Dear Friend,
The General Assembly has wrapped its second full week of Session. Many bills were heard this week as Virginia’s famously fast legislative process forged forward. There are now less than two weeks for each body of the General Assembly to act on their offered legislation before they must be sent to the other body. Following is an update on some relevant issues being considered, a look at the bills I presented and some other state and local news.
The Library of Virginia’s 200th Anniversary
The Library of Virginia celebrated its 200th anniversary this past Tuesday, January 24. In honor of this monumental date, I moved passage of a commending resolution for the Library and gave remarks in the center aisle of the House floor, accompanied by Sandra Treadway (Librarian of Virginia), Paul Brockwell (Chairman of the Library of Virginia Board) and Pia Trigiani (Chair of the Library of Virginia Foundation Board). You can watch a recording of my center aisle presentation here.
Important Bills
This past week, several important bills have been introduced and heard.
Short Term Rentals
HB2271 & SB1391 were introduced. HB2271 was scheduled to be heard Thursday morning; however the subcommittee moved to take it by for the week so amendments could be considered.
These two bills were introduced to set-up short-term rentals that are operated by Virginia licensed realtors. Although the intent of this bill was to insulate only Virginia realtors (a relatively small group of current short term rental operators), the current bill disregards local governments, who know what is best for their communities and neighborhoods.
I agree with the many concerns I have heard from community associations and prioritize the primacy of Richmond’s on-going discussions and ordinances on short term rentals. I will oppose this bill in its current form. These types of decisions should be left to localities.
Clean Economy Bills
This week, the House passed a bill to repeal Virginia’s clean car standards, which were adopted in 2021 and aim for a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
This repeal is now going to the Senate who voted this week to kill bills that repeal Virginia’s engagement in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
The Virginia Mercury published a helpful round-up of clean energy bills that are still at play in the General Assembly. You can read it here.
Gun Safety Bills
On Thursday night, Public Safety Subcommittee #1 heard and defeated a number of important gun safety bills, including an assault firearm ban. These bills would have made our communities, schools, and homes safer. You can find the subcommittee’s agenda here.
Abortion
Bans and restrictions of abortion have not been heard in the House yet; however, the Senate has voted defeated three abortion restricting bills.
There have been ancillary bills not directed at abortion, but seeking to set dangerous precedents. HB1894 is an example of such a bill. It sought to establish pregnant women as two people for the purposes of HOV roads. It came before my colleagues and me in the Transportation committee, where it was voted down unanimously.
Animal Testing in Laboratories
Two bills were introduced to protect animals used in lab testing. HB2348 increases penalties for facilities that violate the federal Animal Welfare Act. This bill was reported from the Agriculture committee and referred to the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 6-4.
HB2042 established whistleblower protections for those speaking out on mistreatment of animals used in a lab setting. This bill failed to pass (5-4).
Clockwise from top left: Virginia Human Rights Coalition, President Rao of VCU, Virginia Nurse Midwives Association, Virginia Assisted Living Association.
Bills I Presented
Since Session began, I have presented 8 bills. Below is an update on each.
HB1738 seeks to ensure virtual public access is required for state and local meetings. This bill was reported and referred from General Laws to Appropriations for fiscal analysis.
HB1743 attempted to ensure responsible contracting practices were required in state public procurement bids, continuing the focus on preventing wage theft and irresponsible contracting in State projects. This bill failed to report from its General Laws subcommittee.
HB1745 is my consumer protection bill to prevent predatory towing practices. It reported from its subcommittee unanimously and eventually passed the House by a vote of 94-6. It now must move through the Senate.
HB1744 establishes reciprocity between home studies done for adoption or foster care services. A constituent presented the idea for this bill to me and I was thrilled to introduce this legislation which will provide clarity and reduce financial barriers associated with the adoption and foster care process. This bill reported from the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Subcommittee #1 unanimously.
HB1785 would have allowed certain localities to lower their speed limits below 25 mph. This bill failed to report from subcommittee over concerns that this would create an unprecedented situation. City leaders brought this idea to me and although it did not pass, I believe it was valuable for state lawmakers and officials from VDOT to hear about the severity of speeding in the Commonwealth, especially within and in the Richmond area.
HB1742, known as “No Child Left Inside,” sought to create an environmental literacy curriculum and fund to engage students with their physical environment and prepare them with the necessary environmental literacy to understand the unique challenges the Commonwealth will face as a result of climate change. Additionally, this outdoor engagement improves student behavior and academic performance. Unfortunately, the bill failed to report from subcommittee due to funding concerns.
HB1773 brought results from three studies (one each from State Police, AAA, and VDOT) to codify the bike safety stop, a traffic practice that permits cyclists to treat certain stop signs as yield signs. A number of constituents emailed and called me with their support. This bill failed to report from Transportation Subcommittee #3.
HB2046 is the first of my affordable housing bills to be heard which implement JLARC recommendations. It seeks to create an incentive program under the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that would provide grants to localities who adopt affordable housing zoning policies. General Laws Subcommittee #2 recommended reporting and referring to Appropriations by an unanimous vote.
My Budget Amendments
The budget amendments submitted by House and Senate members are available for public access online. You can view them here.
Citizens in North Side, Rosedale, Sherwood Park, Scott’s Addition, and Carver are concerned about how the Diamond District development may affect the current Arthur Ashe Boulevard/I-95 interchange. I submitted a budget amendment that requests VDOT to study the traffic impact along this interchange.
Additionally, I introduced budget amendments for the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the American Civil War Museum, the Virginia Repertory Theater, and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to help these institutions better provide educational programming and resources for the Commonwealth’s students.
I am carrying budget amendments to support state employees by converting the Governor’s proposed bonus into a permanent wage increase and also providing a one-time cost of living adjustment for Virginia retirees to combat rampant inflation. I also submitted budget amendments to increase reimbursement rates for personal healthcare providers, who play a vital role in our communities.
The Library of Virginia has important funding needs for their IT infrastructure as well as for better support to local libraries; I submitted budget requests to address both. I also submitted budget amendments to support local parks and to support localities impacted by flooding.
Helpful Resources for Session
Session convenes each day at noon. You can watch a live stream and recordings of previous sessions and committee meetings at this link.
You can find copies of introduced bills and track their progress at this website. Additionally, under the meeting tab of that website, you can find the schedule for committees, caucuses, commissions and session.
If you would like to testify in favor or opposition of a bill either virtually or in-person, you can sign up to do so here.
Reading a bill is a skill that can take some time to develop. Review the below graphic for help on how.
Finally, the language of session can be tricky, see below for a glossary of some common terms and motions used in session and in committees.
Definitions of Common Terms & Motions
Patron: The Delegate or Senator who introduces a bill
Co-Patron: The Delegate or Senator who supports the bill
First Reading: The bill is placed on the House floor calendar
Second Reading: The bill is open for discussion on the House floor
Third Reading: The bill is voted on the House floor
Crossover: When all the bills that passed one body (House or Senate) “crossover” to the other body
Sine Die: The House and Senate have completed their work and session adjourns
Committee motions:
Report: This motion is made to vote on the passage of a bill in committee.
Refer: This motion is made when a bill is being reported and referred to another committee for review and consideration.
Pass by for the Day: When a bill is still up for consideration but the committee or the patron need more time to work on the bill. It is considered again during the next committee meeting. This motion can also be made on the House floor.
Lay on the table: This means the bill fails to pass.
Pass by Indefinitely: This means the bill fails to pass.
Continued: The bill fails to pass but will be considered next year after more research/discussion, often accompanied by a workgroup that convenes between sessions.
Groups, in addition to constituents, that I have met with since my last update:
Moms in Motion
Apartment Building Managers
GenEdge
Shatterproof Recovery
VA Restaurant Lodging & Tourism
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
VCU Leadership
J. Sargent Reynolds Community College Leadership
Virginia Energy Burden
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
Virginia Human Rights Coalition
VA Promise Partnership
Coalition for Virginia’s Future
Virginia Nurse Midwives Association
Medical Society of Virginia
Service Employees International Union
This week, I have responded to over 1,500 emails from constituents and Virginians.
Current relevant issues:
Protecting localities from the proposed short term rental loopholes for realtors.
Expanding animal welfare for animals used in lab settings.
Protecting Clean Economy and Clean Car standards.
Issues related to the automative franchise system in Virginia.
Affordable housing and rent stabilization.
Protecting LGBTQ students.
I value your concerns and commitment to protecting our community. I hold that same value and promise to commit to and respect issues brought to me by fellow constituents.
I enjoy meeting with constituents and advocacy groups, feel free to contact me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org with any legislative priorities, or visit in-person.
Dominion Bill Assistance
Dominion Energy provides several bill payment assistance programs for its customers. You can view their entire list of programs at this link, which includes housing assistance and scam awareness resources.
Passing of Former Delegate Jimmie Massie
Former Delegate Jimmie Massie, who represented parts of Henrico County from 2008 to 2018 passed away this past Wednesday.
My heart is with his family, friends and community, on whom he made a big impact and left an even larger hole. I certainly enjoyed serving with him. He will be missed.
Community Events
The Library of Virginia has several programs and exhibits in celebration of their 200th anniversary. More information is available at their website.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will host a free Lunar New Year celebration on February 4, 10 AM - 4:30 PM. Visit their website for more information.
The Virginia Holocaust Museum is hosting a film screening at the VMFA on January 29, 2 PM. They will be showing “Valiant Hearts,” a story about 6 Jewish children seeking refuge during World War II.
The Valentine Museum’s next “Richmond Short Stories,” will be February 2, 6 PM. These sessions involve a Valentine staff member taking guests on exclusive gallery tours highlighting a diverse set of Richmond stories. Visit the Valentine's website for more information.
The Visual Arts Center offers art classes for adults and children on topics such as woodworking, sewing, drawing and much more. Visit their website to see the schedule.
The Science Museum of Virginia features live science and dome shows. More information is available at their website.
The Branch House Architectural Museum has several exhibits open, including “Characters: Type + Progress” which examines the relationship of typography and social movements. Visit their website for more information.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture has family-friendly first Fridays and other special events in addition to exhibitions. Current exhibits include “Landscapes of America” and “The Story of Virginia.” Visit their website for more information.
The American Civil War Museum features exhibits and events such as book discussions and history happy hours. Check their website for more information.
The Black History Museum’s “Forging Freedom, Justice and Equality,” exhibition commemorates the Museum’s 40th anniversary. More information is available here.
Thank You
It is an honor to serve in the House of Delegates. Please never hesitate to contact me at delegate.carr@betsycarr.org or 804-698-1069 if I can be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Betsy