Gov. Northam signs 16 bills into law, including parole reform for offenders who committed crimes as juveniles

Bills to become law this summer

RICHMOND, Va. – Several pieces of legislation have officially cleared the governor’s desk and will become law this summer.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday he signed 16 bills into law.

One of the bills, HB 35, is about parole reform. It would make offenders eligible for parole after serving 20 years of a sentence for crimes they committed as juveniles, and for which they received “lengthy” sentences, according to Gov. Northam’s office.

Read more about HB 35 here.

All 16 measures will become law on July 1 unless otherwise noted in the bill’s text.

The bills include:

  • House Bill 35: Juvenile offenders; eligibility for parole.
  • House Bill 94: Adoption; proper notice of proceeding to legal custodian.
  • House Bill 106: Numbering on buildings; civil penalty.
  • House Bill 150: Derelict residential buildings; civil penalty.
  • House Bill 278: Home/electronic incarceration program; payment to defray costs.
  • House Bill 369: Furloughs from local work release programs; furlough approved by local sheriff.
  • House Bill 370: Board of zoning appeals; dual office holding.
  • House Bill 406: Local government revenues and expenditures; comparative report, filing date.
  • House Bill 515: Urban county executive form of government; board of social services.
  • House Bill 549: Overgrown vegetation; local authority.
  • House Bill 585: Comprehensive plan; certain localities to promote transit-oriented development.
  • House Bill 598: Alcoholic beverage control; creates annual mixed beverage performing arts facility license.
  • House Bill 778: Family assessments; increases timeline for completion.
  • House Bill 949: Alcoholic beverage control; privileges of local special events licensees.
  • House Bill 1006: Human trafficking; assessments by local departments.
  • House Bill 1137: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Virginia Initiative for Education and Work; hardship exception.

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