VAPBA Legislative Update 01-30-12
Jan 30, 2012
This week our efforts in Richmond at the General Assembly were met with some success. House bill 675 would raise the threshold amount of Grand Larceny to five hundred dollars, but would have also made it more difficult for our Conservation Police Officers to develop successful cases against wildlife violators selling animal parts. This bill failed to come out of the Criminal sub committee of the Courts of Justice Committee. The Senate bill on the same issue is SB71, this bill will pass out of the senate and will head to the House at crossover. We will watch to see if the House kills the bill as they did HB 675.
On Tuesday SB125, Line of Duty, was heard in the Senate Finance Committee. I joined other labor organizations in speaking against this bill. As a member of the Governors Stakeholder Group I requested that we be given more time to study this issue and help identify a funding stream for the program. Our efforts will continue to stop harmful changes to the Line of Duty benefits.
On Wednesday I attended the House Committee on Agriculture and Natura Resources where HB150 was to be heard by the Natural Resources Sub Committee at 9am. HB 150 would have restricted hunting by our Conservation Police Members in the areas they are assigned to work. Delegate Ransone requested the bill be heard at 5pm the same day. I went to Delegate Ransons office and arranged a meeting with her, representatives from the PBA Chapter, Association and Colonel Watts from DGIF. At the meeting the discussion focused on addressing the Delegates concerns, eliminating the need for the legislation. During the discussion I asked Delegate Ranson if she would withdraw the bill based on our discussion, she agreed and the bill was withdrawn that evening.
The bills on social security number protection and the arrest power for officers to arrest on minor infractions failed to generate enough support for submission. We can visit these topics next session if it is the will of the State Board.
Our Peer Support law bills, HB 1101 and SB 362, have not been placed on a docket as of Sunday the 29th. I will watch their progress closely as we approach crossover. I have heard reports from other lobbyists that these bills have support so I will concentrate my effort on getting them heard in committee as soon as possible.
On another topic, I am pleased to announce that we now have grown membership in Fairfax County to the point of chapter formation and payroll deduction. Thanks to all those who have helped spread the word on PBA membership benefits.
Attached is the list of bills we continue to monitor, please feel free to contact me anytime,
Sean McGowan
Executive Director, Virginia Division
Southern States Police Benevolent Association
HB 14 Persons acting in defense of property; civil immunity provided for an occupant of dwelling, etc.
HB 26 Concealed handgun permit; failure to produce upon demand of a law-enforcement officer, penalty.
HB 42 Line of Duty Act; includes under coverage certain members of any fire company or department.
HB 47 Persons acting in defense of property; civil immunity provided for an occupant of dwelling, etc.
HB 48 Castle doctrine; self-defense and defense of others.
HB 91 Higher educational institutions; possession of concealed handguns by faculty members.
HB 150 Conservation police officers; Board to adopt regulations prohibiting hunting in certain areas.
HB 172 Hunting; knowingly trespassing while carrying a firearm, penalty.
HB 205 Law-Enforcement Procedural Guarantee Act; definition of law-enforcement officer.
HB 257 Defined contribution retirement plan; permits any locality or school board to establish.
HB 350 Virginia Retirement System; modifies disability benefits provided to state employees.
HB 369 Hunting; allows any person to hunt on private lands on Sunday, with permission of owner.
HB 395 Line of Duty Act; special funds for families.
HB 428 Virginia Retirement System; benefits for certain local employees.
HB 438 Virginia Retirement System; benefits for certain local law-enforcement employees.
HB 511 VRS; calculation for pension fund liabilities and asssumed rate of return on its investments.
HB 637 Grievance procedure; eliminates certain steps.
HB 661 Workers' compensation benefits; refusal of employment by disabled employee.
HB 675 Grand larceny; increases threshold amount from $200 to $500.
HB 701 Campus police; report of certain incidents to local law-enforcement agency.
HB 749 Assault and battery; adds campus police officers to list for enhanced punishment.
HB 770 Emergency protective orders; not to be issued against law-enforcement officer performing his duties.
HB 791 Virginia Retirement System; technical changes to programs administered.
HB 792 Virginia Retirement System; deferred compensation for local employees.
HB 856 Critical incident stress management teams; privileged information.
HB 921 Hunting; allows person to hunt wild bird or wild animal on Sundays.
HB 925 Castle doctrine; codifies version allowing use of deadly force against an intruder in dwelling.
HB 949 Virginia Retirement System (VRS); optional defined contribution retirement plan for state employees.
HB 965 Campus police; Mutual Aid Agreements (MAAs) with local law-enforcement agencies.
HB 967 Campus police officers; included in definition of law-enforcement officers.
HB 989 Hunting; removes prohibition to hunt on Sunday between hours of 2:00 p.m. and sunset.
HB 1014 State employee associations; prohibits payroll deductions.
HB 1101 Critical incident stress management teams; privileged information, penalty.
HB 1129 Virginia Retirement System; modifies several provisions of defined benefit retirement plan.
HB 1130 Virginia Retirement System; new optional hybrid retirement plan created.
HB 1134 Line of Duty Act; definition of deceased person.
SB 4 Castle doctrine; self-defense and defense of others.
SB 10 Line of Duty Act; fire company personnel of National Guard and Air National Guard.
SB 17 Game and Inland Fisheries, Department of; changes name of conservation police officers.
SB 18 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact; removes authorization for State's membership.
SB 25 Game and Inland Fisheries, Department of; appointment of Director.
SB 26 Conservation police officers; clarifies authority.
SB 64 Castle doctrine; self-defense and defense of others.
SB 71 Larceny; court may require accused to undergo an assessment and enter treatment program, etc.
SB 72 Grand larceny; increases threshold amount from $200 to $750.
SB 125 Line of Duty Act; political subdivisions to make an irrevocable election to self-fund benefits.
SB 136 Virginia Retirement System; retirees hired as police chief in certain towns.
SB 151 Hunting; allows person to hunt wild bird or wild animal on Sundays.
SB 171 Virginia Retirement System; benefits for law-enforcement and emergency response employees.
SB 173 Hunting; allows any person to hunt on private lands on Sunday, with permission of owner.
SB 176 Game and Inland Fisheries, Department of; removes jurisdiction to enforce fishing and boating laws.
SB 298 Virginia Retirement System; fiscal impact analysis of employer contribution rates.
SB 302 Campus police, Mutual Aid Agreements; (MAAs) with local law-enforcement agencies.
SB 331 Law enforcement officers; early retirement.
SB 357 Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; adds conservation officers of DCR as members.
SB 362 Critical incident stress management teams; privileged information, penalty.
SB 417 Grievance procedure; eliminates certain steps.
SB 464 Hunting; allows person to hunt wild bird or wild animal on Sundays, exceptions.
SB 497 Virginia Retirement System; local government and school board employees, contributions.
SB 498 Virginia Retirement System; optional defined contribution and defined benefit retirement program.
SB 512 Hunting; allows person to hunt wild bird or wild animal on Sundays.
SJ 5 Constitutional amendment; contributions to defined benefit retirement plan maintained for employees.
Virginia Division
