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2021 SESSION

21100692D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 274
Offered January 13, 2021
Prefiled December 8, 2020
Proposing an amendment to Section 9 of Article IV of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to immunity of legislators.
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Patron-- Reeves
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Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
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RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, a majority of the members elected to each house agreeing, That the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same hereby is, proposed and referred to the General Assembly at its first regular session held after the next general election of members of the House of Delegates for its concurrence in conformity with the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of Virginia, namely:

Amend Section 9 of Article IV of the Constitution of Virginia as follows:

ARTICLE IV
LEGISLATURE

Section 9. Immunity of legislators.

Members of the General Assembly shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace except upon issuance of process for arrest by a judge with authorization of the attorney for the Commonwealth or the law-enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the offense, be privileged from arrest during the sessions of their respective houses; and for any speech or debate in either house shall not be questioned in any other place. They shall not be subject to arrest under any civil process during the sessions of the General Assembly, or during the fifteen days before the beginning or after the ending of any session.