Check Out These Newly Enacted Virginia Laws

We’re not passive about the practice of law here at PJI Law – we pride ourselves on keeping up with the latest changes in the law in order to gain as big of an advantage as possible in our clients’ cases. Newly enacted Virginia statutes typically go into effect on July 1 of each year, which means it’s now time to look at some of the newest and, in some cases, most interesting, laws that have gone into effect as recently as a last week: Family Law 1. For the purposes of petitioning the court for a modification of spousal support, the payor spouse’s reaching full retirement age (per the Social Security Act) must be considered a material change in circumstances. 2. Virginia has developed a Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program to facilitate child placements with relatives if it is not appropriate for the child to return home or be adopted. The law also allows financial payment to the relative acting as the guardian of the child. Business Law 3. The board of directors of a nonstock corporation is now authorized to determine that a meeting of members be held via remote communication, assuming the articles of incorporation or bylaws don’t have contradictory requirements. 4. A new law removes the requirement that a corporation authorized to issue one or more classes of shares list the number of shares of each class on its corporate annual report. 5. Landlords may now accept full or partial payment of rent during a court action for possession and still receive an order of possession if the landlord states in the written notice to the tenant that any payment of rent, damages, money judgment, award of attorney fees, and court costs would be accepted with reservation and not constitute a waiver of the landlord’s right to evict the tenant from the dwelling unit. Miscellaneous 6. Everyone with pets knows that there can be liability if the pet bites someone. If there is a history of biting, the repercussions could be even worse. A new law in Virginia requires that previous bites must be disclosed upon the release of a dog or cat for adoption. 7. Virginia is lifting the prohibition on hunting or killing raccoons after 2:00 a.m. on Sundays. 8. Health care practitioners employed by the Department of Health may now prescribe antibiotics to the sexual partner of a patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease without physically examining the partner. 9. Effective July 1, 2020, 911 is required to be able to receive and process calls for emergency assistance via text message. If you have questions on how these or other Virginia laws may impact you, we stand ready to assist you.