Virginia Police Benevolent Association, Inc.
 Legislative Update 01-25-11

 
 

Members and Friends,

Our work in Richmond continues as our list of PBA friendly law makers grows. Below please find my update.
 
House bill 2087, our MRSA bill, was heard in the sub committee of Commerce and Labor on January 18.  I wish to thank member Jonathan Schenk for traveling to Richmond and sharing with the sub committee his experiences with a MRSA infection.  The sub committee listened respectfully but voted to pass by indefinitely, (PBI), which kills the bill for this session. I will work with Jonathan on an approach for next session as he continues to do research and contacts other states where they have passed this law. Any member that may wish to become involved in this project please contact me.

House Bill 1915 was on the docket for 01-24-2011 in the Committee for Courts and Justice. Before the bill was to be heard Delegate Miller and I entered into a conversation with representatives from localities who were concerned that the bill would force a review of a grievance by a Circuit Court Judge.  Further discussion and research revealed that in code section 15.2-1507 paragraph 11 a ruling by the Circuit Court can be requested by either side of the grievance.  The elimination of the section in 15.2-1507 paragraph 7, allowing the City Manager the authority to overrule the grievance panel, would have eliminated that step, but would have had no impact on the final right to appeal to the Circuit Court currently in the law.  The bill was Laid on the table by the committee, no further action is pending on this bill.

House Bill 1678, our fair overtime compensation for correctional officers bill, has been assigned to sub committee 3 of Militia Police and Public Safety.  I spoke to Delegate Sherwood, (Committee Chair), about the bill.  Delegate Sherwood felt that the bill may be placed on the docket for Friday the 21st of January.  I will confirm this docket date as soon as I have it so members impacted by this bill can plan to travel to Richmond to speak on the bill. If you work as a Correctional Officer you are not being compensated the same as other law enforcement officers doing the same job. Please plan to come to Richmond and speak to the committee about this unfair treatment, call me for details.

No action has been taken on the Virginia Retirement System bills, Compensation and Retirement Sub-Committee meets Thursday 330pm and may hear some of these bills.

Below are the bills of interest:

 

Bills Committee Last action Date
HB 1403 - Loupassi - Eluding police; forfeiture of vehicle. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (9-Y 0-N) 01/19/11
HB 1404 - Howell, A.T. - Handheld personal communications devices; prohibits use thereof while operating motor vehicle, etc. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #2 01/18/11
HB 1417 - Loupassi - Abusive conduct or actions; penalty for engaging in or using. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Subcommittee recommends laying on the table 01/12/11
HB 1420 - Albo - Immigration laws; State Police to enter into agreement with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #3 Immigration 01/21/11
HB 1421 - Albo - Immigration laws, federal; enforcement by State, political subdivisions, or localities. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #3 Immigration 01/19/11
HB 1424 - Dance - Wireless telecommunications devices; extends prohibition on use in motor vehicles, etc. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Subcommittee recommends no action 01/20/11
HB 1430 - Albo - Arresting officer to ascertain citizenship of arrestee; supplements existing law. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #3 Immigration 01/19/11
HB 1457 - Marshall, R.G. - Freedom of Information Act; violations and penalties. (H) Committee on General Laws (H) Assigned GL sub: #2 FOIA/Procurement 01/12/11
HB 1460 - Miller, P.J. - Public officials; any person who threatens to kill or injure is guilty of Class 1 misdemeanor. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #1 Criminal 01/12/11
HB 1468 - Albo - Citizenship or legal presence required for public assistance; verification required. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #3 Immigration 01/21/11
HB 1488 - Hope - Prisoners; prohibits use of restraints on those who are pregnant, exception. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #3 01/24/11
HB 1489 - Spruill - Handheld personal communications device; texting while driving. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Subcommittee recommends laying on the table 01/20/11
HB 1496 - Herring - Providing alcohol to an underage person; person who purchases is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (9-Y 0-N) 01/21/11
HB 1510 - Scott, J.M. - Pawnbrokers & Precious Metals Dealers; records required to be maintained, daily electronic reports. (H) Committee on General Laws (H) Assigned GL sub: #4 Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process 01/12/11
HB 1515 - Orrock - Traffic lights; use of a red light activation terminal approved by State Police Superintendent. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #2 01/24/11
HB 1516 - Orrock - Assault and battery; if person commits against ABC agent, guilty of Class 6 felony. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 12/17/10
HB 1517 - Orrock - Criminal street gangs; broadens definition. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 12/17/10
HB 1528 - Bell, Richard P. - Precious metals dealers; required to prepare daily reports. (H) Committee on General Laws (H) Referred to Committee on General Laws 12/22/10
HB 1574 - Garrett - Mandatory self-identification; failure to identify oneself to law-enforcement officer. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #3 Immigration 01/19/11
HB 1594 - Iaquinto - Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; adds attorneys for State, etc., as members. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/12/11
HB 1630 - Watts - Cell phones or other wireless telecommunications devices; prohibited use while driving, exception. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Subcommittee recommends no action 01/20/11
HB 1650 - Cosgrove - Magistrates; power to issue felony arrest warrants. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #1 Criminal 01/14/11
HB 1655 - Purkey - Retirement System; early retirement for certain employees. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/13/11
HB 1657 - Purkey - Retirement System; calculation of pension fund liabilities & assumed rate of return on investments. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/13/11
HB 1678 - Englin - Correctional officers; overtime compensation. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #3 01/24/11
HB 1754 - Plum - HOV lanes; use by vehicle with clean special fuel license plates. (H) Committee on Transportation (H) Subcommittee recommends incorporating (HB1432-Greason) 01/20/11
HB 1784 - Tata - Defined contribution retirement plan, local; locality to establish in lieu of other retirement plan. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/13/11
HB 1794 - Tata - Retirement System; collection of overpayments. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) 01/24/11
HB 1795 - Tata - Retirement System; difference in benefits for employee who becomes member on or after July 1, 2010. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) 01/24/11
HB 1796 - Tata - Retirement System; technical changes. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N) 01/24/11
HB 1812 - Miller, P.J. - Workers' compensation; occupational disease presumption for certain police officers. (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (H) Assigned C & L sub: #1 01/17/11
HB 1915 - Miller, J.H. - Local grievance procedure; circuit court shall make determination as to whether relief granted. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Subcommittee recommends laying on the table 01/24/11
HB 2062 - Bell, Robert B. - Concealed weapons; allows Department of Corrections correctional officer to carry without a permit. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety 01/11/11
HB 2087 - Herring - Workers' compensation; adds methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus to infectious disease list. (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (H) Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely 01/18/11
HB 2096 - Jones - Retirement System; benefits for constitutional officers. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/17/11
HB 2102 - Bulova - Retirement System; benefits for certain local employees. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/17/11
HB 2104 - Bulova - Retirement System; exempts certain employees from higher retirement age. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/17/11
HB 2144 - Johnson - Retirement System; increases health insurance credits for certain employees. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/17/11
HB 2152 - Cline - Retirement System; purchase of prior service credit by certain retirees. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/17/11
HB 2213 - McQuinn - Driver training standards; establish for law-enforcement emergency calls and pursuits. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #3 01/18/11
HB 2307 - Sickles - Handheld personal communications devices; fines for texting while driving doubled in work zones. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #2 01/18/11
HB 2322 - Carrico - Reckless driving; raises threshold for speeding from 80 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour. (H) Committee on Transportation (H) Referred to Committee on Transportation 01/12/11
HB 2332 - Lingamfelter - Citizenship of arrestee; arresting officer to ascertain. (H) Committee for Courts of Justice (H) Assigned Courts sub: #3 Immigration 01/19/11
HB 2410 - Putney - Retirement System; optional defined contribution retirement program for state and local employees. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/20/11
HB 2432 - Tyler - Law-enforcement officer; definition. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #3 01/24/11
HB 2465 - Jones - Virginia Retirement System; defined contribution retirement program for state and local employees. (H) Committee on Appropriations (H) Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement 01/24/11
HB 2489 - Miller, P.J. - Sheriffs' offices vehicles; allows a sheriff to approve display of advertisements. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #3 01/24/11
HB 2490 - Miller, P.J. - Campus police; report of certain incidents to local law-enforcement agency. (H) Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety (H) Assigned MPPS sub: #3 01/24/11
HJ 680 - Englin - Constitutional amendment; contributions to defined benefit retirement plans maintained for employee. (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (H) Assigned P & E sub: #1 Constitutional 01/18/11
SB 759 - Reynolds - Workers' compensation; compensable consequences. (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor 12/07/10
SB 762 - Puller - Emergency vehicles; proceeding past red lights. (S) Committee for Courts of Justice (S) Assigned Courts sub: Criminal 01/18/11
SB 772 - Locke - Assault and battery; penalty when against fire marshals and assistant fire marshals. (S) Committee on Finance (S) Rereferred to Finance 01/17/11
SB 815 - McEachin - State Grievance Procedure; scope of hearing officer's decision, reinstatement. (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology (S) Read second time and engrossed 01/24/11
SB 848 - Petersen - Retirement System; benefits for certain local employees. (S) Committee on Finance (S) Referred to Committee on Finance 01/07/11
SB 861 - Wagner - Defined contribution retirement plan, local; locality to establish in lieu of other retirement plan. (S) Committee on Finance (S) Referred to Committee on Finance 01/10/11
SB 911 - Herring - Local grievance procedures; allows local government at its option to permit observer for each party. (S) Committee on Local Government (S) Passed by for the day 01/24/11
SB 1008 - Watkins - Retirement System; creates an optional defined contribution retirement plan for state employees. (S) Committee on Finance (S) Referred to Committee on Finance 01/11/11
SB 1042 - Barker - Handheld personal communications devices; repeals secondary enforcement. (S) Committee for Courts of Justice (S) Assigned Courts sub: Criminal 01/21/11
SB 1066 - Edwards - Judicial retirement; mandatory retirement. (S) Committee on Finance (S) Rereferred to Finance 01/24/11
SB 1115 - Watkins - Retirement System; optional defined contribution retirement program for state & local employees. (S) Committee on Finance (S) Referred to Committee on Finance 01/11/11