Veteran and Military Legislation General Assembly Report

SB 662 & HB 474 Virginia War Memorial Education Center

Patron: Senator Stosch, SB 662; Delegate Cox, HB 474

Requires the State Comptroller to advance a loan of $5.97 million for the state share of the construction of an educational wing for the Virginia War Memorial and the expansion of the Shrine of Memory to include Virginians killed in the War on Terror

HB 475 Wounded Warrior

Patron: Delegate Cox, Co-Patron: Senator Stosch

Requires the Department of Veterans Services, in cooperation with the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services and the Department of Rehabilitative Services, to establish a program to monitor and coordinate mental health and rehabilitative services support for Virginia veterans and members of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia residents in the Armed Forces Reserves not in active federal service to address the signature wounds of the .War on Terror. . traumatic brain injuries, combat stress, and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Status: Signed by the Governor *April 4

Turbo Vet

Included in the Wounded Warrior amendment providing $100,000 to develop and deploy the third phase of the Turbo Vet project. Turbo Vet is a simple, complete and secure web-based tool that facilitates the development and filing of veterans. disability claims.

Status: Passed in Conference Budget Report; awaiting signature of the Governor

HB 477 Veterans Services Foundation

Patron: Delegate Cox, Co-Patron: Senator Stosch

Establishes the Veterans Services Foundation as a body politic and corporate to provide funding for veterans. services and programs in the Commonwealth. The bill clarifies the purpose of the Veterans Services Foundation to raise funds from the private sector for veterans. services and programs in the state and adds eight citizen members with fundraising experience appointed by the General Assembly, and the Chair of the Joint Leadership Council to the Foundation.s board of trustees.

Status: Signed by the Governor

HB 229 Veterans Services in the Commonwealth

Patron: Delegate Cosgrove; Co-Patron: Senator Stosch

Requests the Department of Veterans Services to establish guidelines for the determination of eligibility for Virginia-domiciled veterans and their spouses, orphans, and dependents for participation in programs and benefits administered by the Department. The bill also clarifies that the purpose of the Veterans Services Foundation is to provide funding for veteran services and programs in the Commonwealth.

Status: Signed by the Governor *April 4

SB 680 & HB 1386 Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Business Programs

Patrons: Senator Wagner and Delegate Miller

Aligns Virginia.s eligibility requirements for participation in the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program with federal eligibility requirements set by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

Status: HB 1386 signed by the Governor; SB 680 awaiting the signature of the Governor

HB 524 In-state Tuition for Military Personnel and Dependents

Patron: Delegate Suit

Provides that in determining the domiciliary intent of retired military personnel residing in the Commonwealth at the time of retirement, or the domiciliary intent of their dependents who voluntarily elect to establish Virginia as their permanent residence, the requirement to prove domiciliary intent in Virginia for one year is waived. Also, provides that any active duty members, activated guard or reservist members, or guard or reservist members mobilized or on temporary active orders for six months or more, who are either stationed or assigned by their military service to a work location in Virginia and are residing in Virginia are entitled to in-state tuition. Patrons substitute makes clear dependents of military members stationed in Virginia will be considered Virginia residents for the purpose of tuition and National Guard Tuition benefits are strengthened.

Status: Awaiting the signature of the Governor

HB 1024 Extends Deadlines for Driver's License and Related Documents Renewal

Patron: Delegate Frederick

Extends driver's license renewal, license plate registration, local vehicle registration, property tax, and other state and local tax deadlines until 90 days after return from deployment for military personnel

Status: Signed by the Governor

SB 580 Changes Secretariat Responsibility for War Memorial Foundation

Patron: Senator Edwards, Co-Patron: Senator Stosch

Replaces responsibility for the War Memorial Foundation from the Secretary of Administration to the Secretary of Public Safety and makes the Secretary of Public Safety and the Commissioner of Veterans Services extends officio members of the board of trustees of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation. The Department of Veterans Services is charged with providing administrative support to the Foundation.

Status: Signed by the Governor *April 4

HB 809 Teachers Licenses for Military Personal

Patron: Delegate J. Ward

Permits the Board of Education to extend a three-year provisional license an additional year for each school year or portion thereof for which a teacher is activated or deployed for military service. The bill provides that local school divisions may offer a similar extension to teachers holding three-year local eligibility licenses. This bill contains an emergency clause. Status: Signed by the Governor *April 4

HJ 291

Commends the Richmond Area Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America Patron: Delegate Cox, Co-Patron: Senator Stosch Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Chapter,

HB 1 Definition of Disabled Veteran-Motor Vehicles

Patron: Delegate Peace, Co-Patron: Senator Stosch

Redefines the term "disabled veteran" for the purposes of Title 46.2 (Motor Vehicles) to include a veteran who is at least 50% disabled as certified by the U.S. Veterans Administration. This definition governs which veterans are eligible for disabled veteran special license plates.

Status: Left in House Appropriations Committee

SB 188 & SB170 Military Parents Equal Protection

Patron: Senator Herring & Senator Blevins

Addresses possible custody and visitation issues of a minor child that may occur while a soldier is deployed. It allows a court to enter a temporary order modifying custody or visitation based on a parent's deployment. Upon the motion of the deploying parent returning from deployment, the court shall hold an expedited hearing within 30 days. At the hearing, the non-deploying parent bears the burden of showing that reentry of the custody or visitation order in effect before the deployment is no longer in the child's best interests.

Status: Signed by the Governor *April 4

HB 798 & SB 508 Absentee Ballot Applications and Procedures

Patron: Delegate Englin, Senator Northam and Senator Whipple

Provides that voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act who reside or are stationed outside the continental borders of the United States may receive their blank absentee ballots by electronic transmission. Present law allows these voters to request absentee ballots by electronic transmission. This bill covers the second step of sending the ballot to these overseas voters. The voted ballots will have to be returned by mail.

Status: Signed by Governor *April 4

SB 750 License Plates to Supporters of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation

Patron: Senator Stosch

Authorizes the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue revenue-sharing license plates to supporters of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation

Status: Signed by Governor

HB 2 License Plates for Immediate Family Members of Military Persons

Patrons: Delegate Tata

The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue special license plates to a member of the immediate family of a member of the armed forces of the United States who lost his or her life while serving their country. Eliminates the one-time $10 surcharge imposed for issuance of these plates

Status: Signed by Governor

SB 266 License plates for Purple Heart recipients

Patron: Senator Deeds

Eliminates the one-time $10 surcharge for issuance of Purple Heart special license plates Status: Signed by Governor