Bill Text: VA HB818 | 2020 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Assault and battery; adds animal control officers to list, penalty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-11 - Left in Courts of Justice [HB818 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HB818-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §18.2-57 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted 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, color or national origin, the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
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, color or national origin, the person is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
C. In addition, if any person commits an assault or an assault and battery 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, an animal control officer as defined in § 3.2-6500, 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.
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.
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:
"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, any conservation police officers
officer appointed pursuant to §29.1-200, any full-time sworn members
member 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. "Law-enforcement 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; (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.
2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §30-19.1:4 of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $160,177 for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
