SB624

Virginia SB624 modifies assault and battery definitions and penalties, including mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses.

Virginia SB624 amends the definition of assault and battery, specifying that incidental, minor, or reasonable physical contact or force used by school security officers or school employees to maintain order or prevent harm is not considered assault. It also defines "Islamophobia" as malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam or Muslims, regardless of the victim's actual religious practice. The bill mandates that the Department of State Police incorporate this definition into its hate crime repository.