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2005 Session of the VA General Assembly

A few VCOPS Delegates brave the cold and snow
for a photo opportunity at the General Assembly on January 19th.

2005 was a Successful Year at the General Assembly

Below Is A Brief Synopsis Of Bills VCOPS Tracked This Session.
The Bills and Legislative Activity are below the Synopsis.

SB 988 went back to the Senate and the House amendments were accepted...so
it's on its way to the Governor --- Success

SB873....back to the Senate Today...they just consider the House
Amendment...Passed 39-0...so it's off to Governor --- Success

SB878 - has died in Committee since it was not heard on the final day they
met--- Success

HB 2700- Senate Amendments accepted by the House- to the Governor --- Success

SB 696- PBI will die in Committee --- Failure

HB 2660 & 1637 both Tabled in Committee --- Failure (maybe next year)

SB 1291- Tabled on House side...close but still  Failure..(would have went
the other way if the rest of the VB delegation on the Committee had voted
for it (they will have to answer for that one)

HB 2309 --- Same as above

HB 1747--- Removed from Docket by Patron- big success

HB 1738 & 1793- both amended on the Floor of the Senate before 3rd
Reading...Amendments approved by the House- (this went down to the last
minute...persistent lobbying finally made Senator Wampler give in)---Huge
Success

HB2130- on its way to Gov --- Success

HB 2327 - PBI by House Committee --- Close vote (10-8) Success
 

VCOPS Legislative General Information Page

2005 General Assembly Calendar

HOW TO USE THE VCOPS
LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM

 For 2005 there are seven (7) Bills LEO's need to support at the General Assembly this session and four (4) we need to oppose.  Of the 7 we need to support, 2 of them are important enough to list immediately and we ask you to contact the delegates that are on the committees ASAP.  Any link that is blue leads you to a page on the General Assembly website or a link to a committee.

 VCOPS recommends that anyone interested in following the legislative process join the "Lobbyist-in-a-Box" program offered by the General Assembly website.  Click on "Lobbyist-in-a-Box" link to learn more and sign up for the free service.  You can track up to 5 bills during this session and have emails sent to you when the bills change.  There are easy instructions and setup is rather easy.

Additional bills of interest will be added to this page as we learn of their existence.  Set this page as one of your "favorites" and sign up for Lobbyist-in-a-Box.

What you need to do to support bills at the legislature
.
Write a short email to the Delegates or Senators in the list below each bill.  You can say the same thing to each of them unless you know the legislator personally, or live in their jurisdiction.  Let them know that you are a Police Officer or Deputy and especially if you live in their area. 

Example:  Hello Delegate __________ I am (name) and I work as a Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff in Virginia (unless you are in their jurisdiction then tell them that) Please support (HB# or SB#).  Then give a short reason why they should support the bill.  Sign your name and copy the email and move to the next name until you reach the end of the list.  Once you write the first email the rest are easy.

Another example--click HERE

Remember .... links to the bills and the committees are in BLUE

Bills for the 2005 Session

Criminal Justice Services Board; membership.  Increases the membership of the Criminal Justice Services Board from 27 to 28 by adding an active-duty law-enforcement officer.

01/11/05 Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Status:Passed
01/11/05 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 051389726
01/11/05 Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/31/05 Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice w/sub (14-Y 0-N)
01/31/05 Senate: Committee substitute printed 052768726-S1
02/01/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/01/05 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (40-Y 0-N)
02/02/05 Senate: Read second time
02/02/05 Senate: Reading of substitute waived
02/02/05 Senate: Committee substitute agreed to 052768726-S1
02/02/05 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB988S1
02/03/05 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/03/05 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (39-Y 0-N)
02/03/05 Senate: Communicated to House
02/08/05 House: Placed on Calendar
02/08/05 House: Read first time
02/08/05 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/08/05 House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/14/05 House: Reported from C. J. with amendment (22-Y 0-N)
02/16/05 House: Read second time
02/17/05 House: Read third time
02/17/05 House: Committee amendment agreed to
02/17/05 House: Engrossed by House as amended
02/17/05 House: Passed House with amendment BLOCK VOTE (97-Y 0-N)
02/17/05 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (97-Y 0-N)
02/21/05 Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/05 Senate: VOTE: CONCUR HOUSE AMENDMENT (40-Y 0-N)
 

Summary as introduced:
Overtime compensation for law-enforcement employees.  Expands the current overtime compensation provisions for fire protection employees to law-enforcement employees. Under the bill certain law-enforcement employees shall be required to be paid overtime at a rate of not less than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for all hours of work between the statutory maximum permitted under 29 U.S.C. 207 (k) and the hours for which an employee receives his salary, or if paid on an hourly basis, the hours for which the employee receives hourly compensation. A law-enforcement employee who is paid on an hourly basis shall have paid leave counted as hours of work in an amount no greater than the numbers of hours counted for other law-enforcement employees working the same schedule who are paid on a salaried basis in that jurisdiction. For purposes of computing law-enforcement employees' entitlement to overtime compensation for regularly scheduled work hours, all hours in which an employee works or is in a paid status shall be counted as hours of work.
Full text:
01/10/05 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 052909720 (impact statements)

Status: Passed
01/10/05 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 052909720
01/10/05 Senate: Referred to Committee on Local Government
02/01/05 Senate: Reported from Local Government (7-Y 6-N)
02/03/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/03/05 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (39-Y 0-N)
02/04/05 Senate: Passed by for the day
02/07/05 Senate: Read second time
02/07/05 Senate: Reading of amendments waived
02/07/05 Senate: Amendments by Sen. Cuccinelli agreed to
02/07/05 Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB873E
02/07/05 Senate: Printed as engrossed 052909720-E
02/08/05 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (25-Y 15-N)
02/08/05 Senate: Communicated to House
02/11/05 House: Placed on Calendar
02/11/05 House: Read first time
02/11/05 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
02/15/05 House: Assigned to General Laws sub-committee: Subcommittee #1...
02/17/05 House: Reported from General Laws with amd (14-Y 6-N)
02/21/05 House: Read second time
02/22/05 House: Passed by for the day
02/23/05 House: Read third time
02/23/05 House: Committee amendment agreed to
02/23/05 House: Engrossed by House as amended
02/23/05 House: Passed House with amendment (90-Y 6-N)
02/23/05 House: VOTE: PASSAGE (90-Y 6-N)
02/24/05 Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/24/05 Senate: VOTE: CONCUR HOUSE AMENDMENT (39-Y 0-N)
 

Summary as introduced:
Line of Duty Act.  Provides for funding of continued health insurance and death payment benefits under the Line of Duty Act from employer contributions to a Line of Duty Act Fund administered by the Virginia Retirement System. The Retirement System shall set the rate of annual employer contributions. All payments for continued health insurance and death benefit payments shall be made from the Fund. In general, health insurance coverage under the Line of Duty Act shall be the basic health insurance plan for state employees.

Persons electing to receive coverage under the health insurance plan in effect at the time of the law-enforcement officer's death or disability shall be reimbursed only up to the amount that would have been paid in the respective year to provide coverage under the basic health insurance plan for state employees.

In general, persons disabled on or before July 1, 2000, and their spouses and dependents shall receive continued health insurance coverage beginning in 2006 under the basic health insurance plan.

The bill authorizes local governments to provide health insurance coverage comparable to that provided under the Line of Duty Act if the health insurance is approved as comparable by the Board of the Virginia Retirement System.

Full text:
01/11/05 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 052904836 (impact statements)
01/27/05 Senate: Introduced bill reprinted 052904836 (impact statements)
02/03/05 Senate: Committee substitute printed 052976836-S1 (impact statement)
Status: Left in Appropriations
01/11/05 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 052904836
01/11/05 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/27/05 Senate: Introduced bill reprinted 052904836
02/02/05 Senate: Reported from Finance with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
02/03/05 Senate: Committee substitute printed 052976836-S1
02/03/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/03/05 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (39-Y 0-N)
02/04/05 Senate: Read second time
02/04/05 Senate: Reading of substitute waived
02/04/05 Senate: Committee substitute agreed to 052976836-S1
02/04/05 Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB878S1
02/07/05 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/07/05 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (40-Y 0-N)
02/07/05 Senate: Communicated to House
02/09/05 House: Placed on Calendar
02/09/05 House: Read first time
02/09/05 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/09/05 House: Assigned to App. sub-committee: Compensation & General ...
02/21/05 House: Left in Appropriations

Summary as introduced:
Workers' compensation; enhanced coverage for first responders during state of emergency.  Enhances workers' compensation coverage for first responders operating during a state of emergency, including providing that an injury incurred while traveling from home or another location outside a work location to that work location is deemed to be within the scope of employment, eliminating the seven-day waiting period, and permitting the injured employee to select his own physician. 

Full text:
01/12/05 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 057276510

Status: Passed
01/12/05 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 057276510
01/12/05 House: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
02/01/05 House: Reported from C. & L. with substitute (21-Y 0-N)
02/02/05 House: Committee substitute printed 058204510-H1
02/03/05 House: Read first time
02/04/05 House: Read second time
02/04/05 House: Committee substitute agreed to 058204510-H1
02/04/05 House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB2700H1
02/05/05 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (96-Y 0-N)
02/05/05 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (96-Y 0-N)
02/05/05 House: Communicated to Senate
02/07/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
02/07/05 Senate: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
02/21/05 Senate: Reported from C. & L. with amendments (11-Y 0-N)
02/22/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/22/05 Senate: VOTE: (40-Y 0-N)
02/23/05 Senate: Read third time
02/23/05 Senate: Reading of amendments waived
02/23/05 Senate: Committee amendments agreed to
02/23/05 Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended
02/23/05 Senate: Passed Senate with amendments (38-Y 0-N)
02/23/05 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (38-Y 0-N)
02/23/05 House: Placed on Calendar
02/24/05 House: Senate amendments agreed to by House (96-Y 2-N)
02/24/05 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (96-Y 2-N)
 

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System. Provides that the supplemental allowance currently paid to certain members upon retirement until age 65 shall instead be paid until Social Security retirement age.

Full text:
11/08/04 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 053008812 (impact statement)

Status: Killed
11/08/04 Senate: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 053008812
11/08/04 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/18/05 Senate: Reported from Finance (14-Y 0-N)
01/19/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
01/19/05 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (40-Y 0-N)
01/20/05 Senate: Read second time and engrossed
01/21/05 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
01/21/05 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (39-Y 0-N)
01/21/05 Senate: Communicated to House
02/07/05 House: Placed on Calendar
02/07/05 House: Read first time
02/07/05 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/09/05 House: Assigned to App. sub-committee: Compensation & General ...
02/16/05 House: Passed by indefinitely in App. (24-Y 0-N)

Summary as introduced:
Purchase of handguns by certain law-enforcement officers.  Allows certain law-enforcement agencies to sell service handguns to its current law-enforcement officers when the agency has purchased new service handguns and the handguns subject to sale are no longer used in the course of duty.

Full text:
01/11/05 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 055027304

Status: Passed
01/11/05 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 055027304
01/11/05 House: Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
01/21/05 House: Reported from M., P. & P. S. (20-Y 0-N)
01/24/05 House: Read first time
01/25/05 House: Read second time and engrossed
01/26/05 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (97-Y 0-N)
01/26/05 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (97-Y 0-N)
01/26/05 House: Communicated to Senate
01/27/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
01/27/05 Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/14/05 Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)
02/15/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/15/05 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (39-Y 0-N)
02/16/05 Senate: Read third time
02/16/05 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/16/05 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (40-Y 0-N)
 

Tabled

HB 2660 - Retirement; State Police Officers' and Law Officers' Retirement Systems; changes in benefits.                                
Retirement; state police officers and certain local law-enforcement officers.  Modifies the retirement benefits of state police officers and certain local law-enforcement officers by (i) increasing from 1.7 percent to 2.7 percent the percentage of average final compensation multiplied by the years of creditable service in such positions, and by deleting the supplemental allowance currently paid to members upon retirement until their Social Security retirement age; (ii) deleting the minimum age requirement for retirement for members with 25 or more years of service; and (iii) providing that deputy sheriffs employed by political subdivisions participating in the Virginia Retirement System shall receive the same retirement benefits as sheriffs.
01/18/05 House: Assigned to App. sub-committee: Compensation & General ...

Oppose - parts of these bills weaken existing law
 

Summary as introduced:
Law Enforcement Officers' System and State Police Officers' Retirement System; retirement options. Eliminates the retirement option of 50 years of age with 10 years of service. The bill also makes technical changes.

Full text:
12/17/04 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 055020164 (impact statement)
Status:
12/17/04 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 055020164
12/17/04 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/12/05 House: Assigned to App. sub-committee: Compensation & General ...
01/19/05 House: Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
01/21/05 House: Read first time
01/24/05 House: Read second time and engrossed
01/25/05 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
01/25/05 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
01/25/05 House: Communicated to Senate
01/26/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed
01/26/05 Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
02/08/05 Senate: Reported from Finance (15-Y 0-N)
02/09/05 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
02/09/05 Senate: VOTE: CONST. RDG. DISPENSED R (37-Y 0-N)
02/10/05 Senate: Read third time
02/10/05 Senate: Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N)
02/10/05 Senate: VOTE: PASSAGE R (38-Y 0-N)
02/25/05 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1652ER)
 

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Retirement System; Virginia Local Sickness and Disability Program.  Creates a new optional local sickness and disability program for local employees similar to the program that exists for state employees. The Program is optional at the election of each local employer, with all costs to be borne by the local employer. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2006, but a pilot program is authorized beginning July 1, 2005.

Full text:
01/03/05 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 053056524 (impact statement)
01/12/05 House: Introduced bill reprinted 053056524 (impact statement)
Status:
Status:
01/03/05 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 053056524
01/03/05 House: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
01/12/05 House: Introduced bill reprinted 053056524
02/04/05 House: Stricken from docket by C. C. T. (22-Y 0-N)