In Virginia, new legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor generally goes into effect on July 1. For your convenience, the staff of the Division of Legislative Services has produced a publication that provides a brief summary of legislation passed by the 2008 General Assembly that is of interest to the citizens of Virginia and is likely to have an impact on their daily lives. Please click here to download your copy.
Here are the bills David successfully passed during the 2008 General Assembly session that become law today:
Advanced Medical Directives Registry: Requires the Department of Health to establish a statewide registry for living wills and advanced medical directives to help all Virginians — including same-sex couples — specify who may make medical decisions for them if they are incapacitated. (Note: The Department of Health has 270 days from today to implement this program.)
Infectious Disease Response: Requires rapid reporting to the Department of Health of infectious disease outbreaks at assisted living residences, adult day care centers, child care centers, and certain licensed group homes, saving lives by bringing in public health experts as soon as an outbreak occurs.
Pedestrian-Friendly Development: Prevents the Virginia Department of Transportation from denying construction permits after the fact for otherwise permissible pedestrian improvements that already have been negotiated between developers and local governments.
Military Absentee Voting: Allows military and overseas voters to receive absentee balloting materials electronically, making it easier for them to exercise their right to vote while deployed to far-flung locations around the world.
Special Elections: Prevents confusion and delay for voters by ensuring that election laws will not change midstream during a special election, solving a problem that occurred during a special City Council election in Alexandria.
