Author: Gage Harter

VACo Opposes Check Registry Bill

SB 751 (Sturtevant) requires every locality with a population greater than 25,000, and every school division with greater than 5,000 students, to post on their websites a register of all transactions. This includes vendor name, date of payment, amount, and description of the type of expense. Action Required – Please contact your Senator to OPPOSE […]

VACo Meets with Speaker Kirk Cox

VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch recently met with the newly-elected Speaker of the House, Delegate Kirk Cox, to discuss issues of importance to county governments.  Speaker Cox has represented the 66th District in the House of Delegates since 1989 and was unanimously elected the 55th Speaker of the House on January 10.  Prior to his […]

Solar Zoning Ordinance Bill Passes with Amendments Made to Address Local Concerns

HB 508 (Hodges), which limits local authority for the approval of solar facilities, reported from the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee on January 26. The legislation prescribes a “one-size-fits-all” approach for localities that makes roof-mounted solar facilities serving the electricity needs of that building a “by-right” use in all agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, institutional […]

Community Policing Bills Update

The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is halfway through a two-year process to update law enforcement training standards. A number of the bills suggest policy changes to those standards relating to communication and community engaged policing. HB 174 (Filler-Corn) requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish communication procedures between law enforcement and […]

Stormwater Bill Defeated in Committee

SB 507 (Carrico) was defeated last week in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, failing to report to the full Senate by a vote of 7-7-1. SB 507 provided that for localities located entirely outside of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Department of Environmental Quality and State Water Control Board would revert to […]

Body Camera Legislation

HB 402 (Levine) requires localities to adopt and establish a written policy for operating body-worn camera systems using the DCJS model policy. The policy addresses storage and maintenance of body-worn camera system records. Two amendments on the bill would clarify that the best practices included in the policy be those identified in the DCJS model […]

House Advances Legislation Impacting Worker’s Compensation

The House Commerce and Labor Committee favorably reported, and referred to the House Appropriations Committee, two pieces of legislation impacting worker’s compensation for firefighters, correctional officers, and local police. HB 107 (Bell, John) adds correctional officers to the list of public safety officers eligible for a presumption that their hypertension, heart disease, and certain other […]

Stream Restoration Bill Reports to Senate

SB 576 (Hanger) states that a person who is 1) engaged in the creation and operation of a stream restoration project for purposes of reducing nutrients or sediment entering state waters, and 2) engaged in such activities in more than one jurisdiction, will be allowed to engage with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Specifically, […]

ABC Transition and its Impact on Revenues

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) Chief Executive Officer Travis Hill recently spoke to the Senate Finance Committee’s Public Safety Subcommittee about budget priorities. ABC started transitioning from a Department to an Authority in January 2018, and many of the requests relate to reinvesting in infrastructure and streamlining and modernizing ABC’s processes. ABC employs […]

Public Animal Shelter Bill Carried Over for Year

SB 175 (Stanley) requires that a public animal shelter must wait three days before euthanizing a dog or cat when a person has notified the shelter of his intent to adopt or take custody of the animal. This bill has been carried over for the year. The chief concerns with SB 175 have been (1) […]

Capitol Contact ALERT – Harmful Wireless Bill To Be Heard Monday in Senate Commerce and Labor

SB 405 (McDougle) substantially limits the ability of local-elected officials to determine how wireless infrastructure is incorporated into their communities, and effectively removes citizen input in making decisions on the siting of towers and poles. Action Required – Please contact your Senators now to oppose SB 405 (McDougle). The bill will be heard Monday afternoon […]

Oppose Exempting School Boards from Obtaining Authorization from the Local Governing Body

VACo opposes SB 440 (Wexton) that seeks to exempt elected local school boards from receiving prior authorization from the local governing body prior to instituting any legal action against another governmental body. Action Required – Contact your Senators and express opposition to SB 440. The bill will reach the Senate floor early next week. If […]