VAPBA Legislative Update

Feb 3, 2017

Virginia PBA Members,

Since our last update there have been 42 bills removed from the attached update list that failed to pass, as we approach crossover that list will continue to grow.

Delegate Jackson Miller's bill on officer confidentiality,HB 2043, was heard in General laws Sub 2 committee, where it passed 5-1. I spoke to this committee during the debate and stressed that this bill will give some standards to the release of information so the officers involved, the media and the public will all know what information to expect and when it would be available.

The full committee on General Laws met on 2-2-17 and the debate on HB 2043 continued. Representatives from the State Police Association and I spoke to the bill which was amended by Delegate Gilbert and then passed 11-9. This bill should be heard on the House floor on Monday and will hopefully pass and move on to the Senate.

HB 2336 and SB 1486 deal with the release of information to an officer's private insurance company when involved in an on duty crash. These bills would put into law the past practice of not reporting the information to private insurance companies, both have been passed and move to crossover.

The stakeholders were called to a meeting with Delegate Chris Jones on 1-31-17. HB 2243, The Line of Duty bill that we have been working on for the past two years made changes to health insurance coverage for widows of fallen officers. In the new bill, the widows who have remarried would have lost their line of duty health coverage. At our request Delegate Jones made a compromise on the bill and grandfathered all widows who have remarried so they will retain their coverage. All future widows of fallen officers will lose their health insurance coverage through the Line of Duty act if they remarry. This change will go into effect in July 2017. The federal law already contains this language so the bill changes state law to reflect federal law.

I met with Lieutenant Governor Northam again this week and have been passing information on to his staff that pertains to our ongoing legal battle with DMV and the wrongful termination of three members. I have been told that the Attorney Generals Office is aware of my communications with the Lieutenant Governors office about the case. Lieutenant Governor Northam is seeking the Democratic nomination for the upcoming Governors election.

As always, contact me if you would like to come to Richmond and visit the legislature.

Sean McGowan

Executive Director, Virginia Division

Southern States Police Benevolent Association

703 501-1283

 

Bills	Committee	Last action	Date
HB 1392 - Lingamfelter - School security officers; carrying a firearm in performance of duties.	(H) Committee on Education (S) Committee for Courts of Justice	(S) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice	01/25/17
HB 1432 - Ware - Switchblade knife; exception to carry concealed.	(H) Committee for Courts of Justice (S) Committee for Courts of Justice	(S) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice	01/31/17
HB 1457 - Cole - Part-time deputy sheriffs; compensation.	(H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government	(S) Referred to Committee on Local Government	02/02/17
HB 1468 - Marshall, R.G. - Compliance with detainers; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.	(H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (S) Committee for Courts of Justice	(S) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice	01/26/17
HB 1469 - Marshall, R.G. - Authorization and training for persons designated to carry concealed handguns on school property.	(H) Committee on Education	(H) Referred to Committee on Education	12/08/16
HB 1571 - Farrell - Workers' compensation; fees for medical services.	(H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor	(S) Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor	01/19/17
HB 1590 - Campbell - Duty of care to law-enforcement officers and firefighters; fireman's rule.	(H) Committee for Courts of Justice	(H) VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (95-Y 0-N)	02/02/17
HB 1659 - Habeeb - Workers' compensation; employer's lien, third party actions.	(H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor	(S) Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor	01/31/17
HB 1683 - Simon - Prohibited public carrying of certain firearms; penalty.	(H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety	(H) Assigned MPPS sub: #1	01/17/17
HB 1720 - Anderson - Flag at half staff or mast; public safety personnel.	(H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology	(S) Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology	02/02/17
HB 1726 - Ransone - Disarming a law-enforcement officer; penalty.	(H) Committee for Courts of Justice	(H) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice	01/07/17
HB 1733 - Anderson - Removal of public officers from office; recall elections for certain elected and appointed officers.	(H) Committee on Privileges and Elections	(H) Assigned P & E sub: Elections	01/12/17
HB 1768 - Garrett - Virginia Retirement System; stress testing and reporting policies.	(H) Committee on Appropriations	(H) Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (95-Y 0-N)	02/03/17
HB 1791 - Lingamfelter - Conspiracy, incitement, etc., to riot; penalty when against public safety personnel.	(H) Committee for Courts of Justice (S) Committee for Courts of Justice	(S) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice	01/27/17
HB 1843 - Mullin - Principals; student discipline; alternatives to referring incidents of assault.	(H) Committee for Courts of Justice	(H) Subcommittee recommends laying on the table	02/01/17
HB 1884 - Hugo - Real property tax; exemption for certain surviving spouses.	(H) Committee on Finance (S) Committee on Finance	(S) Referred to Committee on Finance	01/27/17
HB 2043 - Miller - Law-enforcement officer; public release of identifying information, etc.	(H) Committee on General Laws	(H) Reported from General Laws with substitute (11-Y 9-N)	02/02/17
HB 2062 - Mullin - Law-enforcement officer; definition, municipal park rangers training.	(H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety	(H) Assigned MPPS sub: #2	01/17/17
HB 2067 - Mullin - Law-enforcement officers; decertification, notification.	(H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (S) Committee on Local Government	(S) Referred to Committee on Local Government	01/26/17
HB 2243 - Jones - Line of Duty Act; clarifies provisions of Act.	(H) Committee on Appropriations	(H) Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment (7-Y 0-N)	02/02/17
HB 2247 - Jones - Va. Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; eligibility of employees for Workforce Transition Act.	(H) Committee on Appropriations	(H) Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N)	02/02/17
HB 2251 - Jones - Virginia Retirement System; establishes an optional defined contribution retirement plan.	(H) Committee on Appropriations	(H) Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N)	02/02/17
HB 2336 - Miller - Law-enforcement officer; report of officer involved in accident.	(H) Committee on Transportation	(H) Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (95-Y 0-N)	02/03/17
HB 2359 - Albo - Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; changes effective date for creation of Authority.	(H) Committee on General Laws	(H) Reported from General Laws with substitute (20-Y 0-N)	02/02/17
HB 2364 - Heretick - Constitutional officers; automatic suspension upon conviction of felony.	(H) Committee on Privileges and Elections	(H) Engrossed by House as amended HB2364E	02/03/17
HB 2402 - Morris - Virginia Freedom of Information Act; willful violations, grounds for termination.	(H) Committee on General Laws	(H) Reported from General Laws (14-Y 6-N)	02/02/17
SB 924 - Petersen - Gov Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act; use of personal inform. by law enforcement.	(S) Committee on General Laws and Technology	(S) Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology	12/27/16
SB 942 - Cosgrove - Deaths of inmates in local correctional facilities; review by State Board of Corrections.	(S) Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services	(S) Incorporated by Rehabilitation and Social Services (SB1063-Deeds) (15-Y 0-N)	01/13/17
SB 1047 - Lucas - DCJS training standards; community engaged policing.	(H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (S) Committee for Courts of Justice	(H) Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety	01/31/17
SB 1063 - Deeds - Corrections, State Board of; membership, powers and duties, inmate death investigations.	(S) Committee on Finance	(S) Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)	02/02/17
SB 1064 - Deeds - Mental health awareness training; law enforcement officers, firefighters, etc.	(H) Committee for Courts of Justice (S) Committee on Finance	(H) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice	02/03/17
SB 1175 - Chafin - Workers' compensation; employer's lien, third party actions.	(H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor	(H) Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor	01/31/17
SB 1201 - Lewis - Workers' compensation; suitably equipped automobile for incapacitated employee.	(H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor	(H) Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor	01/31/17
SB 1287 - McDougle - Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; changes effective date for creation of Authority.	(S) Committee on Finance	(S) Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)	02/02/17
SB 1330 - Carrico - Critical incident stress management team; peer support team privileged communications.	(S) Committee for Courts of Justice	(S) Committee substitute printed 17105059D-S1	02/01/17
SB 1466 - Marsden - Workers' compensation; infectious disease presumption for correctional officers.	(S) Committee on Commerce and Labor	(S) Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor	01/16/17
SB 1486 - Stuart - Law-enforcement officer; report of officer involved in accident.	(H) Committee on Transportation (S) Committee on Transportation	(H) Referred to Committee on Transportation	02/03/17
SB 1487 - Lewis - Constitutional officers; automatic suspension upon conviction of felony.	(H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections	(H) Assigned P & E sub: Campaigns	02/02/17
SB 1548 - Reeves - Virginia Public Procurement Act; public body may purchase from contract of Va. Sheriffs' Association	(S) Committee on General Laws and Technology	(S) Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology	01/20/17