House Bill to Limit Data Center Development Fails; Senate Version to be Considered
HB 1986 (Roem), as introduced, would have required more stringent stormwater management practices to be undertaken for land disturbances regarding the operation or construction of data centers across the Commonwealth within a certain distance from protected lands. During the House Commerce and Energy Committee’s Subcommittee #4 meeting, HB 1986 was amended to include a more […]
License Reciprocity Bills for Waterworks Move Forward
SB 999 (Mason) and its companion bill, HB 1940 (Runion), would allow for waterworks employees licensed in other states to be issued the equivalent license in Virginia. These bills would help localities recruit and retain these necessary public works employees as staffing issues continue at the local level. VACo spoke in support of SB 999 […]
Bank Franchise Tax Legislation Significantly Revised
An amended version of HB 1896 (Byron) was recommended for reporting by the House Finance Committee’s subcommittee #3, which met on Monday, January 30. As introduced, the bill would have allowed banks with $40 billion or greater in Virginia deposits to choose to pay their bank franchise taxes directly to the state, which would allocate […]
Resources for Jails under Discussion
Two bills that would cap or eliminate certain fees charged to individuals incarcerated in local and regional jails and require the provision of telephone service at no charge were filed this session. HB 2039 (Shin) was heard in a subcommittee of the House Public Safety Committee on January 19 and tabled, but the subcommittee Chair […]
VACo Opposes Bills that Remove Valuable Tools from the Procurement Toolbox
HB 1957 (Leftwich) and SB 954 (Petersen) would remove the authority of localities to use design-build or construction management at risk contracts for construction projects costing under $125 million. Current law allows their use for projects over $26 million and for complex projects below that amount. VACo opposes these bills as a limitation on the ability […]
Bill Making Changes to the Information Technology Access Act Advances with Changes
On January 30, the House Communications, Technology, and Innovations Committee heard HB 2207 (Tran), which makes changes to the Information Technology Access Act (ITAA). The changes included broadening the definition of digital accessibility and technology procurement requirements, as well as requiring all state agencies, public institutions of higher education, school divisions, and political subdivisions of […]
Charging Up in Support of Rural Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
VACo spoke in support of SB 1466 (Marsden) and HB 1588 (Sullivan), which would create the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund. This Fund would make available up to $25 million each fiscal year and assist developers by offsetting up to 70 percent of the cost of electric vehicle charging stations. According to the […]
BPOL Legislation Advances from Subcommittee
HB 2200 (Robinson) deals with BPOL taxes for oncology practices and would require a deduction from gross receipts for any amount paid for anti-cancer drugs that are purchased by a medical practice and administered to patients whose treatment is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE. VACo is opposed to a mandatory approach to tax […]
VACo Opposes Bill to Make Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) a By-Right Use
HB 2100 (Hudson) mandates that any single-family dwelling (SFD), or property that is zoned for SFD, be permitted to include an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Additionally, the bill mandates the following provisions a locality must make a part of their local ordinances related to ADUs: Shall allow ADUs to be built before, after, or concurrently […]
Center for Rural Virginia Budget Amendments to Support
The Center for Rural Virginia (CFRV) was created in 2004 to ensure that Virginias’s rural communities are successful, productive, and prosperous as a vital part of the Commonwealth. General Assembly members have requested various budget amendments during the 2023 Session that seek to increase funding to the CFRV. Delegate Brewer, along with Senator Ruff, (co-patroned […]
Bill to Require Minimum Safety Standards for Farm Buildings Open to the Public Passes in Committee
SB 1305 (Hanger) requires farm buildings and structures where the public is invited to enter and that are used for storage, handling, production, display, sampling, or sale of agricultural, horticultural, floricultural, or silvicultural products produced on the farm and that are exempt from the Uniform Statewide Building Code (the building code) to have (i) portable […]
Highway and Mileage Based Fee Elimination Proposal Struck from Consideration
SB 862 Newman would eliminate the highway use fee and mileage-based user fee program that was created during the 2022 Session. The funds collected from the highway use fee programs support the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, which helps maintain, construct and support transportation projects in the Commonwealth. The bill was struck during its initial hearing at […]
Visit Culpeper County and the Culpeper County Historic Courthouse
Location: 135 West Cameron Street / West StreetBuilt: 1872 – 1873Style: Classical RevivalArchitect: Samuel ProctorContractor: Samuel Proctor Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Culpeper. The south front has steps rising to a second story […]
Update on Finance Legislation, including Grocery Tax Bills
Grocery tax bills defeated in the Senate, advance in the House: On January 18, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee considered SB 850 (Suetterlein), which would have eliminated the local option sales and use tax on food for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products and replaced the lost revenue via a supplemental school payment […]
Legislation and budget proposals seek to address state hospital capacity and temporary detention process
State hospital capacity continues to be a topic of concern at the General Assembly. Several bills address aspects of the temporary detention process in an effort to relieve pressures on state hospitals and law enforcement agencies. The Governor’s budget proposes several investments that are intended to address state hospital capacity, as well as enhancements to […]
Education Savings Account Bills and Charter School Amendment Fail to Graduate
As in past sessions, several bills seeking to divert public funds towards private education savings accounts have been introduced and heard at the General Assembly. Additionally, a constitutional amendment to usurp local control over the charter school approval process was also introduced. A brief overview of such legislation is listed below. Currently, there are several […]