Police, State

Passed

P HB1832

Amber Alert. Requires state buildings open to the public to have a Code Adam program as a preventive tool against child abductions and for locating lost children in certain public buildings. The alerts are used to lock down buildings where a child has been lost or possibly abducted. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, in cooperation with private entities, a program to provide parents with child identification kits through school distribution. The kits shall include identification information about the subject child, including current photo, fingerprints, DNA samples, and important medical information and shall include instructions for the proper safekeeping of the kit. Such kits shall be held for safekeeping by the parent, not a school, school board, or other public entity. This bill also directs the Department of State Police to develop a statewide child abduction alert plan (the Virginia Amber Alert Plan) to rapidly publicize information on a child abduction. Pursuant to procedures developed by the Department of State Police, local law enforcement will notify the Department of State Police, who will take action, including activating the emergency alert system. The bill provides that the Virginia State Police shall inform all local law-enforcement agencies operating or participating in the Amber Alert programs when this bill becomes law and shall offer them assistance in conforming their programs to the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to SB1204 and incorporates HBs 2064 and 2102.
Patron - Athey

P SB1204

Code Adam alerts; Virginia Amber Alert Program. Requires state buildings open to the public to have a Code Adam program as a preventive tool against child abductions and for locating lost children in certain public buildings. The alerts are used to lock down buildings where a child has been lost or possibly abducted. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, in cooperation with private entities, a program to provide parents with child identification kits through school distribution. The kits shall include identification information about the subject child, including current photo, fingerprints, DNA samples, and important medical information and shall include instructions for the proper safekeeping of the kit. Such kits shall be held for safekeeping by the parent, not a school, school board, or other public entity. This bill also directs the Department of State Police to develop a statewide child abduction alert plan (the Virginia Amber Alert Plan) to rapidly publicize information on a child abduction. Pursuant to procedures developed by the Department of State Police, local law enforcement will notify the Department of State Police, who will take action, including activating the emergency alert system. The bill provides that the Virginia State Police shall inform all local law-enforcement agencies operating or participating in the Amber Alert programs when this bill becomes law and shall offer them assistance in conforming their programs to the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 1832.
Patron - Newman

Failed

F HB1980

Virginia Alert Plan. Directs the Department of State Police to develop a statewide alert plan (the Virginia Alert Plan) to rapidly publicize urgent information when the Superintendent of State Police determines that an early warning would assist in maintaining the safety of the citizens of the Commonwealth, including information that (i) may lead to the recovery of an abducted child and (ii) will inform the public of terrorist acts. The Department shall ensure that the Virginia Alert Plan is a coordinated effort among the Department, local law-enforcement agencies, the state's public and commercial television and radio broadcasters, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and any other entities whose participation will assist in the administration of the Virginia Alert Plan.
Patron - Athey

F HB2064

Amber Alert. Directs the Department of State Police to develop a statewide child abduction alert plan (the Virginia Amber Alert Plan) to rapidly publicize information on a child abduction. Pursuant to procedures developed by the Department of State Police, local law enforcement will notify the Department of State Police, who will take action, including activating the emergency alert system. This bill is incorporated into HB 1832.
Patron - Dudley

F HB2102

Code Adam alerts; Virginia Amber Alert Program. Requires state buildings open to the public to have a Code Adam program as a preventive tool against child abductions and for locating lost children in certain public buildings. The alerts are used to lock down buildings where a child has been lost or possibly abducted. The bill requires the Board of Education to develop, in cooperation with private entities, a program to provide parents with child identification kits through school distribution. The kits shall include identification information about the subject child, including current photo, fingerprints, DNA samples, and important medical information and shall include instructions for the proper safekeeping of the kit. Such kits shall be held for safekeeping by the parent, not a school, school board, or other public entity. The bill also establishes the voluntary Amber Alert Program as a means to provide notice and information of a child abduction to the public by the media (local, regional or statewide) to be activated initially in the discretion of the local law-enforcement officials.
Patron - Hogan

F SB694

F SB828

Virginia Racial Profiling and Traffic Statistics Reporting Act. Requires the Superintendent of State Police to require each local and state police officer, during the course of his official duties, to collect certain information pertaining to traffic stops, including the race, ethnicity, color, age and gender of the alleged traffic offender, and to record the specific reason for the stop, whether the person was interrogated, charged or arrested, and whether a written citation or warning was issued. Police officers must also indicate the specific traffic violation committed. Police officers participating in the collection of such traffic data and information have been granted civil immunity for acts and omissions during the performance of their official duties, absent gross negligence or willful misconduct. The bill also requires the development of a statewide database for collecting, correlating, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data and information generated through such traffic stop reports. The Superintendent may engage any accredited public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or an independent body with the experience, expertise, and technical capacity to conduct such research to assist in designing the database, and the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data. The Superintendent must report the findings and recommendations annually to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Attorney General and provide copies to each attorney for the Commonwealth. This act expires on July 1, 2007. Previously, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Status and Needs of African-American Males in the Commonwealth and the House Committee on Transportation's Special Subcommittee on Racial Profiling and Pretextual Traffic Stops.
Patron - Marsh

F SB1269

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