Carrying a concealed handgun; permit not required. Allows any person who is otherwise eligible to obtain a concealedhandgun permit to carry a concealed handgun without a permit anywherehe may lawfully carry a handgun openly within the Commonwealth.
Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirementbenefits for 911 dispatchers. Adds 911 dispatchers to the listof local employees eligible to receive enhanced retirement benefitsfor hazardous duty service. Under current law, localities may providesuch benefits to first responders, including firefighters and emergencymedical technicians, and certain other hazardous duty positions.The bill provides that such benefits would be available only to dispatchershired starting on or after January 1, 2022.
Elections; absentee voting; ballots to be sortedand results to be reported by precinct. Provides that absentee ballots processed at a central absentee precinct must be sorted bythe precinct to which the voter who cast the absentee ballot is assignedand that the resulting vote totals from such ballots must be reportedseparately for each voter precinct.
Constitutional amendment (second reference); qualifications of voters and the right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.
Emergency custody and temporary detention; transportation;transfer of custody. Provides that, in cases in which transportationof a person subject to an emergency custody order or temporary detentionorder is ordered to be provided by an alternative transportation provider,the primary law-enforcement agency that executes the order may transfercustody of the person to the alternative transportation provider immediatelyupon execution of the order, and that the alternative transportationprovider shall maintain custody of the person from the time custodyis transferred to the alternative transportation provider by the primarylaw-enforcement agency until such time as custody of the person istransferred to the community services board or its designee that isresponsible for conducting the evaluation or the temporary detentionfacility, as is appropriate. The bill also adds employees of and personsproviding services pursuant to a contract with the Department of BehavioralHealth and Developmental Services to the list of individuals who mayserve as alternative transportation providers.
Agribusiness. Clarifies that existing agribusinessin the Commonwealth includes farmers markets and roadside farm markets.
Commending Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable LinwoodA. Holton, Jr.
Celebrating the life of the Honorable FrankDuVal Hargrove, Sr.
Commending the Honorable Mark Cole.
