Virginia's legislative session recently wrapped up, with three new domestic violence bills enacted. Here are the legislature's official summaries, with links to the bills' full texts and other information.
HB 1033 Protective orders, permanent; provides circuit court jurisdiction to hear petitions to modify, dissolve, or extend a permanent protective order if the circuit court issued the order. The bill requires the court, when a protective order is issued, to enter and transfer identifying information to the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) system. Effective July 1, 2013, any circuit court clerk who does not use the Statewide Case Management System operated and maintained by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court shall provide protective orders directly to the Virginia Criminal Information Network. This bill is identical to SB 445.
HB 971 Barrier crimes; adds extortion and felony violations of protective orders to statute. Adds the following crimes to various barrier crimes statutes: abduction, extortion, and felony violations of protective orders. People who have been convicted of or are the subject of pending charges of one of those crimes will not be able to work in a licensed nursing home, home care organization, or hospice and cannot work, volunteer, or provide services on a regular basis at a children's residential facility that is regulated or operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, certain structured residential programs for juveniles, or children's residential facilities regulated or operated by the Department of Social Services, Education, or Military Affairs. Persons convicted of such crimes cannot be approved by a child-placing agency as adoptive or foster parents and cannot be adult foster care home providers or providers of home-based adult services. In addition, they cannot work at certain schools, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, child welfare agencies, or family day homes.
SB 300 Protective orders; various changes to provisions governing those issued by court; juveniles; venue. Makes various changes to the provisions governing protective orders issued by a juvenile and domestic relations district court, including (i) clarifying that only violations related to trespass, criminal offenses, acts of abuse, or prohibited contacts are Class 1 misdemeanors; (ii) clarifying that juvenile and domestic relations district courts have jurisdiction over all protective orders that involve juveniles, whether as the alleged victim or as respondent; and (iii) allowing judges to prohibit contact between the respondent and the allegedly abused person or that person's family.