Virginia Bills

Provides that the Supreme Court and any other court clerk may provide online access to subscribers who have entered into an agreement with the clerk to have secure remote access to court records of nonconfidential criminal case information to confirm the complete date of birth of a defendant. This bill is identical to

Expands the definition of business advertising material as it relates to private security services businesses to include any electronic medium, including the Internet, social media, and digital advertising.

Provides that the statute of limitations for legal malpractice related to estate planning is five years if the legal representation was based on a written contract and three years if the legal representation was based on an unwritten contract. The bill provides that the accrual date for such an action is the date of completion of the representation. The bill further provides that a person who is not party to the representation shall have standing to maintain such an action only if there is a written agreement between the individual who is the subject of the estate planning and the defendant that expressly grants standing to such person. This bill is in response to

Provides that an appellant may file a motion for leave to pursue a delayed appeal in a criminal case in the Court of Appeals of Virginia when the appeal was dismissed, in whole or in part, for a failure to (i) initiate the appeal; (ii) adhere to proper form, procedures, or time limits in the perfection of the appeal; or (iii) file the indispensable transcript or written statement of facts, even if other parts of the appeal were refused on the merits. Under current law, an appellant may not pursue a delayed appeal in such a case if part of the appeal was refused on the merits. The bill also provides that an appellant may file a motion for leave to pursue a delayed appeal in a criminal case that is appealed to the Supreme Court of Virginia from the Court of Appeals of Virginia for those assignments of error that were dismissed because they did not adhere to a proper form, even if other assignments of error were refused on the merits. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Judicial Council of Virginia. This bill is identical to

Lowers from 19 to 18 the minimum age of persons who have failed the driver knowledge examination three times who are permitted to take the Virginia Driver's Manual course offered by a licensed and approved driver training school as a prerequisite of attempting the driver knowledge examination a fourth time.

Provides that if a surviving spouse of a decedent dying on or after January 1, 2017, claims and receives an elective share, the homestead allowance available to the spouse shall be in addition to any benefit or elective share passing to such surviving spouse. The bill provides consistency with other provisions of Article 1.1 (§ 64.2-308.1 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 64.2, which governs the elective share of the surviving spouse of a decedent dying on or after January 1, 2017, which was enacted in 2016. The bill contains an emergency clause. This bill is identical to

Expands the mission of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth to include the reduction and prevention of substance use by youth in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to

Allows a licensed distiller who has been appointed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board as an agent to sell spirits manufactured by the distiller at a site of an event licensed by the Board and conducted for the purpose of featuring and educating the consuming public about spirits products. This bill is identical to

Provides that proposals for existing programs that have a measurable return on investment are eligible for matching grant funds under the Cooperative Marketing Fund. The bill also (i) removes the requirement that only private funds be matched and (ii) provides that guidelines established for the Fund may include a preference for proposals submitted by state agencies. This bill is identical to

Requires local departments of social services to transmit information regarding reports, complaints, family assessments, and investigations involving children of active duty members of the United States Armed Forces or members of their household to family advocacy representatives of the United States Armed Forces. Under current law, local departments of social services may transmit such information but are only required to transmit information regarding founded complaints or family assessments. This bill is identical to