RICHMOND, Va. — A slew of new laws go into effect across Virginia on Tuesday, July 1 that impact reckless drivers, unbuckled passengers in the backseat, and criminals who target the mail.
Mail theft has been a federal crime for years but HB 1715 and SB 939 creates a Class 6 felony for stealing, destroying, or tempering with someone else’s mail.
In April, Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Fairfax) told CBS 6 that the goal of the new law was to mirror the federal law so that prosecutors had another tool in their tool belt.
Watch: Mail theft becomes state crime in Virginia giving local prosecutors power to charge offenders
CBS 6 has reported extensively on mail issues that have plagued Richmond communities, and the new law also addresses destruction of mail, damaging mailboxes, or stealing and using mail keys.
Another law, HB 2475, involves anyone who is driving or a passenger on Virginia’s roads by requiring all adults to buckle up in every seat of a vehicle, including the backseat.
The law, known as the Christopher King Seat Belt Law, is in honor of the recent high school graduate who died in a 2020 crash.
He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt in the backseat of a convertible. His mother, Christy King, pushed for the new law as studies show Virginia has the lowest seatbelt usage in the nation.
“It was the one time he didn't buckle up in the back seat of a car that took his life," Christy King explained. “The other three kids walked away, no injuries, nothing — because they had their seat belts on.”
Watch: New Virginia law requires all car passengers to wear seatbelts on highways
Plus, drivers will now face stiffer penalties for street racing or stunt driving as detailed in HB 2036.
A handful of new alcohol-related laws will go into effect on July 1 in Virginia.
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) provided the following list of new laws and a brief description of their impact:
- Cocktails-To-Go Made Permanent: HB 2058 and SB 811 removed the pending sunset for the delivery of wine, beer and cocktails-to-go by licensed third-party delivery providers. These bills, in conjunction with prior legislation, continue the same public safety protections, including those related to packaging and labeling, that have been in place.
- Serving Canned Cocktails: SB 868 will allow mixed beverage licensees to serve the entire contents of a canned cocktail to a single patron if the container is 16 ounces or less and the cocktail’s alcohol by volume content is no greater than 15 percent.
- Human Trafficking Training: HB 2033 requires Virginia ABC to include a human trafficking training module, created by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, in the Authority’s Responsible Sellers & Servers: Virginia’s Program (RSVP) training program.
- Underage Tobacco and Hemp Sales: HB 1946 and SB 1060 created a working group to address enforcement of underage sales of tobacco, liquid nicotine and hemp products. Virginia ABC’s Bureau of Law Enforcement, which conducts an underage buyer program focused on alcohol and tobacco retailers, will contribute to this working group.
- Tied House Exceptions: HB 1703 and SB 834 clarified the existing statutory exception to allow a manufacturer, bottler or wholesaler to obtain a retail license if the manufacturer, bottler or wholesaler does not sell or otherwise furnish, directly or indirectly, alcoholic beverages or other merchandise to the retail licensee.
What do you think about Virginia's new laws? Email the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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