The increase will apply to policies effective between To learn more about other new legislation, click here. HB 20: Allocates from the General Fund an amount equal to 20% of the 20% tax levied on the sale of Virginia-distilled spirits to the Virginia Spirits Promotion Fund. 46.2-1013. The Governor signed the bill into law in March. That doesn't account for the vast number of cases that fly under the radar and go unreported. Fill out the form below and well be in touch within 1 business day! No, SCOTUS ruling does not overturn all state restrictions on concealed carry. Further increases to $13.50 on January 1, 2025, and $15.00 on January 1, 2026 Another law changes the name of any stretch of U.S. Route 1 still named Jefferson Davis Highway to Emancipation Highway. Distribution, however, is still illegal throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia treats simple possession charges as serious crimes, however there are many paths towards a successful defense, such as the First Offender program. However, after you have held your license for one year, you may carry up to three passengers under age 21 in the following situations: Learner's permit holders may not carry more than one passenger under age 18. And we are hoping to achieve the same thing. What Happens to Repeat DUI Offenders in Virginia? Updated: 2:31 PM EDT April 2, 2022 RICHMOND, Va. Author's note: The video above is on file from a separate story that aired about the Virginia General Assembly on March 14, 2022. The new amendment prevents an officer from stopping a vehicle specifically for objects in the windshield that obstruct the drivers view. Travel to and from a school-sponsored activity; A licensed driver 21 or older is in the front passenger seat; or. This statute requires that every vehicle have two red lights plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet on the rear of the vehicle. 46.2-810. This new workers compensation law requires compensation for permanent and total incapacity to be awarded for the loss of both hands, both arms, both feet, both legs, both eyes, or any two thereof either from the same accident or a compensable consequence of an injury sustained in the original accident. HB 750: Prohibits police departments and sheriff's offices from utilizing ticket quotas. The bill provides that such online course shall be provided at no cost to the hotel proprietors and their employees. Defective exhaust system a faulty or loud muffler system is downgraded to a secondary offense in VA. Anyone convicted of assault and battery of a family or household member, cant purchase, possess, or transport a firearm. New laws going into effect in Virginia in 2022 | WAVY.com Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. We offer free initial consultations for anyone charged with a DUI/DWI in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, Portsmouth, or Northampton on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. 1063 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[1042 125]/Info 1041 0 R/Length 114/Prev 446460/Root 1043 0 R/Size 1167/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream This statute was used for a long time to provide the basis for DUI investigations in the city of Chesapeake. Updated Jan 03, 2022 Now that youve received your drivers license, or are in the process of getting your permit, its important to understand the rules of the road that your DMV handbook doesnt teach you all that well. Why should they be allowed to investigate people based on hunches when they have no evidence? A new law preventing families and individuals from receiving unexpected medical bills also went into effect on January 1, 2021. Surprise billing, or balance billing, occurs when patients enrolled in managed care health insurance plans receive care either in an emergency situation or unknowingly from medical service providers who do not participate in the plans network of providers, often referred to as out-of-network providers, and the provider bills them for more than their plans cost-sharing amounts (such as deductibles, coinsurance and copays). Beginning July 1, 2022, the following new laws will go into effect in Virginia: This new law modifies the formula for compensating wrongfully incarcerated persons to equal $55,000 per year of incarceration, adjusted for inflation, and changes the amount of compensation that may be paid out as a lump sum to equal 25 percent of the total award with the remainder to be paid out as an annuity with a term of 10 years. Now, the Virginia General Assembly has amended several laws to give Virginia drivers much greater protection from these types of traffic stops. Legal Limit. New Laws in Virginia Effective July 1, 2021 SB 451: Gets rid of the state grocery tax. May 1, 2021 Beginning May 1, 2021, the minimum wage in Virginia will increase to $9.50 an hour. New Laws Additional increases will move the minimum wage to $11.00 on January 1, 2022, and to $12.00 on January 1, 2023. Charlottesville, VA 22901, 17 Imperial Drive These include certain defective equipment, objects dangling from your rearview mirror, loud exhaust, tinted windows and smelling marijuana to name a few. For example, before the new amendments, a police officer was allowed to initiate a traffic stop of a driver specifically for a third brake light being too dim, or for objects dangling in the windshield, or even for the smell of marijuana. The new amendment states: No law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop, search, or seize any person, place, or thing solely on the basis of the odor of marijuana and no evidence discovered or obtained pursuant to a violation of this subsection, including evidence discovered or obtained with the persons consent, shall be admissible in any trial, hearing or other proceeding. In many jurisdictions in Virginia, the smell of marijuana was the basis for a huge number of DUI/DWI and possession of drug charges. In February 2023, notable outcomes included avoiding jail for 107 mph (Feb 17, DISCLAIMER EACH CASE IS UNIQUE AND CASE RESULTS DEPEND ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. You may go when the way is clear. Several new Virginia laws went into effect on March 1st, 2021 that downgrade certain traffic violations from primary to secondary offenses. Can I Hang Things from my Rear View Mirror in Virginia? HB 170: Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to convene a work group to study inmate work release programs. VERIFY Fact Sheet: Where abortion is legal, and where it is not. Published: Jul. As another quick example thats a bit more recent, a new law took effect on January 1st, 2021 which states that using a cell phone while driving is now a primary offense in Virginia. Clients avoided DISCLAIMER EACH CASE IS UNIQUE AND CASE RESULTS DEPEND ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. As many know, possession of marijuana of small amounts has been decriminalized in Virginia. SB 223: Establishes several parameters for the compensation and representation of a student-athlete related to the use of such student's name, image, or likeness. A new law says any individual or company caught using one of the leaf blowers can be subject to fines of up to $500. Senate Bill 1157, sponsored by Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr., shifts all municipal elections from May to November, starting in 2022. For policies effective between today and January 1, 2025. While you can still talk handsfree on the phone or mount your phone for navigation, you can no longer hold your phone in your hands while driving, even while stopped at a red light. Northam says that by ending mandated vehicle safety inspections, which includes a $20 fee for most vehicles and cutting vehicle registration fees in half, Virginians would save more than $280 million per year. SB 658: The law-enforcement agency that receives a physical evidence recovery kit shall store such kit for a period of 10 years or until 10 years after the victim reaches the age of majority if the victim was a minor at the time of collection, whichever is longer. As a result of this special session, the General Assembly passed several new laws and regulations on traffic violations. SB 3: The bill requires general registrars to report to the Department of Elections the number and results of absentee ballots cast by voters assigned to each precinct in the registrar's locality. March 1, 2021 Beginning March 1, 2021, searches and seizures based solely on the odor of marijuana will not be allowed under Virginia law. Additionally, in certain situations it can lead to further criminal charges. Where Republicans, Democrats differ on immigration policy However, police officers are now prevented from stopping a vehicle simply for the smell of marijuana. This statute had previously been used by police officers to stop vehicles with tail lights that were too dim. The new amendment prevents an officer from stopping a vehicle for this reason. What is Required to Make a Virginia Trust? Exhaust system in good working order. WebCode of Virginia. Effective July 1, 2021, The new law banning balloon releases goes into effect July 1, 2021 and will carry a possible $25 fine. While many of the laws passed by the legislative body took effect July 1, others were delayed until Jan. 1. Wages have risen from $9.50 an hour to $11.00 an hour. Can I Pay My Traffic Ticket Online in Virginia? City Council passed the new ordinance in December, but there were still questions on how it will be enforced. The bill also provides for the nonlegislative citizen members of the Commission to continue to serve for the duration of the extension. When lights to be lighted; number of lights to be lighted at any time; use of warning lights. By 2026, Virginias minimum wage will rise to $15.00 an hour. The app features breaking news alerts, live video, weather radar, traffic incidents, closings and delays and more. Virginia has over 700 new laws. This means that police officers can no longer pull someone over simply on the basis of a violation such as a bad tail light or the smell of marijuana. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Hospitals are required to inform every uninsured patient that they have the option to enter into a payment plan with the hospital. The Governor signed the bill into law in March. State of Virginia Car Safety Inspections This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. WebVirginia's cellular telephone law prohibits the use of cell phones while driving, regardless of whether such device is or is not hand-held. These new laws passed in Virginia in 2022 take effect July 1