Landes legislation to ease some SOLs passes in House, more

DELEGATE LANDES’ BILL ADDRESSING WAIVER FOR SOL ASSESSMENT IN CERTAIN CASES PASSES HOUSE AND A BILL TO ADDRESS IMPERSONATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRESSES THROUGH COMMITTEE PROCESS

RICHMOND- Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, Vice Chairman of the House Education Committee, has advanced his House Bill 2144, addressing a waiver for the Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessment  in certain cases, has now passed the House of Delegates on a vote of 97-1. House Bill 1955, addressing the impersonation of a law enforcement officer, is progressing through the committee progress.   “I have been happy to work with Governor Bob McDonald to advance HB 2144 granting a waiver, under certain circumstances, to schools not meeting the 75% pass rate on the third grade SOL reading test,” Landes said. “We are granting the schools temporary relief while helping them put in place additional best practices for reading instruction and remediation.” “HB 1955, which I introduced at the request of local law enforcement, addresses stronger penalties for criminals posing as law enforcement officers,” said Landes. “This bill is to deter criminal actions against our citizens.” House Bill 2144: Allows a public elementary school that is either accredited with warning based on the adjusted pass rates on the third grade Standards of Learning reading assessment administered during the previous school year or had an adjusted pass rate of less than 75 percent on the third grade Standards of Learning reading assessment administered during the previous school year to apply to the Board of Education for a two-year waiver from the science or history and social science Standards of Learning assessment requirement for students. Elementary schools that apply for a two-year waiver must satisfy certain conditions to be granted the waiver for this pilot program. The bill will expire on July 1, 2015. House Bill 1955: Provides that any unauthorized person who wears a uniform identical to or substantially similar to a standard uniform used by an office of sheriff to impersonate the office of sheriff is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor (currently a Class 3 misdemeanor). The bill adds new punishment for a second or subsequent such offense: a Class 6 felony. The bill also adds the same new punishment for a second or subsequent offense of impersonating a law-enforcement officer or other public safety personnel, currently a Class 1 misdemeanor for any such offense. Landes represents the 25th House District, which includes parts of Albemarle, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties.  Landes was first elected in 1995 and is now serving his ninth term.