Effort to secure funding to fix I-81 runs out of gas
In the closing days of the legislative session, lawmakers and representatives from the Northam administration attempted to craft a compromise to a secure a new funding stream to address a more than $2 billion plan to remove bottlenecks on the Interstate 81 corridor. However, ultimately conferees for HB 2718 (Landes) and SB 1716 (Obenshain) were […]
Constitutional amendment on car tax exemption passes as mandate
HJ 676 (Filler-Corn) and SJ 278 (Reeves) began and ended the session as mandatory personal property tax exemptions for one motor vehicle owned by a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability, despite attempts to provide instead for a local option. VACo and VML objected to creating another mandatory tax exemption, citing […]
School security officer return to work bills left in House Appropriations
Several bills this session sought to allow retired law-enforcement officers to continue to receive service retirement allowances through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) during a subsequent period of employment by a local school division as a school security officer (SSO). These bills sought to incentivize the recruitment of these individuals with law-enforcement experience to increase […]
General Assembly releases the brakes on parking ordinance bill
HB 1818 (Delaney) and SB 1044 (Black) grant the same authority to counties of a population of at least 40,000 the same authority cities have to contract with uniformed personnel to issue a summons or parking ticket for a violation of the locality’s ordinances or regulations regarding the parking, stopping, or standing of vehicles. VACo […]
FOIA training bill passes with helpful amendments
The conference committee considered SB 1431 (Obenshain) and agreed with the House amendments giving local government attorneys the authority to conduct Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) training for local elected officials in addition to the option of FOIA Council training. The final bill requires local elected officials to complete FOIA training, either by the local […]
Redistricting reform measure passes; problematic local component removed
The General Assembly passed a compromise redistricting reform measure on Saturday that combines elements of HJ 615 (Cole) and SJ 306 (Barker), but does not include language affecting local government redistricting that was initially included in HJ 615. This language would have required any locality in which members of the governing body are elected from […]
Tax court study expanded
HJ 687 (Keam), as introduced, requested the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court to study options for a special tax court system in Virginia. The patron is interested in determining whether some specialization in tax matters among the judiciary might make the appeals process easier for the taxpayer. In the Senate […]
FOIA penalty bill amended in conference committee
SB 1554 (Surovell) allows a court to add an additional penalty when a public record cannot be produced because it was altered or destroyed in order to avoid FOIA provisions. As amended in conference and passed by both chambers the bill also provides that if an improper closed session was held, and the local government […]
VACo County Pulse Podcast | 2019 General Assembly Edition | Part 5
Welcome to the County Pulse. In this episode, VACo Lobbyists Joe Lerch and Katie Boyle talk about the final days of the 2019 General Assembly Session – the conference process, what’s next for the state budget, and some bills of interest to counties. Listen to the Podcast. VACo Contact: Joe Lerch, AICP
New Tool for Local Stormwater Management Heads to Governor’s Desk
Legislation giving localities a new tool for stormwater management has successfully finished its trek through the General Assembly and now will head to the Governor’s desk. HB 1614 (Cole) and SB 1248 (Reeves) give localities more flexibility in addressing stormwater management needs through the creation of a Local Stormwater Management Fund. The Fund shall be […]
Elections bills roundup
In addition to measures to authorize early voting and reform the redistricting process, the General Assembly considered a variety of other measures dealing with elections administration this session. An overview of some of the bills of interest to local governments is provided below. Removal of general registrars HB 2034 (McGuire) proposes to change the procedure […]
Troubling procurement bills dead for the year
Troubling procurement-related legislation is effectively dead for the year after each failed to advance out of the House Appropriations Committee. HB 1667 (Kilgore) and SB 1369 (Norment) attempted to amend the Virginia Public Procurement Act to significantly limit the timeframe during which a public body could bring an action on a construction contract or against […]
School Safety Committee and Workgroup recommended bills status
Prior to the beginning of session, the House Select Committee on School Safety and Governor Northam’s Workgroup on Student Safety reviewed the state of student safety in Virginia’s schools and made their respective recommendations here and here. Multiple pieces of legislation were filed in line with these recommendations. The following is a list of some […]
Bill adding flexibility to local TDR programs passes
Under existing law any locality may adopt a transfer of development rights (TDRs) ordinance. The employment of TDRs is a zoning technique used to protect farmland and other natural and cultural resources by redirecting development that would otherwise occur on these resource lands to areas planned to accommodate growth and development. HB 2139 (Thomas) incorporates […]
Early childhood education legislation fails to graduate
As previously reported, one area of focus for Governor Northam’s Children’s Cabinet is early childhood development and school readiness. Two bills this session sought to make changes aimed at streamlining Early Childhood services, but have been left in committee. HB 2458 (Landes) directs the Virginia Board of Education to establish and administer a statewide unified […]
Helpful water quality funding bill heads to Governor’s desk
Legislation that will be helpful to counties seeking to more effectively and efficiently achieve their water quality goals has now passed both chambers of the General Assembly and will be sent to the Governor for signing. HB 1822 (Bulova) authorizes the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to authorize Water Quality Improvement Fund […]