Attorney General Jason Miyares announced today his legislative priorities and goals for the 2024 General Assembly session.
“This legislative session presents an opportunity for us to address crucial, bipartisan issues impacting Virginians’ lives. My office is focused on fostering a safer and brighter future for all by championing legislation that will strengthen our legal system, safeguard victims’ rights, and provide greater protections for the most vulnerable in our communities,” Miyares said.
“Through close collaboration with legislators, we will continue to combat the opioid epidemic and human trafficking and reduce violent crime. I am committed to tackling the pressing challenges Virginians face daily and keeping my promises made on day one to make Virginia the safest place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Some of the legislation supported by Miyares includes:
- HB 379 (Cherry) – Adds the trafficking purchase or sale of a minor as a violent crime to demonstrate our commitment to protecting our youth and ensuring that those who seek to exploit them face severe consequences for their actions.
- HB 633 (Cherry) – Establishes a labor trafficking statute, making it punishable as a Class 4 felony, which brings state law in line with federal law.
- HB 581 (Simonds) – Establishes Human Trafficking Response Teams by local Commonwealth’s Attorneys to ensure each locality is poised to handle instances of human trafficking.
- HB 290 (Ballard) / SB197 (Diggs) – Protects victims by authorizing the Attorney General to conduct criminal prosecutions against child sexual assault offenders and human trafficking involving children.
- Pending (Webert) / SB 265 (DeSteph) – Supports law enforcement by no longer requiring them to provide personally identifiable information when testifying in criminal cases.
- Pending (Wilt) – Protects the safety of our children by expanding the list of offenses that prohibit an offender from working or volunteering in public or private schools or daycares, such as rape, sodomy, and incest.
- HB 635 (C. Obenshain) / SB208 (Diggs) – Allows for victims to be notified or given release information of juveniles released or bonded from custody or commitment.
- Pending (Peake) – Ensures innocent victims are not revictimized by clarifying that inchoate offenses – attempt, solicitation or conspiracy – for certain crimes are not eligible to receive enhanced earned sentence credits
- HB 308 (Ballard) – Expands the list of offenses that prohibit a person from petitioning the Parole Board for conditional release as a geriatric prisoner to ease the stress on victims.
- HB 768 (Delaney) – Eases the burden of a child victim testifying by expanding the age range of using two-way closed-circuit television in a criminal case to include any child younger than 18 years of age at the time of the trial.
- Pending (Oates) – Provides emotional support persons for victims in rape shield motions.
- HB155 (Green) – Removes the burden of proof from innocent victims of sexual assault to minors by eliminating the time required to apply for assistance from the Virginia Victims Fund.
- Pending (Hodges) / Pending (Pillion) – Adds Xylazine as a schedule III-controlled substance to protect the health of the Commonwealth’s citizens to combat emerging threats in the ongoing drug crisis.
- Pending (Freitas) – Marks the seventh day of November as Victims of Communism Day by proclamation of the Governor to ensure history does not repeat itself and requires the Board of Education to include in the standards of learning for grades six through 12 to study the dangers of communism.
- HB 13 (Ware) – Increases civic knowledge and engagement of high school students by requiring them to pass the civics portion of the U.S. Naturalization Test in order to graduate high school.
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Rebecca Barnabi
