HB5139: Projecting laser at law-enforcement officer; penalties.
HOUSE BILL NO. 5139
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 18.2-57.01 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 18.2-57.01. Projecting laser at law-enforcement officer unlawful; penalties.
If any person, knowing or having reason to know another person
is a law-enforcement officer as defined in § 18.2-57, a probation or parole
officer appointed pursuant to § 53.1-143, a correctional officer as defined in
§ 53.1-1, or a person employed by the Department of Corrections directly
involved in the care, treatment, or
supervision of inmates in the custody of the Department engaged in the
performance of his public duties as such, intentionally projects at such other
person a beam or a point of light from a laser, a laser gun sight, or any
device that simulates a laser, shall be such person is
guilty of a Class 2 1 misdemeanor, but if such intentional
projection results in blindness or
serious eye injury, such person is guilty of a Class 4 felony, and, upon
conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term
of confinement of two years.
2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to § 30-19.1:4 of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $0 for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.