Virginia Senate Bill 244 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: Passed on March 27 2008 - 100% progression
Action: 2008-04-14 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0691)

Magistrates. Reforms the magistrate system by transferring appointment and supervisory responsibilities from the circuit court judges to the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, although the chief judges of the circuit courts in the region are to be consulted regarding appointments. Magistrates initially appointed on or after July 1, 2008, must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college and persons appointed chief magistrates on or after July 1, 2008, are required to be members in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. No magistrate appointed on or after July 1, 2008, may practice law. No magistrate may engage in any other business without the approval of the Executive Secretary. Magistrates will have to serve an initial nine-month probationary period (currently, six months), complete a minimum training program and pass a certification exam. The bill broadens magistrates' geographical assignment from within a particular judicial district to regions established by the Executive Secretary. The bill makes technical amendments replacing "justice of the peace" with "magistrate" and removes references to magistrates serving only within a particular jurisdiction or district. This bill is identical to

Magistrates; reforms system by transferring appointment and supervisory responsibilities.

Sen. John Edwards [D]

Sen. Janet Howell [D]

Sen. Henry Marsh [D]

Sen. Roscoe Reynolds [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2008-04-14		Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0691)
2008-03-27		Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 691 (effective 7/1/08)
2008-03-11		Senate: Signed by President
2008-03-08		House: Signed by Speaker
2008-03-08		Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB244ER)
2008-03-08		Senate: Enrolled
2008-03-05		Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (37-Y 3-N)
2008-03-03		House: VOTE: --- PASSAGE (87-Y 13-N)
2008-03-03		House: Passed House with amendment (87-Y 13-N)
2008-03-03		House: Engrossed by House as amended
2008-03-03		House: Committee amendment agreed to
2008-03-03		House: Read third time
2008-02-29		House: Read second time
2008-02-27		House: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (11-Y 8-N)
2008-02-14		House: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal
2008-02-13		House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2008-02-13		House: Read first time
2008-02-13		House: Placed on Calendar
2008-02-08		Senate: Communicated to House
2008-02-08		Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (28-Y 11-N 1-A)
2008-02-07		Senate: Printed as engrossed 081724866-E
2008-02-07		Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended SB244E
2008-02-07		Senate: Committee amendments agreed to
2008-02-07		Senate: Reading of amendments waived
2008-02-07		Senate: Read second time
2008-02-06		Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
2008-02-05		Senate: Reported from Finance (12-Y 1-N 1-A)
2008-01-30		Senate: Rereferred to Finance
2008-01-30		Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments (14-Y 1-N)
2008-01-25		Senate: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal
2008-01-08		Senate: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2008-01-08		Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081724866

HB903 (Same As) 2008-03-17 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0551)

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?081+sum+SB244