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VCOPS at the Virginia Legislature - 2008

The 2008 Virginia General Assembly session has begun.  Legislators will be looking at legislation that will change Improve the Procedural Guarantees Act (Grievance System), Give Deputy Sheriffs Grievance Rights, Revise Overtime Rules, Institute and Fund a Line of Duty Act (Death Benefits), a bill to increase felony Grand Larceny to $500.00 and increase a reportable accident to $5000.   Below you will find a list of bills that VCOPS currently is supporting and tracking.  You can help too.  Read below and help us pass some of this important legislation!

The 2008 Session Bills are in various stages in the legislative system.  For the most current status of the bill click on the bill number (in red) and go to the bill page on the Virginia Legislative Information system.  You can track where a piece of legislation is by clicking on the bill number (in red).

HOW TO USE THE VCOPS
LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM

 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 very 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(Senator)__________ 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 bill is in RED and the committees are in BLUE

2008 Legislative Agenda
as of March 10, 2008

 Passed

Summary as introduced:
Petit larceny; substance abuse.  Provides that a person who is convicted for the second time of petit larceny must undergo substance abuse screening as part of the sentence if the sentence includes probation supervision by a community-based probation services agency.

Bill to Add the regulation of secondhand dealers to current statutes regulating pawnbrokers

Summary as introduced:
Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers; penalty.  Adds the regulation of secondhand dealers to current statutes regulating pawnbrokers. The bill also (i) requires secondhand dealers to prepare a daily report of goods and items sold to them, (ii) requires a pawnbroker to maintain records of each loan or transaction in the course of business for a period of one year, (iii) authorizes the chief law-enforcement officer of a locality to designate alternative means of submitting required daily reports, and (iv) adds secondhand dealers to the existing penalty provisions for pawnbrokers.

01/09/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 080577328
01/28/08  Senate: Printed as engrossed 080577328-E (impact statement)
Amendments:
House amendments
Senate amendments
Status:
01/09/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 080577328
01/09/08  Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/23/08  Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments (15-Y 0-N)
01/25/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
01/28/08  Senate: Read second time
01/28/08  Senate: Reading of amendments waived
01/28/08  Senate: Committee amendments agreed to
01/28/08  Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB604E
01/28/08  Senate: Printed as engrossed 080577328-E
01/29/08  Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
01/29/08  Senate: Communicated to House
02/12/08  House: Placed on Calendar
02/12/08  House: Read first time
02/12/08  House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
02/13/08  House: Assigned GL sub: Professional/Occupational/Adminstrative Process

02/28/08  House: Reported from General Laws with amendments (22-Y 0-N)

03/03/08  House: Read second time
03/04/08  House: Read third time
03/04/08  House: Passed by for the day
03/05/08  House: Read third time
03/05/08  House: Committee amendments agreed to
03/05/08  House: Amendment by Delegate Cosgrove agreed to
03/05/08  House: Passed by for the day

1-     Bill to Increase Felony Grand Larceny Threshold to $ 500.00

Summary as introduced:
Grand larceny; threshold amount. Increases from $200 to $500 the threshold amount of money or the value of the goods or chattel that the defendant must take before the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny.

Full text:
01/08/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 084616272

Status:
01/08/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 084616272
01/08/08  Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/10/08  Senate: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal 
01/23/08  Senate: Passed by in Courts of Justice with letter (15-Y 0-N)
 

2-     Bill to Increase threshold for a Reportable Traffic Accident to $ 5000.00

Summary as introduced:
Traffic accident reports.  Increases from $1,000 to $5,000 the damage threshold at which traffic accidents become "reportable."

Full text:
12/19/07  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 088179220

Status:
12/19/07  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 088179220
12/19/07  Senate: Referred to Committee on Transportation
01/17/08  Senate: Referred from Transportation (14-Y 0-N)
01/17/08  Senate: Referred to Courts of Justice
01/17/08  Senate: Rereferred to Courts of Justice
01/21/08  Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (14-Y 0-N)
01/22/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
01/23/08  Senate: Read second time
01/23/08  Senate: Reading of amendment waived
01/23/08  Senate: Committee amendment agreed to
01/23/08  Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB39E
01/23/08  Senate: Printed as engrossed 088179220-E
01/24/08  Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
01/24/08  Senate: Communicated to House
02/12/08  House: Placed on Calendar
02/12/08  House: Read first time
02/12/08  House: Referred to Committee on Transportation
02/19/08  House: Referred from Transportation by voice vote
02/19/08  House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/29/08  House: Continued to 2009 in Courts of Justice by voice vote
 

3-     Bill to enact a 5 year DROP Plan in VRS. – Will re-file after JLARC study is complete this year

4-     Bill to amend 9.1-701( Law Enforcement Overtime) to include all localities including the State Police.

Summary as introduced:
Law-enforcement; overtime compensation.  Extends the coverage under the overtime compensation for law-enforcement employees and firefighters, etc., to include state police and employers with less than 100 law-enforcement employees.

Full text:
01/08/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 088175220

Status:
01/08/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 088175220
01/08/08  Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/10/08  Senate: Assigned Courts sub: Civil 
01/30/08  Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)
01/30/08  Senate: Rereferred to Finance
02/06/08  Senate: Committee substitute printed 086011328-S1
02/06/08  Senate: Reported from Finance with substitute (16-Y 0-N)
02/07/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
02/08/08  Senate: Read second time
02/08/08  Senate: Reading of substitute waived
02/08/08  Senate: Committee substitute agreed to 086011328-S1
02/08/08  Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB269S1
02/08/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/08/08  Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/08/08  Senate: Communicated to House
02/13/08  House: Placed on Calendar
02/13/08  House: Read first time
02/13/08  House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations

5-     Bill to amend 9.1 – 401(LOD Act Disabled Employee Health Insurance) –Include all LEO that were disabled on or after January 1, 1972 and before July 1, 2000.

Summary as introduced:
Line of Duty Act.  Amends the definition of "deceased person" to include an individual who suffers a heart attack or stroke during nonroutine, stressful, or strenuous law-enforcement situations, fire suppression, rescue, or other such activities and who suffers the heart attack or stroke while engaged in the activity or not later than 24 hours after the activity. The bill also allows for the $100,000 payment to the beneficiary of the deceased to be annually adjusted to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Full text:
01/02/08  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 086546644

Status:
01/02/08  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 086546644
01/02/08  House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/15/08  House: Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement (Jones, S.C.)

Bill to Provide funding  for the Line of Duty Health Benefits Trust Fund

Full text:
01/08/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 087024308 (impact statement)
02/06/08  Senate: Printed as engrossed 087024308-E (impact statement)
Amendments:
Senate amendments
Status:
01/08/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 087024308
01/08/08  Senate: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/30/08  Senate: Reported from Finance with amendments (16-Y 0-N)
01/30/08  Senate: Rereferred to Courts of Justice
01/31/08  Senate: Assigned Courts sub: Civil
02/04/08  Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments (15-Y 0-N)
02/05/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
02/06/08  Senate: Read second time
02/06/08  Senate: Reading of amendments waived
02/06/08  Senate: Committee amendments from Finance agreed to
02/06/08  Senate: Reading of amendments waived
02/06/08  Senate: Committee amendments from Courts of Justice agreed to
02/06/08  Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB329E
02/06/08  Senate: Printed as engrossed 087024308-E
02/07/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
02/08/08  Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/08/08  Senate: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/08/08  Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 1-N)
02/08/08  Senate: Communicated to House
02/13/08  House: Placed on Calendar
02/13/08  House: Read first time
02/13/08  House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/19/08  House: Assigned App. sub: Compensation and Retirement (Jones, S.C.)

Summary as passed Senate: (all summaries)
Line of Duty Act; definitions; funding for Line of Duty Death and Health Benefits Trust Fund. Includes local employees disabled on or after January 1, 1966, in the definition of %93disabled employee.%94 The bill also provides for a $1.50 fee to be collected per month from alarm company operators for each alarm system monitored and a $5 fee to be collected for processes and services in civil proceedings to provide funding to the Line of Duty Death and Health Benefits Trust Fund. This bill is identical to SB 329.

Summary as introduced:
Infectious disease presumption; emergency declaration by Governor.  Authorizes the Governor to declare that a communicable, contagious or infectious disease, or any condition that leads to the disease, is a disease or condition that is covered by the existing infectious disease presumption for firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and certain law-enforcement officers under the Virginia Workers Compensation Act. The presumption currently exists for hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis, and HIV. Such a declaration may be made after the Board of Health has issued an order for the purpose of suppressing the outbreak of the disease and the Governor has declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of the disease that poses a danger to the life and health of the public.

6-     Bill to amend the Law Enforcement Procedural Guarantee Act- to provide representation in serious offenses, as well as other changes.

Summary as introduced:
Law-Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act.  Makes several changes as to the process and procedures afforded to officers under the procedural guarantee act, clarifying several existing rights and setting forth specific procedures for the questioning of officers and the conduct of a disciplinary hearing.

Full text:
12/26/07  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081084216

Status:
12/26/07  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081084216
12/26/07  Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/10/08  Senate: Assigned Courts sub: Civil
01/21/08  Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 5-N)
01/21/08  Senate: Committee substitute printed 080258216-S1
01/22/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
01/23/08  Senate: Read second time
01/23/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
01/24/08  Senate: Read second time
01/24/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
01/25/08  Senate: Read second time
01/25/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
01/25/08  Senate: Floor substitute printed 080269264-S2 (Marsh)
01/28/08  Senate: Read second time
01/28/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
01/29/08  Senate: Read second time
01/29/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
01/30/08  Senate: Read second time
01/30/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
01/31/08  Senate: Read second time
01/31/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
02/01/08  Senate: Read second time
02/01/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
02/04/08  Senate: Read second time
02/04/08  Senate: Passed by for the day
02/04/08  Senate: Floor substitute printed 085997284-S3 (Stosch)
02/05/08  Senate: Read second time
02/05/08  Senate: Motion to recommit to committee rejected
02/05/08  Senate: Reading of substitute waived
02/05/08  Senate: Committee substitute rejected 080258216-S1
02/05/08  Senate: Substitute by Senator Marsh withdrawn 080269264-S2
02/05/08  Senate: Amendments by Senator Cuccinelli withdrawn
02/05/08  Senate: Substitute by Senator Stosch withdrawn 085997284-S3
02/05/08  Senate: Floor substitute printed 080284216-S4 (Cuccinelli)
02/05/08  Senate: Reading of substitute waived
02/05/08  Senate: Motion to recommit to committee agreed to
02/05/08  Senate: Recommitted to Courts of Justice

7-     Bill to amend the Law Enforcement Procedural Guarantee Act- to include Deputy Sheriffs.

Summary as introduced:
Law-Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act; definitions.  Includes deputy sheriffs under the coverage of the Law-Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act.

Full text:
12/17/07  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 082330688

Status:
12/17/07  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 082330688
12/17/07  House: Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety

8 - Bill to repeal the prohibition of collective bargaining for government employees

Summary as introduced:
Collective bargaining for governmental employees.  Repeals provisions that prohibit state and local officers, agents, and governing bodies from collectively bargaining with a labor union or other employee association as a bargaining agent of public officers or employees.

Full text:
01/08/08  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 088383492

Status:
01/08/08  House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 088383492
01/08/08  House: Referred to Committee on Rules
01/22/08  House: Reported from Rules without recommendation (9-Y 0-N)
01/23/08  House: Read first time
01/24/08  House: Read second time
01/24/08  House: Motion by Delegate Ebbin to strike rejected (43-Y 55-N)
01/24/08  House: VOTE: --- REJECTED (43-Y 55-N)
01/24/08  House: Pending question ordered
01/24/08  House: Engrossment refused by House (0-Y 82-N)
01/24/08  House: VOTE: --- ENGROSSMENT REFUSED (0-Y 82-N)

Summary as introduced:
Infectious disease presumption; emergency declaration by Governor.  Authorizes the Governor to declare that a communicable, contagious or infectious disease, or any condition that leads to the disease, is a disease or condition that is covered by the existing infectious disease presumption for firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and certain law-enforcement officers under the Virginia Workers Compensation Act. The presumption currently exists for hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis, and HIV. Such a declaration may be made after the Board of Health has issued an order for the purpose of suppressing the outbreak of the disease and the Governor has declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of the disease that poses a danger to the life and health of the public.

Full text:
01/09/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081146286 (impact statement)

Status:
01/09/08  Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081146286
01/09/08  Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/16/08  Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology (14-Y 0-N)
01/16/08  Senate: Rereferred to Commerce and Labor
01/28/08  Senate: Reported from Commerce and Labor with amendments (15-Y 0-N)
01/30/08  Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
01/31/08  Senate: Read second time
01/31/08  Senate: Reading of amendments waived
01/31/08  Senate: Committee amendments agreed to
01/31/08  Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB500E
01/31/08  Senate: Printed as engrossed 081146286-E
02/01/08  Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
02/01/08  Senate: Communicated to House

The actuarial cost for the conversion of sick leave balances to additional service credit would be incorporated into the applicable employer’s annual contribution for retirement.

*VCOPS 2008 Legislative Package in Word Format*
2007 session in review