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2004 SESSION

040202204
HOUSE BILL NO. 572
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee for Courts of Justice
on January 30, 2004)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Albo)
A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-46.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to crimes by gangs; definitions; penalties.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 18.2-46.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.2-46.1. Definitions.

As used in this article unless the context requires otherwise or it is otherwise provided:

"Act of violence" means those felony offenses described in subsection A of § 19.2-297.1.

"Criminal street gang" means any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, (i) which has as one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more predicate criminal actsactivities, (ii) which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol, and (iii) whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity the commission of, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more predicate criminal acts at least one of which is an act of violence, provided such acts were not part of a common act or transaction.

"Pattern of criminal gang activity" means commission of, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more predicate criminal acts, at least one of which is an act of violence, provided such predicate criminal acts (i) were not part of a common act, transaction or scheme or (ii) were committed by two or more persons who are members of, or belong to, the same criminal street gang.

"Predicate criminal act" means (i) an act of violence, (ii) any violation of §§ 18.2-51, 18.2-51.1, 18.2-52, 18.2-53, 18.2-55, 18.2-57, 18.2-57.2, 18.2-121, 18.2-127, 18.2-128, 18.2-137, 18.2-138, 18.2-146, or § 18.2-147, or (iii) any violation of a local ordinance adopted pursuant to § 18.2-138.1.