VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

• Code of Virginia
• Virginia Administrative Code
• Constitution of Virginia
• Charters
• Authorities
• Compacts
• Uncodified Acts
• RIS Users (account required)

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

• Bills & Resolutions
  session legislation
• Bill Summaries
  session summaries
• Reports to the General Assembly
  House and Senate documents
• Legislative Liaisons
  State agency contacts

ACROSS SESSIONS

• Subject Index: Since 1995
• Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
• Summaries: Since 1994

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2008 SESSION

• history | hilite | pdf | print version

087982293
SENATE BILL NO. 450 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 9, 2008 A BILL to amend and reenact § 55-401 of the Code of Virginia, relating to acts barring property rights; slayer statute. ---------- Patrons-- Petersen and Puller ---------- Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 55-401 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 55-401. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

1. "Slayer" shall mean any person (i) who is convicted of the murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter of the decedent or, (ii) in the absence of such conviction and where such person has not been acquitted and is not available for prosecution by reason of his death by suicide or otherwise, who is determined by a court of appropriate jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence to have murdered committed the unlawful homicide of the decedent. For the purposes of subdivision (ii), the party seeking to establish that a decedent was murdered slain by such person shall have the burden of proof.

2. "Decedent" shall mean any person whose life is so taken.

3. "Property" shall include any real and personal property and any right or interest therein.