Virginia 2021 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate

SB 1306 — Assault and battery; penalty.

Last action — Left in Courts of Justice

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2021 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Assault and battery; penalty. Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months for an assault and battery committed against a judge, magistrate, law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates, firefighter or volunteer firefighter, or emergency medical services personnel. The bill removes simple assault from enhanced punishment and provides that the enhanced punishment applies for assault and battery only when it results in bodily injury. The bill also provides that a jury or the court may find any person charged with such offense (i) whose physical or mental capacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory assistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living or (ii) who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability, or an intellectual disability, not guilty of such offense but guilty of a simple assault or assault and battery, punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that before any arrest, indictment, or service of a petition in the case of a juvenile is made for an alleged assault and battery against a law-enforcement officer, (a) such alleged assault and battery shall be investigated by another law-enforcement officer who was not the subject of such alleged assault and battery and (b) the arrest, indictment, or service of a petition shall be approved by the attorney for the Commonwealth.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

236 added · 7 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Bill SB 1306 mainly involve the addition of a new section related to the Virginia General Assembly's legislative tracking system. This update enhances the accessibility of information related to bills and resolutions, making it easier for the public to follow legislative activity. By improving how users can track legislation, the change promotes transparency and ensures that citizens stay informed about important decisions being made in their government.

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SPECIAL SESSION I history | hilite | pdf | print version 21103079D SENATE BILL NO.
1306 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Morrissey) Senate Amendments in [ ] – February 3, 2021 A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-57 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 19.2-9.2, relating to assault and battery;
penalty.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
That § 18.2-57 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 19.2-9.2 as follows:
§ 18.2-57.
Assault and battery;
penalty.
A.
Any person who commits a simple assault or assault and battery is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, and if the person intentionally selects the person against whom a simple assault is committed because of his race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or national origin, the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months.
B.
However, if a person intentionally selects the person against whom an assault and battery resulting in bodily injury is committed because of his race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or national origin, the person is guilty of a Class felony, and the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months.
C.
In addition, if any person commits an assault or an assault and battery resulting in a bodily injury against another knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a judge, a magistrate, a law-enforcement officer as defined in subsection F, a correctional officer as defined in § 53.1-1, a person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates in the custody of the Department of Corrections or an employee of a local or regional correctional facility directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates in the custody of the facility, a person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of persons in the custody of or under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Justice, an employee or other individual who provides control, care, or treatment of sexually violent predators committed to the custody of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a firefighter as defined in § 65.2-102, or a volunteer firefighter or any emergency medical services personnel member who is employed by or is a volunteer of an emergency medical services agency or as a member of a bona fide volunteer fire department or volunteer emergency medical services agency, regardless of whether a resolution has been adopted by the governing body of a political subdivision recognizing such firefighters or emergency medical services personnel as employees, engaged in the performance of his public duties anywhere in the Commonwealth, such person is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and, upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months.
If any person is charged with committing an offense in violation of this subsection (i) whose physical or mental capacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory assistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living or (ii) who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder as defined in § 38.2-3418.17, a developmental disability as defined in § 37.2-100, or an intellectual disability as defined in § 37.2-100, a jury or the court may find the accused not guilty of violating this subsection but guilty of a simple assault or assault and battery in violation of subsection A, punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to affect the right of any person charged with a violation of this section from asserting and presenting evidence in support of any defenses to the charge that may be available under common law or restrict the court from entering a deferred disposition in accordance with § 19.2-303.6.
D.
In addition, if any person commits a battery against another knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a full-time or part-time employee of any public or private elementary or secondary school and is engaged in the performance of his duties as such, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and the sentence of such person upon conviction shall include a sentence of 15 days in jail, two days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
However, if the offense is committed by use of a firearm or other weapon prohibited on school property pursuant to § 18.2-308.1, the person shall serve a mandatory minimum sentence of confinement of six months.
E.
In addition, any person who commits a battery against another knowing or having reason to know that such individual is a health care provider as defined in § 8.01-581.1 who is engaged in the performance of his duties in a hospital or in an emergency room on the premises of any clinic or other facility rendering emergency medical care is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The sentence of such person, upon conviction, shall include a term of confinement of 15 days in jail, two days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
F.
As used in this section:
"Disability" means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of a person's major life activities.
"Hospital" means a public or private institution licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (§ 32.1-123 et seq.) of Title 32.1 or Article 2 (§ 37.2-403 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2.
"Judge" means any justice or judge of a court of record of the Commonwealth including a judge designated under § 17.1-105, a judge under temporary recall under § 17.1-106, or a judge pro tempore under § 17.1-109, any member of the State Corporation Commission, or of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, and any judge of a district court of the Commonwealth or any substitute judge of such district court.
"Law-enforcement officer" means any full-time or part-time employee of a police department or sheriff's office that is part of or administered by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime and the enforcement of the penal, traffic or highway laws of the Commonwealth, any conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to § 10.1-115, any special agent of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, conservation police officers appointed pursuant to § 29.1-200, full-time sworn members of the enforcement division of the Department of Motor Vehicles appointed pursuant to § 46.2-217, and any employee with internal investigations authority designated by the Department of Corrections pursuant to subdivision 11 of § 53.1-10, and such officer also includes jail officers in local and regional correctional facilities, all deputy sheriffs, whether assigned to law-enforcement duties, court services or local jail responsibilities, auxiliary police officers appointed or provided for pursuant to §§ 15.2-1731 and 15.2-1733, auxiliary deputy sheriffs appointed pursuant to § 15.2-1603, police officers of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority pursuant to § 5.1-158, and fire marshals appointed pursuant to § 27-30 when such fire marshals have police powers as set out in §§ 27-34.2 and 27-34.2:1.
"School security officer" means the same as that term is defined in § 9.1-101.
G.
"Simple assault" or "assault and battery" shall not be construed to include the use of, by any school security officer or full-time or part-time employee of any public or private elementary or secondary school while acting in the course and scope of his official capacity, any of the following:
(i) incidental, minor or reasonable physical contact or other actions designed to maintain order and control;
(ii) reasonable and necessary force to quell a disturbance or remove a student from the scene of a disturbance that threatens physical injury to persons or damage to property;
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(iii) reasonable and necessary force to prevent a student from inflicting physical harm on himself;
(iv) reasonable and necessary force for self-defense or the defense of others;
or (v) reasonable and necessary force to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects or controlled substances or associated paraphernalia that are upon the person of the student or within his control.
In determining whether a person was acting within the exceptions provided in this subsection, due deference shall be given to reasonable judgments that were made by a school security officer or full-time or part-time employee of any public or private elementary or secondary school at the time of the event.
§ 19.2-9.2.
Prosecution of assault and battery against a law-enforcement officer.
 [ Before In the event of ] any arrest, indictment, or service of a petition in the case of a juvenile is made for a violation of subsection C of § 18.2-57 where the alleged assault and battery was committed against a law-enforcement officer, (i) such alleged assault and battery shall be investigated by another law-enforcement officer who was not the subject of the alleged assault and battery and (ii) [ the arrest, indictment, or service of a petition shall be approved by the attorney for the Commonwealth.
such investigative information shall be provided in discovery to the defendant prior to trial.
View plain text versions (3)

Action History

  1. Left in Courts of Justice

  2. Continued to Special Session 1 in Courts of Justice

  3. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  4. Read first time

  5. Placed on Calendar

  6. Impact statement from DPB (SB1306ES1)

  7. Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N)

  8. Printed as engrossed 21103079D-ES1

  9. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute with amendments SB1306ES1

  10. Amendments #1 and #2 by Senator Edwards agreed to

  11. Reading of amendments waived

  12. Committee substitute agreed to 21103079D-S1

  13. Reading of substitute waived

  14. Read second time

  15. Constitutional reading dispensed (36-Y 0-N)

  16. Impact statement from DPB (SB1306S1)

  17. Reported from Judiciary with substitute (9-Y 5-N)

  18. Committee substitute printed 21103079D-S1

  19. Impact statement from DPB (SB1306)

  20. Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered

  21. Referred to Committee on the Judiciary

  22. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/21 21102781D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on · 18 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Joseph D. Morrissey

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (146)

146 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 146 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Passed 21 Yea · 18 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 211800
Total 211800
% of votes cast 54%46%0%0%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Morrissey, Joseph D. — Yea
Spruill, Lionell, Sr. — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Barker, George L. — Yea
Bell, John J. — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Nay
Bryce E. Reeves — Nay
Chase, Amanda F. — Nay
Cosgrove, John A., Jr. — Nay
David R. Suetterlein — Nay
David W. Marsden — Yea
Dunnavant, Siobhan S. — Nay
Ebbin, Adam P. — Yea
Edwards, John S. — Yea
Hanger, Emmett W., Jr. — Nay
Hashmi, Ghazala F. — Yea
Howell, Janet D. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kiggans, Jennifer A. — Nay
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lewis, Lynwood W., Jr. — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Nay
Mark J. Peake — Nay
Mason, T. Montgomery "Monty" — Yea
Newman, Stephen D. — Nay
Norment, Thomas K., Jr. — Nay
Petersen, J. Chapman — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Nay
Ruff, Frank M., Jr. — Nay
Ryan T. McDougle — Nay
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Nay
Vogel, Jill Holtzman — Nay
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Nay

Official roll call →

Passed 36 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 36003
Total 36003
% of votes cast 92%0%0%8%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Morrissey, Joseph D. — Yea
Spruill, Lionell, Sr. — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Barker, George L. — Yea
Bell, John J. — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Chase, Amanda F. — Yea
Cosgrove, John A., Jr. — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Dunnavant, Siobhan S. — Yea
Ebbin, Adam P. — Not Voting
Edwards, John S. — Yea
Hanger, Emmett W., Jr. — Yea
Hashmi, Ghazala F. — Yea
Howell, Janet D. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Not Voting
Kiggans, Jennifer A. — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lewis, Lynwood W., Jr. — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Mason, T. Montgomery "Monty" — Yea
Newman, Stephen D. — Not Voting
Norment, Thomas K., Jr. — Yea
Petersen, J. Chapman — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Ruff, Frank M., Jr. — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
Vogel, Jill Holtzman — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Passed 9 Yea · 5 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9500
Total 9500
% of votes cast 64%36%0%0%
How each member voted (14)
Member Party Vote
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Morrissey, Joseph D. — Yea
Edwards, John S. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Nay
Mark J. Peake — Nay
Petersen, J. Chapman — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Nay
Ryan T. McDougle — Nay
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Nay

Official roll call →

Subjects

Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 1306 do?
Assault and battery; penalty. Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months for an assault and battery committed against a judge, magistrate, law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates, firefighter or volunteer firefighter, or emergency medical services personnel. The bill removes simple assault from enhanced punishment and provides that the enhanced punishment applies for assault and battery only when it results in bodily injury. The bill also provides that a jury or the court may find any person charged with such offense (i) whose physical or mental capacity is diminished to the extent that he needs counseling or supervisory assistance or assistance with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living or (ii) who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability, or an intellectual disability, not guilty of such offense but guilty of a simple assault or assault and battery, punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that before any arrest, indictment, or service of a petition in the case of a juvenile is made for an alleged assault and battery against a law-enforcement officer, (a) such alleged assault and battery shall be investigated by another law-enforcement officer who was not the subject of such alleged assault and battery and (b) the arrest, indictment, or service of a petition shall be approved by the attorney for the Commonwealth.
Who sponsors SB 1306?
SB 1306 is sponsored by Joseph D. Morrissey and Scott A. Surovell.
What is the current status of SB 1306?
This bill died with 2021 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 1306?
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