These Are The Laws Enacted On Thursday

ST. THOMAS — While the Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN) bills dominated Thursday’s Senate session at the Earl B. Ottley Legislative Hall here, mainly because they provided some $100 million to keep the Government of the Virgin Islands solvent through October, there were equally as important measures that became law, including harassing and stalking protective measures, a daytime curfew and truancy law, and a bill to provide a secure storage at the Youth and Rehabilitation Center on St. Croix and other detention centers for personnel use. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Kenneth Gittens and Novelle Francis, also allows Corrections and YRC to have “nonlethal” weapons for self-defense, including pepper sprays and tasers.

All Thursday’s measures received overwhelming support and do not require Governor  Kenneth  Mapp’s signature.

Nelson’s bills, No. 31-0019, seen here, an act amending Virgin Islands Code to allow for restraining orders to be called “Harassment Prevention Orders” for non-domestic relationships, and provides recourse and penalties in which violation of the order would be a criminal offense; and bill No. 31-0011 is an act establishing judicial procedures for stalking victims and redefines terms relating to the crime of stalking.

About his truancy measure, Vialet said it deals “with a problem that I have noticed in the Virgin Islands for quite a while, where it is common practice to see children on the streets of the Virgin Islands, during school hours, riding bikes, in stores, hanging out, and there’s no apparent penalty. And all studies have showed that attendance is directly tied to a student’s ability to perform well academically.”

Other measures include bill No. 31-0110, sponsored by Senator Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly and co-sponsored by Senators Vialet, Marvin Blyden and Clifford Graham, will provide temporary use of the Department of Human Services’ facility located in Estate Kingshill, St. Croix, to My Brother’s Workshop as a youth training center.

Another Rivera-O’Reilly-sponsored measure, bill No. 31-0082, an act amending title 28 V.I.C., chapter 33, section 919 relating to annual audits of the books and records of managers or boards of apartments and condominiums, allows condominiums with 10 or less units to make available financial records upon request by condo owners, and also gives board members the authority to vote on the need for an audit.

The proposed changes to the current law dating back to the 1960s that requires all condominiums to perform annual audits is much-needed, testifiers say, because the requirement is burdensome, costly and unwarranted.

Bill No. 31-0003, sponsored by Sen. Justin Harrigan, Sr. and co-sponsored by Sen. Novelle Francis, Jr., allows police to ticket abandoned vehicles without current registration stickers and authorizes the government to recoup the costs of having the vehicles towed and stored.

Bill No. 31-0094 – “The Second Chance For Jobs and Education After A Misdemeanor Conviction Act” allows people convicted of misdemeanors to file a petition to appeal for expungement of the conviction after waiting for a certain period of time after their release from prison based on how much time they served. The shorter the time in prison, the shorter the waiting period before the petition can legally be filed. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly and co-sponsored by Sen. Sammuel Sanes.

And Rivera-O’Reilly had another similar measure, bill No. 31-0074, an Act to allow for sentence reduction for successful completion of academic or vocational training while imprisoned. It also received overwhelming support; overriding a May veto by Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter.

Here are the remaining measures:

• A Myron Jackson-sponsored measure calling for a feasibility study, through the Dept. of Agriculture, of the commercial value of aloe vera, Morgina trees and bamboo;
• A Rivera-O’Reilly-sponsored measure to promote St. Croix here and St. John at various landmarks and popular tourist areas;
• A resolution commemorating the 50th  Anniversary of the Vietnam War, sponsored by Sen. Jackson;
• Act amending title 17 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 9 to rezone Parcel 10-5b Estate Glucksberg No. 22 Cruz Bay Quarter, St. John, from R-2 (residential – low density- one and two family) to B-3 or business scattered, according to VI Code; and
• A resolution sponsored by Sen. Gittens calling on Congress to repeal provisions of federal law declaring Government House on St. Thomas to be the residence of the territory’s governors.