Legislation Requires Community Services Boards to Provide Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Jails
HB 1487 (Stolle)/SB 878 (Dunnavant) require local Community Services Boards (CSBs) to provide mental health and substance abuse services for individuals incarcerated in local and regional jails. The bills also provide that an individual who is discharged from a local or regional jail may continue to receive services from the CSB that provided services in […]
Troublesome FOIA Bills Advance in the Senate
SB 630 (Surovell) provides that in addition to any penalties imposed under FOIA, if a court finds that any officer, employee, or member of a public body failed to provide public records to a requester in accordance with the provisions of FOIA because such officer, employee, or member of a public body intentionally altered or […]
Bill to Provide Equal Taxing Authority to Counties Fails; Issue to be Considered in Interim
SB 200 (Favola), which would have equalized counties’ taxing authority with the powers currently afforded to cities and towns, was passed by indefinitely in the Senate Finance Committee on January 31. The Committee agreed that a letter would be sent to the Joint Subcommittee on Local Government Fiscal Stress requesting that the subject be examined […]
SLAF Guidelines Update Fails to Report
An update to Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) project funding guidelines has failed to report out the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee #3. HB 493 (Hodges) sought to authorize the recipient of a grant from SLAF to use a portion of the grant funds to pay for reasonable administrative costs. Additionally, HB […]
Bill to Fund Court Safety Rereferred
SB 827 (Howell) increases assessments made on defendants convicted of violating a statute or ordinance from $10 to $20. Revenue from the assessment shall be used for funding courthouse security personnel and, at the request of the sheriff, other security-related equipment and property. The salaries for security personnel come from the general fund, and increasing […]
Capitol Contact ALERT – Oppose Bad Wireless Bill Now
HB 1258 (Kilgore) substantially limits the ability of local-elected officials to determine how wireless infrastructure is incorporated into their communities, and removes citizen input in making decisions on the siting of towers and poles. Action Required – Please contact your Delegates now to oppose HB 1258, which will be heard tomorrow in the House Commerce […]
Capitol Contact ALERT – Oppose Bill that Changes Local Grievance Procedure
HB 1471 (Hugo) seeks to make several changes to the local grievance procedures that apply to all localities and local government employees throughout the Commonwealth. HB 1471 is a refiling of similar bills defeated during the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 legislative sessions. The bill, which also has some provisions regarding local school board grievances, […]
School Boards Bill Rereferred to Senate Courts of Justice
SB 440 (Wexton) exempts elected local school boards from receiving prior authorization from their local governing body prior to instituting any legal action against another government body. On January 29, the Senate rereferred the bill to the Courts of Justice Committee. Action Required – Contact members of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee now to […]
VACo Opposes Proposal to Allow for Heavier Trucks in Virginia
SB 504 (Carrico) and HB 1276 (Garrett) would authorize the Commissioner of Highways, with the approval of the Governor, to allow for heavier, six-axle tractor trucks to travel Virginia roads as part of any federal pilot program, for a period of up to 15 years. Action Required – Please contact your legislators now to oppose […]
Bills Addressing Opioid Addiction Crisis Move Forward
VACo is following many bills that focus on the problem of opioid addiction. Several bills that address the issue of prescription opioid misuse have been reported from the Senate Education and Health Committee’s Health Professions Subcommittee, and now move to consideration by the full Senate. SB 226 (Stanley) requires veterinarians to register with the Prescription […]
Virginia Grocery Investment Fund Passes Senate
The Virginia Grocery Investment Fund and Program (VGIF) passed the Senate this week in a 36-4 vote. SB 37 (Stanley) will now await referral to the appropriate House of Delegates committee. The House companion bill, HB 85 (Bell, Richard/McQuinn), has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee but has not yet been placed on an agenda. […]
Communications Sales and Use Tax Update – Fails to Proceed in House Finance
HB 1051 (Watts) would have updated the Communications Sales and Use Tax (CSUT), which was established in 2006 to replace a variety of local telecommunications taxes, to reflect modern consumer choices. The bill would have placed similar services on a level playing field by eliminating the current exemptions for streaming and prepaid wireless services. As […]
Dredging Bills Advance
Several dredging bills introduced by Delegate Keith Hodges have begun gaining momentum as they move through the General Assembly. HB 1095 (Hodges) authorizes the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority and Northern Neck Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority to undertake dredging projects and authorizes those authorities, as well as the Eastern Shore Water Access […]
School Bus Advertising Moves Out of Committee
HB 809 (O’Quinn), which allows local school boards to sell advertising space on school buses, reported out of the full House Education Committee by a vote of 18-2. Introduced by Delegate Israel O’Quinn, the bill permits school boards to sell commercial ad space on the sides and rear of a bus as well as between […]
Senate Committee Advances Presumption Legislation
The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee referred to the Senate Finance Committee, two pieces of legislation impacting worker’s compensation for firefighters and local police. SB 642 (McPike) adds colon cancer to the existing list of conditions currently presumed to be an occupational disease when developed by certain public safety employees and therefore covered by the […]
Several Helpful Measures Reported from House Finance
The House Finance Committee reported a couple of helpful bills on January 29. HB 119 (Thomas) creates a separate class of merchants’ capital for certain wholesaler inventory, which would allow localities that impose a merchants’ capital tax to impose a lower tax rate on that inventory. HB 495 (Hodges) allows local commissioners of the revenue, […]