Capitol Contact ALERT! COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Presumption Bills in Conference – Call Conferees to Support Prospective Version of the Bill
SB 1375 (Saslaw) as passed by the Senate, establishes a presumption that COVID-19, causing the death or disability of firefighters, EMS personnel, law-enforcement officers, and correctional officers, is an occupational disease compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The Senate language stipulates a prospective presumption effective July 1, 2021. The House passed substitute language for the […]
Children’s Services Act legislation heads to the Governor
Several bills were introduced during the 2021 session to implement recommendations from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report on the Children’s Services Act (CSA), which was released in November 2020. The successful legislation this session addressed private day placements and the relationship between the Office of Children’s Services (OCS) and local CSA […]
License plate reader study bill sent back to committee, effectively dead for the year
SB 1198 (Petersen), a bill creating a workgroup to study the use of license plate readers by law enforcement agencies, has been sent back to committee after several days of waiting for a vote on the full House floor. As reported in the previous edition of Capitol Contact, this legislation originally sought to prohibit law-enforcement […]
Outdoor refreshment area bills sent to conference
Two bills authorizing localities to create outdoor refreshment areas have been sent to conference after the House and Senate failed to reach a consensus on the measures. HB 2266 (Ayala) and SB 1472 (Dunnavant) would form a framework that would allow localities to establish up to three outdoor refreshment areas, or areas where people can […]
‘True Cost’ of education study resolution aces tests in committee
SJ 294 (Lewis) would require the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the true cost of education in the Commonwealth and provide an accurate assessment of the costs to implement the Standards of Quality (SOQs). As VACo has previously reported, the SOQs prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) and enacted […]
Please Contact Legislators to Support Key County Priorities in Budget Conference
The House and Senate budgets have been placed in a conference committee to resolve differences between the two proposals in advance of the session’s scheduled completion of legislative business on February 27. Both proposals contain items of importance to county government; a short list of priority items is provided below. VACo encourages members to contact […]
Update on social services legislation
Bills addressing a variety of aspects of social services, from foster care to public benefits, have been considered this session. Several bills of interest to local governments are discussed below. HB 1820 (Helmer) makes modifications to benefits programs that are administered by local departments of social services. The bill makes post-secondary education a qualifying work […]
License plate reader bill converted to a study, awaits fate on House floor
Legislation that initially sought to prohibit law-enforcement and regulatory agencies from using license plate readers to collect and maintain personal information on individuals without a warrant has been converted to a study bill and currently awaits a final vote in the House of Delegates. SB 1198 (Petersen) was substantially amended by the House Public Safety […]
Paid sick leave bill narrowed in scope
HB 2137 (Guzman) as originally written would have required employers of certain essential workers, including local governments, to allow these employees to accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave to respond to individual health conditions or care for a family member. The types of local employees originally covered under the bill included law-enforcement, […]
Compromise wetland and stream mitigation bank credits bill passes Senate, ready for Governor’s signature
HB 1983 (Bulova), a compromise bill dealing with wetland and stream mitigation bank credits, has successfully completed its journey through the General Assembly and will now be sent to the Governor. HB 1983 is the result of a series virtual work group meetings that featured developers, environmental organizations, and local governments. The bill proposes that […]
Update on Constitutional Amendments
After reviewing proposals on topics ranging from the expansion of real property tax exemptions to authorizing a two-term Governor, the General Assembly has selected two Constitutional amendments to advance to the next step of the process. Members of the subcommittee of House Privileges and Elections that reviewed Constitutional amendments before crossover aimed to limit the […]
Carbon sequestration work group ready to be signed into law
Legislation introduced by Senator Lynwood Lewis establishing a Carbon Sequestration Task Force has now passed the House and Senate and will be sent to Governor Ralph Northam for review and eventual signing. SB 1374 (Lewis) directs the Secretary of Natural Resources, jointly with the Secretary of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to convene a task force […]
‘Return to School’ bill further modified in committee; graduates to House Floor
On February 22, SB 1303 (Dunnavant) was heard and further modified by the House Education Committee. As previously reported, the bill was modified with substitute language developed with the patron by the Chair of the House Education Committee’s SOL and SOQ Subcommittee that would require local school boards to offer either fully in-person instruction or […]
State Parks funding bill ready to be signed by Governor
Legislation introduced by Delegate Bobby Orrock that seeks to address funding issues for Virginia’s state parks unanimously passed the Senate on February 19. HB 1804 (Orrock) requires the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to develop recommendations for one or more dedicated, stable sources of funding for the state parks system. DCR shall convene […]
‘Money Committees’ Release Budgets
The House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee met on February 10 and reported their respective amendments to the Governor’s introduced budget. The Wednesday meeting marked a departure from the traditional “Budget Sunday” unveiling of the committee budgets, which was originally scheduled for February 7, but was delayed until later in the […]
Visit Grayson County and the historic log cabins at Grayson Highlands State Park
The park is open daily from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. The park office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Visitor Center and Country Store are closed for the season. Be sure to plan in advance for your trip: click here. The Backpackers Lot is open for overnight parking, but reservations […]