HB1494 - Length of Stay Guidelines & Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center; DJJ's work group to study, report.

6 Co-Sponsors

Department of Juvenile Justice; work group to study Length of Stay Guidelines and Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center; report. Directs the Department of Juvenile Justice to convene a work group to study issues related to the Department's Length of Stay Guidelines and the Department's direct care capacity in response to the Department's report on the 2023 Length of Stay Guidelines. The work group is directed to study (i) the evidence and research relied upon by the Department as identified in the Department's report, including adjusting for changes in risk profiles for committed juveniles over time; (ii) best practices on staffing ratios, the current actual staffing ratios at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center (BAJCC), and the projected population forecast; (iii) the ability of BAJCC to operate the community treatment model without single coverage on units and maintain consistent staffing on each residential unit and unit population not to exceed 14 residents; (iv) the ability of BAJCC to maintain all therapeutic, vocational, and educational programming; (v) a detailed comparison of youth by age, risk level, and offense level and their projected length of stay under the 2015 Length of Stay Guidelines and the 2023 Length of Stay Guidelines; (vi) trends in determinate commitments, including the percentage of such commitments in circuit court and with an active Department of Corrections sentence; and (vii) how the Department will maintain current programming and the continuum of services for youth when direct care capacity exceeds actual capacity. The work group is also directed to study the rates of serious incidents and contributing factors at BAJCC since January 2022. The bill requires the work group to submit a report with its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2024. Such report shall include evidence or research relating to the 2023 changes to the Length of Stay Guidelines and whether such evidence or research supports the changes. Department of Juvenile Justice; work group to study Length of Stay Guidelines and Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center; report. Directs the Department of Juvenile Justice to convene a work group to study issues related to the Department's Length of Stay Guidelines and the Department's direct care capacity in response to the Department's report on the 2023 Length of Stay Guidelines. The work group is directed to study (i) the evidence and research relied upon by the Department as identified in the Department's report, including adjusting for changes in risk profiles for committed juveniles over time; (ii) best practices on staffing ratios, the current actual staffing ratios at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center (BAJCC), and the projected population forecast; (iii) the ability of BAJCC to operate the community treatment model without single coverage on units and maintain consistent staffing on each residential unit and unit population not to exceed 14 residents; (iv) the ability of BAJCC to maintain all therapeutic, vocational, and educational programming; (v) a detailed comparison of youth by age, risk level, and offense level and their projected length of stay under the 2015 Length of Stay Guidelines and the 2023 Length of Stay Guidelines; (vi) trends in determinate commitments, including the percentage of such commitments in circuit court and with an active Department of Corrections sentence; and (vii) how the Department will maintain current programming and the continuum of services for youth when direct care capacity exceeds actual capacity. The work group is also directed to study the rates of serious incidents and contributing factors at BAJCC since January 2022. The bill requires the work group to submit a report with its recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice by November 1, 2024. Such report shall include evidence or research relating to the 2023 changes to the Length of Stay Guidelines and whether such evidence or research supports the changes.

HB1253 - Affordable dwelling unit ordinances; accessible units for persons with a physical disability.

6 Co-Sponsors

Affordable dwelling unit ordinances; accessible units. Provides that any locality that has adopted an affordable dwelling unit ordinance may require under such ordinance that a set percentage of the units built by a developer are compliant with the appropriate requirements of the American National Standards for Building and Facilities for Type A units or with any other standards adopted as part of regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development providing accessibility and usability for persons with a physical disability.

HJR50 - Juvenile Justice, Department of; JLARC, et al., to study transferring responsibility for Department.

9 Co-Sponsors

Study; JLARC; Department of Juvenile Justice; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, to conduct a study to determine the feasibility and benefits of transferring responsibility for the Department of Juvenile Justice from the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

HB1031 - Legislature Modernization, Commission on; established, report.

16 Co-Sponsors

Commission on Legislature Modernization; report. Establishes the Commission on Legislature Modernization in the legislative branch for the purpose of studying the operation and functionality of the General Assembly and identifying ways to make the legislature more effective, efficient, responsive, reflective, and transparent on behalf of all Virginians. The Commission will consist of 17 members, which shall include 9 legislators, 6 nonlegislative citizen members, and 2 ex officio members. The Commission shall be convened for a period of two years, every 10 years in the year ending in four, and shall terminate after the submission of its final report to the General Assembly at the end of its second year.

HB699 - Treatment with opioids; Board of Medicine, et al., to amend their regulations.

19 Co-Sponsors

Board of Medicine; Board of Dentistry; Board of Optometry; Boards of Medicine and Nursing; patient counseling; treatment with opioids. Directs the Board of Medicine, the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Optometry, and the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to amend their regulations to require the provision of certain information to patients being prescribed an opioid for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. The bill requires that the regulations include an exception to the required provision of such information for patients who are (i) in active treatment for cancer, (ii) receiving hospice care from a licensed hospice or palliative care, (iii) residents of a long-term care facility, (iv) being prescribed an opioid in the course of treatment for substance abuse or opioid dependence, or (v) receiving treatment for sickle cell disease. The bill directs the Boards to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. Board of Medicine; Board of Dentistry; Board of Optometry; Boards of Medicine and Nursing; patient counseling; treatment with opioids. Directs the Board of Medicine, the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Optometry, and the Boards of Medicine and Nursing to amend their regulations to require the provision of certain information to patients being prescribed an opioid for the treatment of acute or chronic pain. The bill requires that the regulations include an exception to the required provision of such information for patients who are (i) in active treatment for cancer, (ii) receiving hospice care from a licensed hospice or palliative care, (iii) residents of a long-term care facility, (iv) being prescribed an opioid in the course of treatment for substance abuse or opioid dependence, or (v) receiving treatment for sickle cell disease. The bill directs the Boards to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

HB179 - Imprisonment; consecutive terms.

7 Co-Sponsors

Consecutive terms of imprisonment. Eliminates the required imposition of mandatory consecutive sentences of imprisonment.

HB368 - Uniform Statewide Building Code; Board of HCD to convene advisory group to evaluate.

8 Co-Sponsors

Board of Housing and Community Development; stakeholder advisory group; report. Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development (the Board) to convene a stakeholder advisory group including fire code officials to evaluate and recommend revisions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to permit Group R-2 occupancies to be served by a single exit, provided that the building has not more than six stories above grade plane. The bill requires the stakeholder advisory group to submit its findings and recommendations to the Board and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology no later than December 1, 2024.

HB1252 - Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations.

5 Co-Sponsors

Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations. Provides that when conducting a revocation hearing, the court shall consider at the same revocation hearing all alleged technical violations that occurred prior to such revocation hearing and have not been previously considered by the court. The bill also requires that when a defendant has been taken into custody for an alleged violation for which the court may impose not more than 14 days of active incarceration, the court shall adjudicate such violation within 14 days of the defendant being taken into custody. The bill states that if such violation is not adjudicated within 14 days of the defendant being taken into custody, the defendant shall be admitted to bail, unless (i) such defendant consents to being further detained while awaiting adjudication or sentencing or (ii) the Commonwealth has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant presents a significant risk of harm to himself or the community based on substance use disorder or serious mental illness and has been referred for residential treatment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the bill provides that no such defendant shall be held in custody awaiting adjudication of or sentencing on such alleged technical violation for longer than 30 days. Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations. Provides that when conducting a revocation hearing, the court shall consider at the same revocation hearing all alleged technical violations that occurred prior to such revocation hearing and have not been previously considered by the court. The bill also requires that when a defendant has been taken into custody for an alleged violation for which the court may impose not more than 14 days of active incarceration, the court shall adjudicate such violation within 14 days of the defendant being taken into custody. The bill states that if such violation is not adjudicated within 14 days of the defendant being taken into custody, the defendant shall be admitted to bail, unless (i) such defendant consents to being further detained while awaiting adjudication or sentencing or (ii) the Commonwealth has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant presents a significant risk of harm to himself or the community based on substance use disorder or serious mental illness and has been referred for residential treatment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the bill provides that no such defendant shall be held in custody awaiting adjudication of or sentencing on such alleged technical violation for longer than 30 days.

HB803 - Juveniles; expungement of court records.

6 Co-Sponsors

Expungement of juvenile court records. Provides that if a juvenile was adjudicated delinquent of a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult, other than certain felony offenses specified in the bill committed when such juvenile was 14 years of age or older, the court records shall be destroyed when the juvenile has attained the age of 29. The bill provides that if a juvenile was adjudicated delinquent of one of the felony offenses specified in the bill committed when such juvenile was 14 years of age or older, the court records shall be retained. Under current law, the court records shall be retained in all instances when a juvenile was found guilty of a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult. The bill directs the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court to expunge all records pursuant to the bill by July 1, 2027. Expungement of juvenile court records. Provides that if a juvenile was adjudicated delinquent of a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult, other than certain felony offenses specified in the bill committed when such juvenile was 14 years of age or older, the court records shall be destroyed when the juvenile has attained the age of 29. The bill provides that if a juvenile was adjudicated delinquent of one of the felony offenses specified in the bill committed when such juvenile was 14 years of age or older, the court records shall be retained. Under current law, the court records shall be retained in all instances when a juvenile was found guilty of a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult. The bill directs the clerk of the juvenile and domestic relations district court to expunge all records pursuant to the bill by July 1, 2027.

HR68 - Commending the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation.

11 Co-Sponsors