We at PJI Law always follow Virginia General Assembly sessions quite closely, since there are typically new laws passed that directly affect our practice and that may impact some of our clients.
Many laws, however, are written in a matter too confusing for most people, and ought to be made more accessible to the public. Thankfully, the General Assembly’s Division of Legislative Services publishes an annual summary of a selection of legislation passed every year. You can find this year’s list at this link. For the most part, the new laws took effect on July 1 of this year.
The following new laws are of particular interest to us (please note that these are incomplete summaries):
1. Your employer may not require you to disclose the username and password to your social media accounts, nor to add the employer or a co-worker as a “friend”.
2. Crowdfunding, if it meets some requirements, can be exempt from the difficult and complex laws typically governing the issuance of securities.
3. You may breastfeed in any place in public where you are lawfully present.
4. You will receive civil immunity for breaking into a car to save a child, as long as you first tried to contact emergency personnel when possible.
5. Child support may be ordered for disabled adults if the disability existed before adulthood, regardless of whether or not child support had been previously paid. If this may be applicable to your child, our firm would be happy to review the matter with you and assist you in any appropriate Northern Virginia jurisdiction.
6. The authorities may not use against you your attempt to obtain emergency medical attention for yourself or another due to a drug-related or alcohol-related overdose, even if such possession or consumption was illegal, as long as you are cooperative.
7. In addition to not being able to follow other cars too closely, you may not follow bicycles, mopeds, and other non-motor vehicles too closely. If you are a cyclist injured in an accident with a motor vehicle, we would be happy to discuss the impact of this law on your case.
8. You may cross a double yellow line to pass a pedestrian or cyclist, if you do it safely.
If you have any questions on how any new Virginia law impacts you, our attorneys stand ready to assist you.
