Virginia military forces; preliminary protective orders, etc.

Changed the admissibility of Military Protective Orders in court hearings from being completely inadmissible to being admissible under Virginia law and case law.

Removed the provision allowing courts to extend protective orders when an abuser was incarcerated and made threatening contact while in prison.

Changed the bill header from House Substitute to Senate Substitute and updated the committee and date information.

The document layout changed from single-column text to a multi-column format with line numbers and page breaks, but all legislative text and legal provisions remain identical.

Deleted language allowing Military Protective Orders to be admissible as evidence in hearings for permanent protective orders or their extensions, requiring courts to rely on Virginia-specific evidence instead.

Added formatting headers and draft markings indicating this is a substitute version offered for consideration on 1/30/2025.

Adjusted line breaks and paragraph spacing throughout the text to match standard legislative formatting conventions.

Expanded eligibility for protective orders to include Military Protective Orders issued by commanding officers in the U.S. Armed Forces, Virginia National Guard, or National Guard of other states, not just those issued by Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officers.

Added language clarifying that Military Protective Orders are admissible as evidence only in accordance with Virginia law, the Rules of Evidence, and relevant case law.

Removed the specific definition of 'Virginia military protective order' as limited to orders issued by the Sexual Offense Prevention and Response Officer, broadening the scope to include orders from various military commanding officers.

Added standard enrolled bill formatting elements including page numbers, chapter designation, and approval language that are typical of finalized legislation.