Dear Friend,
I hope you and your loved ones had an enjoyable Fourth of July weekend. Last week, I shared a summary of new laws that took effect on July 1. If you missed that update, you can read it here. I also encourage you to review "In Due Course," an annual publication from the Division of Legislation Services for more in-depth coverage of new laws.
Additionally, I wanted to correct and clarify the summary I provided on HB1251 regarding "balance billing."
HB1251: Healthcare providers, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities can no longer send surprise bills for out-of-network services, commonly known as “balance billing.” Fully-insured Virginians who receive emergency services from an out-of-network provider or receive out-of-network surgical or ancillary services at an in-network facility, are not required to pay the out-of-network provider any amount other than the applicable cost-sharing requirement. Self-insured plans may opt-in to this protection.
Last week brought about many changes - the beginning of Phase 3 re-opening of Virginia and the removal of city-owned monuments from Monument Avenue. Below are resources that may be helpful to those who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 as well as my thoughts, information, and articles related to the removal of monuments in the City of Richmond and our community's ongoing conversation about criminal justice and policing reform.
Rent and Mortgage Relief Program
Governor Ralph Northam launched the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP), which will provide $50 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for households facing eviction or foreclosure due to COVID-19. RMRP will provide short-term financial assistance on behalf of households in the form of rent and mortgage payments.
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will administer the $50 million program through a variety of partners, including nonprofit organizations and local governments. To ensure RMRP funding assists households most in need, the program will complete targeted outreach to communities of color across Virginia. Before the pandemic, analysis from RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University found that minority communities had higher eviction rates, even after controlling for income, property value, and other characteristics. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on people of color.
For further information on the RMRP, please visit DHCD's dedicated webpage: https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/rmrp
Energy Assistance
The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) announced that they will be accepting applications for cooling assistance through August 17. VDSS will also issue a supplemental payment, through funding by the CARES Act, to households who received fuel or crisis assistance during the most recent heating season.
Individuals and families may submit an application online via CommonHelp, by calling the Enterprise Customer Service Center at 1-855-635-4370, or through their local department of social services by Monday, August 17.
Emergency SNAP Benefits
Emergency SNAP benefits will again be made available to Virginia SNAP participants for the month of July. Benefits will be automatically loaded to recipients' SNAP EBT cards on July 17. SNAP participants who are not currently receiving the max allotment as their monthly benefit are eligible for emergency SNAP benefits.
Further information can be found here on the VDSS page for SNAP benefits: https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/snap.cgi
Health Insurance Coverage for Recently Unemployed
HCA Virginia is working to assist those who find themselves without health insurance coverage for their families by establishing a hotline to assist those who have lost health insurance coverage to secure temporary coverage while they are unemployed.
You can call the hotline at (833) 867-8771. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Updates on Monument Avenue and Policing Reforms
The community conversation continues to focus on policing and criminal justice reforms in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
As you know, Richmond is the former capital of the Confederacy. There are 240 streets, 13 monuments, 5 parks, and one hospital named after or dedicated to Confederates. While I do not condone the destruction of property by protesters, I do think it is important to consider renaming our Confederate-named streets and schools, removing monuments, and create an environment that is inclusive of everyone in our community. For many, changes from the government are too slow, and swift actions, like that of removing a monument, are viewed as an appeasement rather than true systemic and institutional improvements directed at eliminating racism. Ultimately, while the removal of city-owned monuments does not change the daily lives of Black citizens, I do believe it is an important symbol that the City will not glorify or condone racism.
The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust is fundraising from the community to help fund the removal of the monuments, which is estimated to cost over $2 million – you can learn more here: https://www.movethemonuments.org/
Recently, the Senate Democrats released a statement outlining their legislative priorities and the Speaker of the House established a joint committee comprised of the Courts of Justice and Militia & Police committees to explore possible legislation for criminal justice and police reform during the August special session. There will be several virtual public hearings over the next two months hosted by the joint committee, which will be listed on lis.virginia.gov when the dates are announced.
Additionally, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus released their legislative priorities, which you can read here. I continue to stand with and support the Black Caucus’ priorities.
Finally, over the course of the past several weeks, I have read some interesting and informative perspectives that I would like to share with you:
“No more Confederate school names or mascots,” by Rodney Robinson, a social studies teacher and the 2019 National Teacher of the Year
"Who should be on Monument Avenue?" by Ronald E. Carrington, Richmond Free Press
Virginia Humanities in honor of Juneteenth hosted a conversation on Black historic preservation. You can watch it here.
“Police cannot be exempt by the law. Here’s what Virginia should do.” By Delegate Don Scott
“What should be done with the statues?” by Charles F. Bryan, PhD and CEO emeritus of the Virginia Historical Society
Back Story Radio’s “Contested Landscape,” a five segment series on the battle over Confederate monuments (from 2017)
“The Massacre of Black Wall Street,” an illustrated article from The Atlantic
“When insisting on ‘peaceful’ protest misses the point,” by Rich Meagher, associate professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College
"What should the new Monument Avenue look like?" by Zach Joachim, Richmond Times Dispatch
The American Civil War Museum's "On Monument Ave" website offers historical information as well as the opportunity to share your recent experiences visiting the statues.
It is an honor to serve you in the General Assembly. If I can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me at 804-698-1169 or delegate.carr@betsycarr.org.
Additionally, during this time of continued social distancing, I am happy to meet you for a virtual coffee or lunch break via Zoom or a phone call. Or if you would like me to virtually meet with your group or civic association to discuss the July 1 new laws or other issues related to the Commonwealth, my staff can coordinate that too. Simply send us an email and we will work to find a time to meet with you.
Sincerely,
Betsy B. Carr