Gilbert calls for the National Guard's help and a look at proposed legislation for the 2022 session

10 bills introduced by legislators ahead of the session.

Jan 04, 2022

This newsletter will be spotlighting proposed legislation each day ahead of the General Assembly’s session later this month. Paid subscribers will receive these spotlights in their inbox each day. (Along with a lot of other insider information.)

But first, hundreds of motorists are stranded on I-95 in Northern Virginia after yesterday’s storm crushed the area. Governor Northam released a statement Monday morning saying he has been working through the night with state agencies to assist motorists. United States Senator Tim Kaine (D) says he has been stranded for 20 hours on the road as he was headed to D.C.

Tim Kaine @timkaine

I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol. My office is in touch with @VaDOT to see how we can help other Virginians in this situation. Please stay safe everyone.

Incoming House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R) called on Northam to activate the National Guard to help. “The situation on Interstate 95 is untenable. Travelers are trapped – some for nearly 24 hours. But now isn’t the time to place blame for what went wrong. It’s time to get help to those in need,” Gilbert said. “Local first responders are doing everything they can, but with so many people stranded, the Commonwealth needs to bring all of its resources to bear. It’s not enough for the men, women, and the heavy vehicles of the Virginia National Guard to be ‘available.’ They need to be activated to bring aid to those who need it and to help get the Interstate open again. The best time to do this was last night. The second best time is now.”

The situation is not better as there are now more issues on the interstate than just snow and ice. Cars have run out of gas after being stuck all night, for example.

Mel Leonor @MelLeonor_

VDOT has moved "a nice amount of traffic off the I95." But, the engineer, Marcie Parker, said many people can't move off the road even if VDOT clears the way to the exit. -no fuel -broken down -stuck in a ditch of snow/ice and needing towing -trucks requiring heavy-duty towing

VDOT Fredericksburg @VaDOTFRED

With I-95 closed, traffic is being detoured to alternate routes at the nearest interchanges. Expect significant congestion on these major routes like Route 1 in the Fredericksburg area.

This continues to remain a developing situation.

Here are some of the bills that have been proposed by legislators ahead of the upcoming General Assembly session.

Senate:

SB 5 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; Virginia Parole Board member votes.

Introduced by: David R. Suetterlein (R)

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; Virginia Parole Board member votes. Provides that individual votes of the members of the Virginia Parole Board are public records and subject to the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

SB 65 Alcoholic beverage control; distiller licenses; Internet orders and shipments.

Introduced by: Frank M. Ruff, Jr. (R)

Alcoholic beverage control; distiller licenses; Internet orders and shipments. Allows the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to include in its agency agreements with licensed distillers provisions that allow distillers to sell spirits and low alcohol beverage coolers through Internet orders and ship such orders to consumers and licensees within the Commonwealth. The bill imposes certain quantity, carriage, transaction, and labeling requirements on such sales and shipments.

SB 46 Certain emergency and quarantine orders; additional procedural requirements.

Introduced by: J. Chapman Petersen (D)

Certain emergency and quarantine orders; additional procedural requirements. Provides that any person who is affected by an order of quarantine may file an appeal in the circuit court for the city or county in which he resides or is located or the circuit court for the jurisdiction or jurisdictions for any affected area; currently, only a person who is subject to an order of quarantine may appeal the order. The bill also provides that, in any case in which the Governor has issued an emergency order that includes any measure that closes schools or businesses or restricts the movement of healthy persons within the area to which the order applies, all of the rights, protections, and procedures applicable in the case of an order of quarantine issued by the Commissioner of Health shall apply.

SB 61 Firearms; concealed carry for law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth, and judges.

Introduced by: T. Travis Hackworth (R)

Firearms; concealed carry for law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth, and judges; exceptions to certain prohibited activities. Provides that any (i) active law-enforcement officer, (ii) qualified retired law-enforcement officer, (iii) attorney for the Commonwealth or assistant attorney for the Commonwealth, (iv) qualified retired attorney for the Commonwealth or retired assistant attorney for the Commonwealth, (v) judge or justice of the Commonwealth, or (vi) retired judge or retired justice of the Commonwealth may carry a concealed weapon about his person, hidden from common observation. The bill also permits such law-enforcement officers, retired law-enforcement officers, attorneys for the Commonwealth or assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, qualified retired attorneys for the Commonwealth or retired assistant attorneys for the Commonwealth, judges or justices of the Commonwealth, and retired judges or justices of the Commonwealth to carry a firearm in many of the areas where firearms are prohibited from being carried.

SB 44 Campaign finance; campaign contribution limits; civil penalty.

Introduced by: J. Chapman Petersen (D)

Campaign finance; campaign contribution limits; civil penalty. Prohibits persons from making any single contribution, or any combination of contributions, that exceeds $20,000 to any one candidate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or the General Assembly in any one election cycle. No limits are placed on contributions made by the candidate or the candidate's family to the candidate's campaign or by political party committees. Civil penalties for violations of the limits may equal up to two times the excess contribution amounts.

House of Delegates:

HB 59 School principals; incident reports.

Introduced by: John J. McGuire (R)

School principals; incident reports. Requires that school principals report to law enforcement certain enumerated acts that may constitute a misdemeanor offense and report to the parents of any minor student who is the specific object of such act that the incident has been reported to law enforcement. Under current law, principals are required to make such reports only for such acts that may constitute a felony offense.

HB 69 Best interests of the child; assuring frequent and continuing contact with both parents.

Introduced by: Glenn R. Davis (R)

Best interests of the child; assuring frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Provides that, in determining the best interests of a child for purposes of custody and parenting time arrangements, upon request of either party, the court shall assure a minor child of frequent and continuing contact with both parents so as to maximize the amount of time the minor child spends with each parent.

HB 5 Flood Relief Fund; established.

Introduced by: James W. Morefield (R)

Flood Relief Fund established. Establishes the Flood Relief Fund (the Fund), funded by reducing the allocation of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund from 45 to 40 percent and allocating the five percent to the Fund. The Flood Relief Fund is administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and used to make payments to private property owners of property is damaged by a flood, landslide, or mudslide for which the President declares a major disaster under the federal Stafford Act. Under the bill, claims are paid at 175 percent of property value in a double distressed locality, 150 percent of property value in a distressed locality, and 100 percent of property value in all other localities. Claims are limited to $1 million for commercial properties and $500,000 for residential properties and are exempt from individual and corporate income tax. If there are no flood disasters, VDEM will award grants for flood prevention efforts to applicants in double distressed localities. The bill provides that if Virginia withdraws from RGGI, $50 million of any unobligated auction proceeds will be reallocated to the Fund from the accounts established for flood preparedness and low-income energy efficiency programs.

HB 14 Handguns; limitation on purchases.

Introduced by: Timothy V. Anderson (R)

Purchase of handguns; limitation on handgun purchases. Removes the prohibition on any person who is not a licensed firearms dealer from purchasing more than one handgun in a 30-day period. Current law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a violation of this provision, subject to certain exemptions.

HB 27 COVID-19 vaccination status; mandatory COVID-19 vaccination prohibited, discrimination prohibited.

Introduced by: Timothy V. Anderson (R)

COVID-19 vaccination status; mandatory COVID-19 vaccination prohibited; discrimination prohibited. Prohibits the State Health Commissioner and the Board of Health, the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Health Professions and any regulatory board therein, and the Department of Social Services from requiring any person to undergo vaccination for COVID-19 and prohibits discrimination based on a person's COVID-19 vaccination status with regard to education or public employment and in numerous other contexts.

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