a vehicle providing at least 48 hours' notice to a resident prior to removing a resident's vehicle, defined in the bill, from such parking lot of the multifamily dwelling unit for an expired registration or expired vehicle inspection sticker and to provide a copy of such notice to the landlord of such multifamily dwelling unit. The bill provides that a towing operator who fails to comply with these requirements shall be required to reimburse the resident for the cost of the tow and shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100.

HB40 - Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, complaints, hearings, civil penalty.

29 Co-Sponsors

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee to personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections.

HB824 - Indigent defendant; rate of fees for legal representation.

13 Co-Sponsors

Rate of fees; legal representation of indigent defendant. Limits the fees charged for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation to persons determined to be indigent to an amount no greater than the amount such person would have owed if such fees had been assessed on or before June 30, 2024. Rate of fees; legal representation of indigent defendant. Limits the fees charged for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation to persons determined to be indigent to an amount no greater than the amount such person would have owed if such fees had been assessed on or before June 30, 2024.

HB805 - Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in counties & cities to support schools.

21 Co-Sponsors

Additional local sales and use tax to support schools; referendum. Authorizes all counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed one percent with the revenue used only for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools if such levy is approved in a voter referendum. The bill removes the requirement that such a tax must have an expiration date on either (i) the date of the repayment of any bonds or loans used for such capital projects or (ii) a date chosen by the governing body. Under current law, only Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville are authorized to impose such a tax.

HR8 - Commending Major General Timothy P. Williams, VNG.

12 Co-Sponsors

HB571 - Sexually explicit content; policies on parental notification of instructional material.

12 Co-Sponsors

Policies on parental notification of instructional material that includes sexually explicit content; scope and use. Provides that nothing in the law requiring the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and requiring each school board to adopt policies that are consistent with but may be more comprehensive than such model policies or that is in such model policies or school board policies shall be construed to permit the censoring of books in any public elementary or secondary school.

HB466 - Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states.

24 Co-Sponsors

Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether states meet the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from another state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state, accessible 24 hours a day; (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer; and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill also provides that a Virginia resident who has not been issued a valid resident concealed handgun permit may not use a concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit or license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun in the Commonwealth. Concealed handgun permits; reciprocity with other states. Provides that the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether states meet the statutory qualifications for Virginia to recognize the concealed handgun permit of a person from another state. Under current law, any out-of-state permit is recognized in the Commonwealth provided that (i) the issuing authority provides the means for instantaneous verification of the validity of all such permits or licenses issued within that state, accessible 24 hours a day; (ii) the permit or license holder carries a photo identification issued by a government agency of any state or by the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Department of State and displays the permit or license and such identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer; and (iii) the permit or license holder has not previously had a Virginia concealed handgun permit revoked. The bill also provides that a Virginia resident who has not been issued a valid resident concealed handgun permit may not use a concealed handgun or concealed weapon permit or license issued by another state to carry a concealed handgun in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2024, to determine whether the requirements and qualifications of those states' laws are adequate to prevent possession of a permit or license by persons who would be denied a permit in the Commonwealth and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements or qualifications by December 1, 2024. The bill requires the Attorney General to provide a written explanation for any determination that a state's laws are adequate to prevent possession of such permit or license by persons who would be denied such permit in the Commonwealth.