Practice of physician assistants. Removes the requirement that physician assistants appointed as medical examiners practice as part of a patient care team. For hospice program licensing, the bill adds physician assistants to the list of hospice personnel who may be part of a medically directed interdisciplinary team. The bill removes a reference to physician assistants in the definition of patient care team podiatrist. Finally, the bill permits physician assistants working in the field of orthopedics as part of a patient care team to utilize fluoroscopy for guidance of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, provided other requirements are met. Practice of physician assistants. Removes the requirement that physician assistants appointed as medical examiners practice as part of a patient care team. For hospice program licensing, the bill adds physician assistants to the list of hospice personnel who may be part of a medically directed interdisciplinary team. The bill removes a reference to physician assistants in the definition of patient care team podiatrist. Finally, the bill permits physician assistants working in the field of orthopedics as part of a patient care team to utilize fluoroscopy for guidance of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, provided other requirements are met.

Celebrating the life of Winter Calvert Cullen III.

Destroying or tampering with firefighting or emergency medical services equipment or law-enforcement vehicles and equipment; penalty. Increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for injuring, destroying, removing, or tampering with any firefighting equipment or apparatus, emergency medical services vehicle, or law-enforcement vehicle or equipment. The bill also adds to this prohibition such interference with any other equipment or vehicle used by emergency medical services personnel or law-enforcement officers. Destroying or tampering with firefighting or emergency medical services equipment or law-enforcement vehicles and equipment; penalty. Increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for injuring, destroying, removing, or tampering with any firefighting equipment or apparatus, emergency medical services vehicle, or law-enforcement vehicle or equipment. The bill also adds to this prohibition such interference with any other equipment or vehicle used by emergency medical services personnel or law-enforcement officers.

Hunting deer; use of .22 caliber rifle authorized. Hunting deer; use of .22 caliber rifle authorized. Authorizes the use of a rifle equipped with .22 caliber centerfire ammunition for hunting big game. Current Department of Wildlife Resources regulations allow the use of rifles with a caliber of .23 or greater.

Misuse of power of attorney; financial exploitation; incapacitated adults; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for an agent under a power of attorney to knowingly or intentionally engage in financial exploitation of an incapacitated adult who is the principal of that agent. The bill also provides that the agent's authority terminates upon such conviction. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.

Attorneys; examinations and issuance of licenses; requirements. Requires, before an applicant is permitted to take the Virginia bar exam, that the applicant furnish to the Board of Bar Examiners satisfactory evidence that he has satisfactorily completed legal studies amounting to at least five semesters, or the equivalent of at least five semesters on a system other than a semester system, of full-time study at a law school approved by the American Bar Association or the Board of Bar Examiners. Under current law, an applicant is required to have completed all degree requirements of such law school.

Elections; political campaign advertisements; illegal negative ads; civil penalties. Provides that sponsors violating political campaign advertisement disclosure laws with advertisements or campaign telephone calls are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000. Elections; political campaign advertisements; illegal negative ads; civil penalties. Provides that sponsors violating political campaign advertisement disclosure laws with advertisements or campaign telephone calls are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000.

Elections; voter identification containing photograph Elections; voter identification containing photograph required; who may register up to and including the day of the election; availability of absentee voting in person; return of absentee ballots. Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote and provides that a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification is entitled to cast a provisional ballot. The bill repeals a provision that would permit any person who is qualified to register to vote to do so in person up to and including the day of the election and limits the persons who are entitled to register to vote after the close of registration records to members of a uniformed service of the United States on active duty, persons who are residing temporarily outside of the United States, and their spouses and dependents. The bill limits the period during which absentee voting in person is available from 45 days to the 10 days immediately preceding the date of the election, including both Saturdays. The bill requires that absentee ballots returned by mail be returned to the office of the general registrar by the close of polls on election day and be postmarked on or before the Saturday preceding the date of the election. The bill eliminates the use of drop-off locations for the return of absentee ballots. The bill requires absentee ballot applications to contain the last four digits of the applicant's social security number and provides that the failure of an absentee ballot to include a witness signature is a material omission, rendering the ballot void.

Celebrating the life of Sally Lamb.

Issuing citations; certain traffic offenses; exclusion of evidence. Removes the provisions stating that no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating (i) with an expired registration sticker prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date; (ii) with defective and unsafe equipment; (iii) without tail lights or brake lights; (iv) without an exhaust system in good working order; (v) with certain signs, posters, stickers or decals; (vi) with objects or other equipment suspended so as to obstruct the driver's view; or (vii) with an expired inspection prior to the first day of the fourth month after the original expiration date, as well as the accompanying exclusionary provisions.

Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program established. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically Black College or University in the Commonwealth (defined in the bill as Norfolk State University and Virginia State University) such sums as are necessary for each such institution to annually provide renewable last-dollar scholarships on a competitive basis to two students who (i) attended a a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in such institution's education preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant to attend such institution. The bill provides that each such scholarship would consist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) the recipient's teacher licensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professional development activities for the recipient, including coursework, seminars, and conferences; and (d) $10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by a master teacher, defined as an experienced public elementary or secondary school teacher who is deemed by the relevant school board to be highly effective and able to provide high quality mentorship. The bill requires each student who is awarded a scholarship pursuant to the Program to agree in writing to (1) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon graduation for a period that is at least as long as the period during which the recipient used scholarship funds to attend a Historically Black College or University and (2) be mentored by a master teacher during such period of employment. Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program established. Establishes the Virginia Diverse Educator Scholarship Fund and Program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of annually providing to each Historically Black College or University in the Commonwealth (defined in the bill as Norfolk State University and Virginia State University) such sums as are necessary for each such institution to annually provide renewable last-dollar scholarships on a competitive basis to two students who (i) attended a a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; (ii) are accepted to or enrolled in such institution's education preparation program; and (iii) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant to attend such institution. The bill provides that each such scholarship would consist of the following sums: (a) the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks at such institution; (b) the recipient's teacher licensure fees; (c) $5,000 toward teacher professional development activities for the recipient, including coursework, seminars, and conferences; and (d) $10,000 toward mentorship of the recipient by a master teacher, defined as an experienced public elementary or secondary school teacher who is deemed by the relevant school board to be highly effective and able to provide high quality mentorship. The bill requires each student who is awarded a scholarship pursuant to the Program to agree in writing to (1) teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth in which at least 75 percent of the enrolled students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or are members of families whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon graduation for a period that is at least as long as the period during which the recipient used scholarship funds to attend a Historically Black College or University and (2) be mentored by a master teacher during such period of employment.

State parks; Disabled Veteran's Passport. Expands the Disabled Veteran's Passport program to all U.S. veterans with a service-connected disability. Currently, a veteran must be 100 percent disabled to be eligible for the program, which provides free entry into state parks and a 50 percent discount on camping and swimming fees, picnic shelter rentals, and other equipment rentals provided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Campaign finance; out-of-district contribution limits; civil penalty. Prohibits contributions to a candidate's campaign from persons that are not residents of the Commonwealth and limits to 75 percent of total contributions to a candidate's campaign contributions from persons and committees with a candidate, treasurer, or custodian of books who are not residents of the district served by the office to which the candidate is seeking election. The bill provides that contributions made by a candidate or a candidate's family to the candidate's campaign do not count toward such contribution limits. The bill also provides that penalties for violations of such contribution limits may equal up to two times the excess contribution amounts.

Capital Region Airport Commission. Authorizes Capital Region Airport Commission. Authorizes the Capital Region Airport Commission to (i) make charitable donations to organizations and (ii) form or support independent foundations designed to foster an appreciation by the public of the importance of aviation, assist the public in aviation travel, or help develop and educate the next generation of aviation professionals in the Commonwealth. The bill provides that any such foundation is not a public body and is exempt from the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The bill also authorizes the Commission to indemnify any current or former Commissioner, officer, employee, or agent of the Commission against liability arising from such position.

Emergency custody and temporary detention orders; custody. Requires a facility or location to which a minor or adult who is subject to an emergency custody or temporary detention order is transported to accept custody of the minor or adult upon completion of transportation and arrival of the minor or adult at the facility and specifies that the primary law-enforcement agency shall provide transportation of a person who is involved in the involuntary commitment process, rather than a sheriff, as provided under current law. Emergency custody and temporary detention orders; custody. Requires a facility or location to which a minor or adult who is subject to an emergency custody or temporary detention order is transported to accept custody of the minor or adult upon completion of transportation and arrival of the minor or adult at the facility and specifies that the primary law-enforcement agency shall provide transportation of a person who is involved in the involuntary commitment process, rather than a sheriff, as provided under current law.