Possession of controlled substances; barriercrimes. Removes from the definition of barrier crime a felonyviolation of possession of a controlled substance.
Study; Department of Transportation; U.S. Route50; report. Requests that the Department of Transportation conduct a two-year study of traffic congestion on that portion of U.S. Route50 between the intersections of Interstate 66 in Fairfax Countyand U.S. Route 15 in Loudoun County and the feasibility of implementingimprovements to such portion of the highway.
Civil action for the deprivation of rights;duties and liabilities of certain employers. Creates a civilcause of action for the deprivation of any rights, privileges, orimmunities pursuant to the constitutions and laws of the United Statesand the Commonwealth due to the acts or omissions of either a publicemployer or its employee and provides that a plaintiff may maintainan action to establish liability and recover compensatory damages,punitive damages, and equitable relief against the public employerand its employee. The bill provides that sovereign immunity is nota defense to such an action. The bill further provides that publicemployers owe a duty of reasonable care to third parties in the hiring,supervision, training, retention, and use of their employees andthat a person who claims to have suffered injury or sustained damagescaused, in whole or in part, by a breach of this duty may maintainan action to establish liability and recover compensatory damages,punitive damages, and equitable relief against such public employer.
School principals; incident reports. Requiresthat school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to theparents of any minor student who is the specific object of such actthat the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under currentlaw, principals are required to make such reports only for such actsthat may constitute a felony offense.
Public procurement. Requires any bid or offer under the Virginia Public Procurement Act to identify all subcontractors, if any, involved in the bid or offer, the estimated amount of compensation to be paid to the subcontractors, a description of the work to be done by the subcontractors, and a copy of all agreements between the contractor and subcontractors related to the bid or offer.
Window tinting; vehicle stop. Removes theprohibition on a law-enforcement officer from stopping a motor vehiclefor a violation of provisions related to window tinting and the prohibitionof evidence discovered or obtained at such stop from being admissiblein court.
Carrying a firearm or explosive material withinCapitol Square and the surrounding area, into building owned or leased by the Commonwealth, etc.; penalty. Repeals the prohibition oncarrying a firearm or explosive material within (i) the Capitol ofVirginia; (ii) Capitol Square and the surrounding area; (iii) anybuilding owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof;or (iv) any office where employees of the Commonwealth or any agencythereof are regularly present for the purpose of performing theirofficial duties. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for anyperson to carry a firearm or explosive material within these areas, subject to certain exceptions, including the following individualswhile acting in the conduct of such person's official duties: anylaw-enforcement officer, any authorized security personnel, any activemilitary personnel, any fire marshal when such fire marshal has beengranted police powers, or any member of a cadet corps while suchmember is participating in an official ceremonial event for the Commonwealth.
Campaign finance; prohibited personal use ofcampaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisoryopinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributionsto a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee for their personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributionswith regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution ofa campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contributionis 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 excepts from "personaluse" the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning foror holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds topay for the candidate's child care expenses that are incurred as adirect result of campaign activity. Any person subject to the personaluse ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Electionson such matters. The bill directs the State Board of Elections toadopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the FederalElection Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and toprovide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the Attorney General's opinion and any new regulations promulgatedby the State Board of Elections.
Carrying dangerous weapon to place of religiousworship; repeal. Repeals the prohibition on the carrying of dangerousweapons in a place of worship without good and sufficient reasonwhile a meeting for religious purposes is being held at such place.
Health insurance; association health plan for real estate salespersons. Provides that a licensed insurer may issue a policy of group accident and sickness insurance to an association of real estate salespersons (association), which association shall be deemed the policyholder, and that such association health plan is not considered to be insurance and is not subject to the existing requirements for insurance if certain requirements are met. The bill requires that (i) all members of the association be eligible for coverage and membership, including employer members with at least one employee that is domiciled in the Commonwealth or self-employed individuals; (ii) membership in the association not be conditioned on any health status–related factor; (iii) the coverage offered through the association be available to all members regardless of any health status–related factor; (iv) the association not make health insurance coverage offered through the association available other than in connection with a member of the association; and (v) premiums for the policy be paid from funds contributed by the association or associations, or by employer members, or by both, or from funds contributed by the covered persons or from both the covered persons and the association, associations, or employer members. The bill also requires the association (a) has at the outset a minimum of 100 members; (b) has been organized and maintained in good faith for purposes other than that of obtaining insurance; (c) has been in active existence for at least five years; and (d) has a constitution and bylaws that provide that the association hold regular meetings not less than annually to further purposes of the members, that the association collects dues or solicits contributions from members, and that the members have voting privileges and representation on the governing board and committees.The bill provides that any such policy shall (1) be considered a large group market plan subject to all coverage mandates applicable to a large group market plan, (2) be subject to the group health plan coverage requirements under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (3) be prohibited from denying coverage under the policy on the basis of a pre-existing condition, (4) shall be guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewable, (5) provide essential health benefits and cost-sharing requirements, and (6) offer a minimum level of coverage designed to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan.The bill requires an insurer issuing such policy to an association to (A) treat all of the members and employees of employer members who are enrolled in coverage under the policy as a single risk pool; (B) set premiums on the basis of the collective group experience of the members and employees of employer members who are enrolled in coverage under the policy; (C) not vary premiums by age, except that the rate shall not vary by more than four to one for adults; (D) not vary premiums on the basis of gender; (E) not vary premiums on the basis of the health status of an individual employee of an employer member or a self-employed individual member; and (F) not establish discriminatory rules based on the health status of an employer member, an individual employee of an employer member, or a self-employed individual for eligibility or contribution.Finally, the bill provides that the State Corporation Commission retains its regulatory authority over any such association health plan and may impose insurance requirements, as it deems appropriate.
Emergency rules, regulations, and orders; prohibitionon mask mandates. Prohibits the Board of Health, Commissionerof Health, or Governor from issuing any rule, regulation, or orderthat requires (i) individuals to wear masks or other face coveringsor (ii) businesses to require customers to wear masks or other face coverings while on the premises of such business.
Breeders; records of animals sold or transferredto animal testing facility; report. Requires entities that breeddogs or cats for sale or transfer to an animal testing facility tokeep records of each animal for two years from the date of the saleor transfer, and to annually submit a summary of the records to the State Veterinarian. Such entities shall also report certain informationto the State Veterinarian on a monthly basis. The report shall includeinformation regarding the birth, acquisition, death, sale, transfer,or other disposition of a dog or cat in the prior month.
