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2013 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Finance

Chairman: Walter A. Stosch

Clerk: Patty Lung, Cheryl Law
Staff: Nicole Brenner, L. Wallmeyer
Date of Meeting: February 13, 2013
Time and Place: 9:00 a.m. - Senate Room B

H.B. 1327 Port of Va. Economic & Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Fund; certain businesses eligible.

Patron: Morris

Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Fund. Adds the City of Franklin and the Counties of Page and Shenandoah to the list of localities in which certain businesses related to commerce through the Port of Virginia may locate or expand and be eligible to apply for grants based on the number of new jobs created.

H.B. 1598 Real property tax; boards of equalization.

Patron: Anderson

Real property tax; boards of equalization. Modifies several provisions governing boards of equalization including (i) modifying qualifications for membership of certain boards; (ii) authorizing boards to receive complaints electronically as long as taxpayers may also file complaints on paper forms; (iii) prohibiting a board to deny relief based on a lack of information from the taxpayer as long as certain specified information is provided; (iv) providing procedures by which a taxpayer may appoint a representative; and (v) providing procedures to be followed before a board may increase assessments on certain types of property; and (vi) setting deadlines for consideration of certain information.

H.B. 1658 Circuit court clerks; revises various powers and duties for certification of records, etc.

Patron: Gilbert

Clerk's fees; electronic records; certification of records; etc. Revises various powers and duties of circuit court clerks for certification of records, assessment of fees, etc., such as (i) providing that the use of the term "copy teste," "true copy," or "certified copy" is prima facie evidence that a document is a certified copy of the official record kept in the clerk's office; (ii) providing that a judgment for certain assessments or fees to be paid to the clerk of court shall be recorded as a judgment in favor of the Commonwealth if such assessments or fees are not fully paid on the date of sentencing; (iii) allowing the clerk to charge for copies of records provided to court-appointed counsel in criminal cases and requiring that such counsel be reimbursed for such charges by the Criminal Fund, (iv) allowing the clerk to charge up to $10 for any service rendered by the clerk that is not part of a court proceeding and for which no specific fee is provided by law; (v) defining "operational expenses," which are funded by certain clerk's fees, to include various technology maintenance and enhancements; (vi) clarifying that a clerk shall forward an abstract of certain convictions to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 18 days after such conviction or, in the case of civil judgments, within 30 days after the judgment has become final (vii) allowing the clerk to maintain records in adoption cases in electronic format; and (viii) repealing the requirement that a clerk verify the accuracy of a record made by him.

H.B. 1953 U.S. Route 58 Corridor Development Program; issuance of bonds.

Patron: Poindexter

U.S. Route 58 Corridor Development Program; issuance of bonds. Changes the maximum amount of bonds that may issue from an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $704,300,000, to a principal amount not exceeding $704,300,000 outstanding at any time; provided that the debt service on the additional bonds thsat may be issued pursuant to the bill, shall be paid solely by the recordation tax revenue dedicated for the development of the U.S. 58 Corridor.

H.B. 1982 Local tax bills; permits treasurers to convey access online from database on treasurer's website.

Patron: May

Local tax bills. Permits treasurers to convey, with the consent of the taxpayer, any tax bill by permitting the taxpayer to access his tax bill online from a database on the treasurer's website.

H.B. 2320 Sports or entertainment arena; City of Virginia Beach may construct for professional sports teams.

Patron: Villanueva

City of Virginia Beach; sports or entertainment arena. Gives the City of Virginia Beach rights similar to those that had been given in the past to the Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority in constructing an arena for professional sports teams or for conferences and entertainment events. Among those rights is the authority to (i) issue bonds to construct an arena and (ii) receive state income tax and sales tax revenue that is attributable to an arena, to repay the bonds.

S.B. 1375 Claims; Edna Twiddy.

Patron: Garrett

Claims; Edna Twiddy. Grants relief in the amount of $50,000 to Edna Twiddy to allow her to purchase an easement to gain access to her land that is lost from road-widening.

S.B. 1377 Explosive devices or firearms; possession of with intent to commit violent felony; penalties.

Patron: Stuart

Possession of explosive devices or firearms with intent to commit violent felony; penalties. Provides that any person who possesses an explosive device within any public, private, or religious elementary, middle, or high school, or within any building on the campus of any institution of higher education, with the intent to commit upon the premises thereof a violent felony is guilty of a Class 3 felony. The bill also provides that any person who possesses a firearm within any public, private, or religious elementary, middle, or high school, or within any building on the campus of any institution of higher education, with the intent to commit upon the premises thereof a violent felony is guilty of a Class 3 felony.

S.B. 1378 Firearms; person guilty of Class 4 felony if sells to person he knows is prohibited from possessing.

Patron: Garrett

Sale and transport for sale of firearms to certain persons; penalty. Provides that any person who sells, barters, gives, etc., any firearm to any person he knows is prohibited from possessing or transporting a firearm under Virginia law is guilty of a Class 4 felony. Under current law, the penalty for such offense is a Class 6 felony. The bill also provides that a person who engages in the "strawman" purchase of a firearm, where he purchases a firearm with the intent to resell or transport with the intent to resell outside of the Commonwealth to any person he knows is prohibited from purchasing a firearm, is guilty of a Class 4 felony and shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year. Under current law, the penalty for such an offense is a Class 5 felony. Finally, the bill provides that a person who is ineligible to purchase or possess a firearm and who assists any other person in the strawman purchase of a firearm is guilty of a Class 4 felony with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years. Under current law, the penalty for such offense is a Class 5 felony. If such violation involves multiple firearms, the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment is 10 years.