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2005 SESSION

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Senate Committee on General Laws

Chairman: Walter A. Stosch

Clerk: Martha P. Turner
Staff: Amigo Wade
Date of Meeting: February 16, 2005
Time and Place: 2:00 p.m.; Senate Room B; GAB

H.B. 1763 Public Safety, Secretary of; establish system for offender transition and services.

Patron: Dillard

Secretary of Public Safety; duties. Requires the Secretary to establish a system for coordinating offender transitional and reentry services among state, local, and non-profit agencies. The bill also states the intent of the General Assembly is that funds used for these purposes be leveraged to the fullest extent possible.

H.B. 1791 Public Records Act; changes in provisions.

Patron: Cox

Virginia Public Records Act.  Makes several clarifying and technical changes to the Virginia Public Records Act. The bill removes obsolete definitions, clarifies existing definitions of "archival records" and "public records," and creates a definition for "private record," a term that is used in the Act but not currently defined. The bill removes references to the preservation of medical records, an area of law that has been superseded by other state and federal medical records laws, and programs for microfilming records by The Library of Virginia, a service not provided by The Library of Virginia. The bill also clarifies that a public record may not be destroyed or discarded unless certain requirements are met. This change codifies current practice. This bill is a recommendation of the HJR 6 study (2004).

H.B. 1798 Illegal aliens; eligibility for state and local public benefits.

Patron: Albo

Eligibility of aliens for state and local public benefits.  Provides that no person who is not a U.S. citizen or legally present in the United States are eligible for any state or local public benefits. The bill defines state and local public benefits, and sets forth a series of exceptions to this eligibility rule. The bill also requires applicants for state or local assistance to provide proof of being in the United States legally and establishes a process for temporary receipt of benefits when applicants cannot provide such proof.

H.B. 1921 Contractors, Board for; water well systems provider licensure and certification.

Patron: Cox

Board for Contractors; water well systems provider licensure and certification.  Requires the State Board for Contractors to establish a water well systems provider certification program beginning July 1, 2007. Regulations shall establish three levels of certification: trainee, journeyman, and master driller. From the period of one through five years after the required regulations become effective, no person shall engage in the construction of a water well unless a certified water well contractor (of any level of certification) is onsite at all times during the construction. After five years, the onsite certified water well contractor must be a master driller. The bill exempts certain individuals from any examination requirements of the program if they provide satisfactory proof of continuous experience in water well construction.

H.B. 1946 Employee suggestions program; limits monetary awards.

Patron: Saxman

Department of Human Resource Management; employee suggestions program. Provides that state employees who make a suggestion or proposal under the Employee Suggestion Program shall receive initial confirmation of receipt within 30 days. A determination of the feasibility of the suggestion or proposal shall occur with 60 days of initial receipt.  The bill requires approval by the Department of the award. The bill also requires the Department of Human Resource Management to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on (i) the number of proposals received and what, if any, actions were taken on them (ii) the number of proposals that were implemented and the results of those efforts in eliminating or reducing state expenditures or improving operations, (iii) the number of dollars and awards made to employees for adopted proposals, (iv) the actual cost savings realized as a result of implementing such proposals, and (v) the number of proposals that were not implemented or acted upon with an explanation or justification for inaction.

H.B. 1967 School efficiency review program; Director of Department of Planning and Budget to develop, etc.

Patron: Amundson

Department of Planning and Budget; powers and duties; school efficiency review program. The bill requires school divisions to pay 25 percent of the cost of the school efficiency review in the fiscal year immediately following the completion of the final school efficiency review report. Provides for the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget to develop, coordinate and manage a school efficiency review program. The bill also provides that commencing with reviews completed in fiscal year 2006, partial recovery of the cost of individual reviews may be made in the fiscal year beginning not less than 12 months and not more than 24 months following the release of a final efficiency review report for an individual school division.  Such recovery may occur if the affected school division superintendent or superintendent's designee has not certified that at least half the recommendations have been implemented or at least half of the equivalent savings of such efficiency review have been realized.   Lacking such certification, the school division shall reimburse the state for 25 percent of the cost of the school efficiency review. Such reimbursement shall be paid into the general fund of the state treasury.

H.B. 1992 Fair Housing Law; evidence of unlawful discriminatory practices.

Patron: Griffith

Virginia Fair Housing Law; evidence of unlawful discriminatory practices.  Provides that the use of words or symbols associated with a particular religion, national origin, sex, or race may be evidence of an illegal preference under the Virginia Fair Housing Law. Current law mandates that the use of such words or symbols is prima facie evidence of an illegal preference. The bill also eliminates the prohibition against use of a general disclaimer to overcome the prima facie evidence.

H.B. 2051 Procurement Act,Public; purchase of technology, etc. to be approved by Chief Info. Officer of State.

Patron: Nixon

Virginia Public Procurement Act; methods of procurement.  Requires approval of the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth for the purchase of information technology and telecommunications goods and services from a public auction or off of another public body's contract. The bill further provides that the provisions of this act shall not in any way amend or affect the Commonwealth’s institutions of higher education as such institutions may be delegated the authority for the purchase of information technology facilities and services pursuant to any appropriation act adopted by the General Assembly.

H.B. 2079 Historic Preservation and Museum Assistance Grant Program and Fund; created..

Patron: Van Landingham

Virginia Historic Preservation and Museum Assistance Grant Program and Fund.  Creates the Virginia Historic Preservation and Museum Assistance Grant Program and Fund within the Department of Historic Resources. The source of funding for the Fund will be from gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds as may be appropriated. The Program will administer the Fund in order to provide grants to nonprofit organizations, localities, business entities, and individuals for the purpose of: (i) acquiring, rehabilitating, restoring, or interpreting historic properties; (ii) financing costs directly related to a rehabilitation or restoration project, which may include the costs of studies, surveys, plans and specifications, and architectural, engineering or other special services; or (iii) funding historic preservation education and promotion, including the research, survey, and evaluation of historic properties and the preparation of historic preservation planning documents and educational materials. The bill further provides that should no funds from any source be received in the fund by July 1, 2007, that the provisions of the bill shall expire.

H.B. 2123 Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of; unlicensed activity.

Patron: Eisenberg

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; unlicensed activity.   Provides that any person convicted of a violation of certain enumerated acts may also be ordered by the court to pay restitution.

H.B. 2136 Conflict of Interests Act; disclosure filings.

Patron: Purkey

Conflict of Interests Act; disclosure filings. Provides that the Secretary of the Commonwealth distributes the required disclosure statement forms to state officers and employees, including officers appointed by legislative authorities. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Appropriate Balance of Power between the Legislative and Executive Branches to Support a Two-Term Governor in the Commonwealth (HJR 13, 2004).

H.B. 2151 Procurement Act, Public; preference for contractor firms.

Patron: Amundson

Virginia Public Procurement Act; preference for Virginia firms.  Provides that whenever the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is a resident of any other state and such state under its laws allows a resident contractor of that state a preference, a like preference shall be allowed to the lowest responsible bidder who is a resident of Virginia. The bill provides if the lowest bidder is a resident of another state with an absolute preference, that bid shall not be considered. Currently, a preference for Virginia resident may be given.

H.B. 2162 Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; holdover tenancies with landlord's consent.

Patron: Reese

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; holdover tenancies with landlord's consent.  Provides that in the event of termination of a rental agreement and the tenant remains in possession with the agreement of the landlord either as a hold-over tenant or a month-to-month tenant and no new rental agreement is entered into, the terms of the terminated agreement shall remain in effect and govern the hold-over or month-to-month tenancy, except that the amount of rent shall be either as provided in the rental agreement or as set by the landlord in a separate written notice to the tenant to take effect on the next rent due date coming after 30 days of the notice to the tenant.

H.B. 2164 Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; termination of rental agreement for fire or casualty damage.

Patron: Reese

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage; termination of rental agreement.  Provides for the termination of the rental agreement by either the landlord or the tenant in cases where the dwelling unit is damaged by fire or casualty, or required repairs can only be accomplished if the tenant vacates the dwelling unit. The bill provides for required notice of an intent to terminate the rental agreement and specifies the date of termination. The bill also requires upon termination, that the landlord return all security and prepaid rent, plus accrued interest, recoverable by law unless the landlord reasonably believes that the tenant, tenant's guests, or those occupying the dwelling unit with the tenant's permission were the cause of the damage or casualty, in which case the landlord must account to the tenant for the security and prepaid rent, plus accrued interest based upon the damage or casualty.

H.B. 2165 Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; noncompliance with rental agreement.

Patron: Reese

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; noncompliance with rental agreement.  Provides that if the rental agreement provides for the payment of reasonable attorneys' fees in the event of a breach of the agreement or noncompliance by the tenant, the landlord shall be awarded reasonable attorneys' fees in any action based upon the tenancy in which the landlord prevails, including but not limited to actions for damages to the dwelling unit or premises, or additional rent, regardless of any previous action to obtain possession or rent unless the tenant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that his failure to pay rent or vacate was reasonable. Currently, where the rental agreement provides for the payment of attorneys' fees, they can be awarded to the landlord only where the tenant fails to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the failure to pay rent or vacate the premises was due to (i) the breach of the lease by the landlord or (ii) unlawful actions on the part of the landlord.

H.B. 2216 Department of Forensic Science, the Forensic Science Board, Scientific Advisory Board; created.

Patron: Albo

Department of Forensic Science, the Forensic Science Board, and the Scientific Advisory Board created. Creates the Department of Forensic Science as a department within the executive branch of state government and assigns its powers and duties. The bill also creates the Forensic Science Board as a policy board, and the Scientific Advisory Board as an advisory board and likewise assigns their respective powers and duties. The bill also abolishes the Division of Forensic Science within the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill contains numerous technical amendments to accomplish this.

H.B. 2283 Procurement Act, Public; provision of default contract claim procedure.

Patron: Janis

Virginia Public Procurement Act; contract disputes. Provides a default contract claim procedure in the event a public body has not included such a procedure in the procurement contract. The bill also provides that a failure of a public body to render a final decision on a contractual claim shall be deemed a denial of the claim, for which the contractor would have the right to institute legal action. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2326 Sheltered workshops; requires Division of Purchases and Supply to adopt regulations to support.

Patron: Athey

Department of General Services; regulations of the Division of Purchases and Supply; sheltered workshops.  Requires the Division of Purchases and Supply to adopt regulations that establish conditions under which a public body shall demonstrate a good faith effort to ensure that state contracts or subcontracts for goods or services that involve the manual packaging of bulk supplies or the manual assemblage of goods where individual items weigh less than 50 pounds be offered to nonprofit sheltered workshops or other nonprofit organizations that offer transitional or supported employment services serving the handicapped.

H.B. 2399 Freedom of Information Act; exempts certain 911 or E-911 records.

Patron: Phillips

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); public safety exemptions; certain 911 or E-911 records.  Exempts from the mandatory disclosure requirements of FOIA, subscriber data (defined as the name, address, telephone number, and any other information identifying a subscriber of a telecommunications carrier) collected by a local governing body in accordance with the Enhanced Public Safety Telephone Services Act (§ 56-484.12 et seq.), and other identifying information of a personal, medical or financial nature provided to a local governing body in connection with a 911 or E-911 emergency dispatch system or an emergency notification or reverse 911 system, if such records are not otherwise publicly available. The bill further provides that nothing shall prevent the release of subscriber data generated in connection with specific calls to a 911 emergency system, where the requester is seeking to obtain public records about the use of the system in response to a specific crime, emergency or other event as to which a citizen has initiated a 911 call.

H.B. 2404 Freedom of Information Act; exempts certain local wireless service authorities.

Patron: Phillips

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; exemptions; local wireless service authorities.  Excludes confidential proprietary records and trade secrets developed by or for a local authority created in accordance with the Virginia Wireless Service Authorities Act (§ 15.2-5431.1 et seq.) that provides qualifying communications services as authorized by Article 5.1 (§ 56-484.7:1 et seq.) of Chapter 15 of Title 56 where disclosure of such information would be harmful to the competitive position of the authority from the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The bill also grants an open meeting exemption for discussions of such records by a local wireless service authority.  The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2446 Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; charges for disclosure packets.

Patron: Suit

Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts; charges for disclosure packets.  Provides that no unit owners' association or property owners' association shall require reimbursement of any costs not expressly authorized in law or charge any other fee in the preparation or issuance of disclosure packet or making such information available by electronic means except as expressly provided in law for providing the required disclosure packets. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2447 Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; drug activities by tenants, forfeiture.

Patron: Suit

Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; drug activities by tenants; forfeiture. Clarifies that any illegal drug activity involving a controlled substance, as used or defined by the Drug Control Act (§ 54-3400 et seq.), by the tenant, his authorized occupants, guests or invitees, shall constitute an immediate nonremediable violation for which the landlord may proceed to terminate the tenancy without the necessity of waiting for a conviction of any criminal offense that may arise out of the same actions. The bill provides that in order to obtain an order of possession from a court of competent jurisdiction terminating the tenancy for illegal drug activity or for any other action that involves or constitutes a criminal or willful act, the landlord shall prove any such violations by a preponderance of the evidence. The bill also provides that the landlord's property is not forfeited in cases where the conduct giving rise to forfeiture was committed by a tenant of a residential or commercial property owned by the landlord, and the landlord did not know or have reason to know of the tenant%92s conduct. However, where the illegal drug activity is engaged in by a tenant%92s authorized occupants, or guests or invitees, the tenant shall be presumed to have knowledge of such illegal drug activity unless the presumption is rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.

H.B. 2448 Landlord & tenant; installation of new lock or security device after entry of certain court orders.

Patron: Suit

Landlord and tenant law; access after entry of certain court orders.  Provides that a tenant who has obtained an order from a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to § 16.1-279.1 or subsection B of § 20-103 granting such tenant possession of the premises to the exclusion of one or more co-tenants or authorized occupants may provide the landlord with a copy of that court order and request that the landlord either (i) install a new lock or other security devices on the exterior doors of the dwelling unit at the landlord's actual cost or (ii) permit the tenant to do so, provided: installation of the new lock or security devices does no permanent damage to any part of the dwelling unit and a duplicate copy of all keys and instructions of how to operate all devices are given to the landlord. The bill further provides that upon termination of the tenancy, the tenant shall be responsible for payment to the landlord of the reasonable costs incurred for the removal of all such devices installed and repairs to all damaged areas. A landlord who has received a copy of a court order in accordance with subsection A is prohibited from providing copies of any keys to the dwelling unit to any person excluded from the premises by such order. The bill provides that it shall not apply when the court order excluding a person was issued ex parte. The bill amends the general law governing landlords and tenants as well as the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The goal of the bill is to protect victims of domestic abuse.

H.B. 2449 Manufactured home park; termination of tenancy.

Patron: Suit

Termination of tenancy; manufactured home park.  Changes the required notice of termination of tenancy in a manufactured home park for certain rental agreements from 120 days to 180 days.

H.B. 2454 Charitable gaming; registration of bingo callers, payment of remuneration.

Patron: Suit

Charitable gaming; Department of Charitable Gaming; registration of bingo manager and a caller; payment of remuneration.  Authorizes the payment of remuneration to a bingo manager and a caller by a qualified organization, not to exceed $100 per session for a manager and $50 per session for a caller, provided the bingo manager and caller is registered with the Department. The bill sets forth the requirements for registration. The bill contains technical amendments. The bill also allows the Charitable Gaming Board to set the hours of operation of bingo games.

H.B. 2510 Barbers and Cosmetology, Board for; regulation of estheticians.

Patron: Welch

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Board for Barbers and Cosmetology; regulation of estheticians.  Provides for the licensure of estheticians. The bill defines estheticians and requires the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology to adopt regulations governing the practice of esthetics and schools of esthetics and instructors thereof by July 1, 2007. The bill defines "master esthetician" as a licensed esthetician who, in addition to the practice of esthetics, offers to the public for compensation, lymphatic drainage, chemical exfoliation, and microdermabrasion, and who has met such additional requirements as determined by the Board to practice lymphatic drainage, chemical exfoliation with products other than schedules II through VI controlled substances, and microdermabrasion.  The bill also increases from eight to 10 the membership of the Board by adding two members who are licensed as estheticians, at least one of whom is an esthetics salon owner and one of whom may be an owner, operator, or designated representative of a licensed esthetics school.  Finally, the bill contains waiver provisions from licensure examinations for those meeting certain requirements.  The bill has a delayed enactment (July 1, 2007), except for the provisions relating to Board membership.

H.B. 2556 State agencies; Dept. of General Services to require services to be procured from private sectors.

Patron: Cline

Procurement of services by certain state agencies.  Requires the Division of Purchases and Supply of the Department of General Services, by regulation, to require all state agencies, except two- and four-year public institutions of higher education and the hiring of law-enforcement personnel to procure services from the private sector if the services are listed as a commercial activity on the commercial activities list developed by the Commonwealth Competition Council in accordance with § 2.2-2622. The bill also provides an exception to the requirement that government cease performing services that can be obtained from a commercial source where the state agency, upon a written determination, finds that the procurement of services from a commercial source is either not practicable or fiscally advantageous. The bill also requires that beginning July 1, 2005, the Commonwealth Competition Council annually update its commercial activities list.

H.B. 2557 State employment; Sec. of Admin. to provide number of jobs eliminated in fiscal year, report.

Patron: Cline

Secretary of Administration; state job elimination due to privatization; report.  Requires the Secretary of Administration, on or before November 30 of each year, to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the number of state jobs eliminated in the immediately preceding fiscal year due to the privatization of commercial activities to a commercial source. The bill provides that "commercial activities" and "commercial source" shall mean the same as those terms are defined in § 2.2-2620.

H.B. 2697 Religious references; removes certain in code and redefines church and minister.

Patron: Scott, J.M.

Church law substantive changes. Recognizes the existence of incorporated churches, and changes some nomenclature.

H.B. 2720 Manufactured homes; change in provisions that allow to be considered new.

Patron: Scott, J.M.

New manufactured homes.  Makes several changes to the definition of "new manufactured home," including provisions that allow a manufactured home to be considered new if it has been previously sold from the original dealer to another dealer and is then sold to a consumer within two years of the date of manufacture.

H.B. 2729 Freedom of Information Act; exempts certain records of active investigations being conducted.

Patron: Scott, J.M.

Freedom of Information Act; exemptions; Department of Criminal Justice Services.  Exempts from mandatory disclosure records of active investigations that are conducted by the Department of Criminal Justice Services involving applicants and regulants as private security, businesses, special conservators of the peace, bail bondsmen, and bail enforcement agents.

H.B. 2787 Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families, Executive Council for; change in membership.

Patron: Johnson

Comprehensive Services Act; State Executive Council.  Adds two General Assembly members to the State Executive Council for Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families.

H.B. 2797 Library computers; juveniles' Internet access.

Patron: Nixon

Technology protection measures; public libraries.  Requires the library board or governing body of a library that receives state funding for any purpose to include in its acceptable use policy for the Internet provisions on selecting and installing on those computers that have Internet access a technology protection measure to filter or block Internet access through such computers to child pornography as set out in § 18.2-374.1:1, obscenity as defined in § 18.2-372 and, with respect to minors, materials deemed harmful to juveniles as defined in § 18.2-390. The bill also requires the library board or governing body to actually select and install the technology protection measure.

H.B. 2803 Museums; status of property loaned to or deposited therewith.

Patron: Athey

Status of property loaned to or deposited with museum prior to July 1, 2002. Provides that Except as otherwise provided in a written agreement between a lender and a museum, property loaned to or deposited with a museum prior to July 1, 2002, may be discarded or transferred to another museum located in Virginia provided that (i) the notice provisions of §§ 55-210.35 and 55-210.36 have been complied with and (ii) such property is held by the museum receiving the transfer for at least three years before it sells or disposes of such property.

H.B. 2820 Real Estate Cooperative Act; reserves for capital components.

Patron: Alexander

Virginia Real Estate Cooperative Act; reserves for capital components.  Requires the board in a real estate cooperative to conduct a reserve study and make provision for a reserve account for capital components. The bill requires that disclosure of the reserve fund be made in the public offering and statement as well as the resale certificate. The bill defines capital components. Requirements for reserves are currently only found in the Condominium and Property Owners' Association Acts.  The bill also contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2843 Real Estate Board; issuance of cease and desist orders for unlicensed activity.

Patron: McDougle

Real Estate Board; powers; cease and desist orders; civil penalty.  Authorizes the Real Estate Board to issue cease and desist orders for unlicensed activity. The bill provides for a right of appeal of the Real Estate Board's issuance of such an order and specifies the civil penalty.

H.B. 2844 Competitive Government Act; change in reporting dates.

Patron: Saxman

Competitive Government Act; reporting dates.  Changes from January 1, 2006, to October 1, 2005, the date by which the report of the commercial activities being performed by state employees at state agencies and institutions must be completed by the Secretary of Administration. The bill also changes from January 1 to October 1 of each biennium the date by which subsequent reports of examination of commercial activities not already examined must be completed.

H.B. 2860 Innovative Technology Authority; repeals requirement to establish technical advisory committee.

Patron: Petersen

Innovative Technology Authority.  Repeals the requirement for the Innovative Technology Authority to establish a technical advisory committee. Other entities now fulfill that role.

H.B. 2863 Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Landscape Architects, Board for; licensure.

Patron: Bryant

Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects; land surveying.  Provides an exemption from licensure as a land surveyor for persons utilizing photogrammetric methods or similar remote sensing technology to determine topography, contours, or depiction of physical improvements provided such determination shall not be used for the design, modification, or construction of improvements to real property, or for flood plain determination. The bill authorizes the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects to adopt regulations establishing different licensure requirements for a limited area of the practice of land surveying for persons who determine topography, contours or depiction of physical improvements utilizing photogrammetric methods or similar remote sensing technology and who are not otherwise exempt. Any such requirements shall include reasonable provisions for licensure without examination of persons deemed by the Board to be qualified to provide photogrammetric and remote sensing surveying services.

H.B. 2871 Online filing of registrations; charitable organ., etc. may use website approved by Commissioner.

Patron: Saxman

Solicitation of contributions; filing online registrations.  Authorizes charitable organizations, professional fund-raising counsel and professional solicitors to file their registration statements online on a website approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The bill also authorizes the Commissioner to enter into a memorandum of understanding or other similar agreement with the appropriate authority of any other state or federal agency for the purpose of providing charitable organizations, professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitors with the option of filing their annual registration statements online on a website approved by all states that are parties to the memorandum of understanding.

H.B. 2872 State employees; right to express opinions to elected officials on matters of public concern.

Patron: Saxman

Virginia Personnel Act; rights of employees to contact elected officials.  Provides that nothing in the Virginia Personnel Act or Chapter 12 (§ 2.2-1200 et seq.) of Title 2.2 shall be construed to prohibit or otherwise restrict the right of any state employee to express opinions to state or local elected officials on matters of public concern, nor shall a state employee be subject to acts of retaliation because the employee has expressed such opinions. The bill defines "matters of public concern" as those matters of interest to the community as a whole, whether for social, political, or other reasons and shall include discussions that disclose any (i) evidence of corruption, impropriety, or other malfeasance on the part of government officials; (ii) violations of law; or (iii) incidence of fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement.

H.B. 2907 Employment discrimination; causes of action in cases alleging.

Patron: Keister

Human Rights Council; limitation on causes of actions.  Increases from 180 to 300 days, the time within which an action may be brought by an employee challenging an unlawful discharge. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.B. 2930 Freedom of Info. Act; Bd. of Elections to issue policies, etc. for securing voting equip. & ballots.

Patron: Hugo

Voting equipment security; Freedom of Information Act provisions.  Provides limited exemptions from certain Freedom of Information Act requirements for documents and meetings of the State Board of Elections and local electoral boards pertaining to the security of ballots and voting equipment and related security risk assessment procedures.

H.B. 2936 Natural cut Christmas trees; use in certain place of worship and apartment dwelling units.

Patron: Cline

Board of Housing and Community Development; regulations; use of natural cut Christmas trees in the common areas of places of worship and in apartment dwelling units that do not have automatic sprinkler systems. Provides that emergency regulations adopted by the Board of Housing and Community Development in accordance with Chapter 138 of the Acts of Assembly of 2004 shall remain in full force and effect until a regulation to replace the emergency regulation is adopted in accordance with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) or July 2006, whichever occurs first.