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2020 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Judiciary

Chair: John S. Edwards

Clerk: John Garrett, Alec Fischbein
Staff: Kristen Walsh, C. Quagliato
Date of Meeting: March 2, 2020
Time and Place: 9:00 AM Senate Room A Pocahontas Building
Added HB 798

H.B. 798

Patron: Delaney

Employment; prohibited retaliatory action. Prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining, threatening, discriminating against, penalizing, or taking other retaliatory action against an employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment because the employee (i) reports a violation or suspected violation of any federal or state law or regulation to a supervisor or to any governmental body or law-enforcement official; (ii) is requested by a governmental body or law-enforcement official to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry; (iii) refuses to engage in a criminal act that would subject the employee to criminal liability; (iv) refuses an employer's order to perform an action that the employee believes, which belief has an objective basis in fact, violates any federal or state law or regulation and the employee informs the employer that the order is being refused for that reason; or (v) provides information to or testifies before any governmental body or law-enforcement official conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into any alleged violation by the employer of federal or state law or regulation. A person who alleges a violation of this chapter may bring a civil action seeking injunctive relief, reinstatement, and compensation for lost wages, benefits, and other remuneration.

H.B. 863

Patron: Levine

Persons other than ministers who may celebrate rites of marriage; filing of the marriage record. Provides that a marriage license application shall allow parties to a marriage to designate an officiant to celebrate the rites of marriage, provided that such officiant is not younger than 18 years of age and is not a party to the marriage. The bill provides that a license issued with such designation shall serve as authorization for such officiant to celebrate the rites of marriage anywhere in the Commonwealth without the necessity of bond or further order of authorization. The bill removes the bond requirement for a person chosen by a religious society having no ordained minister to complete the certification of marriage. The bill further removes confinement in jail from the penalty for celebrating a marriage without a license. The bill also removes confinement in jail from the penalty for a clerk knowingly issuing a marriage license contrary to law. The bill further allows either the officiant or a party to the marriage to file the marriage record with the State Registrar within five days after the ceremony. Under current law, the officiant is required to file such a record, but a party to the marriage is not allowed to do so.

H.B. 1501

Patron: Collins

Modification of spousal support. Removes requirement that a stipulation or contract that is executed on or after July 1, 2018, contain specific language, as set out in the Code, stating that the amount or duration of spousal support is not modifiable in order for a request for modification of spousal support to be denied solely on the basis of the terms of such stipulation or contract. The bill instead provides that such stipulation or contract need only expressly state that the amount or duration of spousal support is non-modifiable.

H.B. 1530

Patron: Hope

No-fault divorce; corroboration requirement. Removes the corroborating witness requirement for no-fault divorces.