Dear Friend,
I hope you have been staying cool amid the rising temperatures and staying safe during dramatic summer storms. Primary elections concluded last week and next week will bring the enactment of many new laws passed by the legislature earlier this year, as well as the celebration of National July 4 Holiday. Below is an update on those events and other news of interest.
Primary Election Results
Tuesday, June 20, marked primary elections across the State. Thank you to everyone who turned out to vote. Several incumbents will not be returning and many new faces are likely to be in the General Assembly next year. You can find complete election results for statewide primaries at this page from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
Richmond residents participated in a Senate and a House of Delegates Primary. The results are as follows:
House of Delegates District 79:
Winner: Rae Cousins
Senate District 14:
Winner: Lamont Bagby (incumbent)
Primary winners will appear on the General Election Ballot, which voters will consider on November 7.
Laws Taking Effect July 1
Bills that are passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor take effect as law on July 1 each year, unless otherwise noted in the bill by a delayed enactment. The Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) has created this website to highlight notable new laws. Additionally, The Richmond Times-Dispatch has published this article focused on new laws.
This year, over 700 bills were signed into law. Many bring minor and technical changes to the law, and others are sure to impact the day-to-day life of many Virginians. I will highlight some of the larger pieces of signed legislation below as well as some lesser known laws that are coming. This is by no means a comprehensive review of new laws.
You may find In Due Course, a publication from the Department of Legislative Services to be a helpful review of the laws that will take effect July 1. For your more specific analysis, the full text of all 746 approved bills can be found at this website; filter by status to display only “Approved/Enacted” bills.
Limits on Solitary Confinement
HB2487 & SB887 require that incarcerated individuals in solitary confinement are given a minimum of 4 hours of programmatic or rehabilitative activity out of their cell. Additionally, prisons will need to record the reason an individual was placed in solitary confinement as well as have a publicly available policy for the procedure of bringing an individual back into the general population from solitary confinement.
Hemp Product Restrictions
HB2294 & SB903 establish a limit of .3% THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana) to be allowed in hemp products, and only 2 milligrams per package. This will only apply to retails sales and does not effect the medical marijuana system currently operating. This legislation also establishes a hemp product retail registration under the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (VDACS) which carries an annual fee of $1,000. Finally, this bill also creates civil penalties for violators which carry a fee of $10,000 per day when the retailer is found in violation. You can read more about this new law at this press release from VDACS or in this article from The Virginia Mercury.
Firearm Safety Tax Credit
HB2387 established a tax credit up to $300 for those who purchase a gun safety device; such as a gun safe or lockable case.
Age Verification for Online Adult Content
SB1515 requires any commercial entity that publishes or distributes adult content or any content harmful to minors on the Internet to establish a process for verifying the age of site visitors.
Ban on Blue Headlights
SB885 bans aftermarket headlights that make the light appear blue.
Foreign Adversaries Banned from Buying Farmland
HB2325 & SB1438 ban foreign entities that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce determines to be acting in adverse to national security from purchasing farmland in Virginia. A report was recently published on current land holdings by adversaries. You can read the report here and coverage of it from The Richmond Times-Dispatch at this link.
Craft Beer Distribution
HB2258 sets up a first-of-its-kind framework to allow craft beer breweries to distribute their own beers, rather than having to use beer distributors. This is a boon to Virginia’s notable craft beer industry which will be able to retain higher margins amid rising costs.
Police Issued Curfews
SB1455 allows local police chiefs to issue curfews that can last for 24 hours if they believe there is an imminent threat of riot and a clear or present danger. Violating the curfew will carry a class 1 misdemeanor. The curfew must be established in concurrence with the city manager and mayor.
Green Book Historical Sites
The Green Book was a travel guide by Victor Hugo Green for Black Americans in Jim Crow Era. The book shared restaurant, lodging, drug stores, service stations, and other businesses that were known to be safe for Black Americans. HB1968 will direct the Department of Historic Resources, with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Department of Transportation to approve signs for Green Book Historic Sites.
Increase in Jury Duty Allowance
HB2317 & SB789 increase the daily allowance from $30 to $50.
Free Trials & Subscription Payments
HB1517 requires vendors who use subscription or continuous service with automatic payments that offer free trials to give consumers a notification before the free trial ends with an option to cancel the subscription in order to avoid paying or renewing service.
Parental Notice of Bullying
HB1592 & SB1072 require schools to notify parents within 24 hours if their child was involved in a bullying incident.
Move Over Law Expansion
Current law requires Virginia drivers to move a lane away, or reduce speed if a lane change is not possible, when passing emergency vehicles who are stopped alongside the road. SB982 expands the law to include nonemergency vehicles that are stopped along highways and displaying their hazard lights or other cautionary notices.
Update on Amendments to Biennial Budget
Virginia’s biennial budget covers fiscal years 2022 - 2024. Legislators in odd numbered years, such as this year’s past session, have an opportunity to make amendments to the biennial budget. The General Assembly failed to agree on major amendments this year and instead passed a “skinny” stopgap budget which provided a limited number of necessary appropriations.
It was recently reported that there would be no budget negotiation before the close of the fiscal year, June 30. Any budget negotiation that could be passed would be the result of the Governor calling a special session later this Summer. If that is not called, then the Governor will have an additional $3.5 Billion in surplus to construct his first biennial budget since taking office. You can read more in this article from The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Air Quality Resource
In light of the recent bout of hazy sky and poor air quality due to Canadian forest fires, I wanted to share the website AirNow.Gov, which provides real-time air quality readings as well educational and advisory resources. This can be a helpful resource, especially for those in at-risk groups.
Virginia Humanities Grant Opportunities
Virginia Humanities has announced several new grant opportunities. Grants are offered to support projects that explore Virginia’s history, people, and cultural traditions. Funded project examples include print publications, festivals, community forums, exhibits, and much more. For more information on grants, including how to apply, visit this website.
James River Real Estate Deals
Two important real estate deals have recently been brokered that protect and promise enduring park land along the James River.
Mayo Island is set to be purchased by the City of Richmond, with a conservation easement. The island would be reverted to a park, with its few buildings and parking lots cleared out. The Mayo Bridge is also set to be replaced in the coming years. You can read more about this development here.
The other recent deal saw the Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) receive the real estate interests of the Historic James Greenbelt Corporation (HJGC). The HJGC facilitated a gift of the first 31 acres of land which became the James River Park System 50 years ago. It had retained a third party right of enforcement to take lands back should the City fail to protect the lands and use them for their gifted purpose; such as building commercial space or failing to be a good steward. These interests are now transferred to the CRLC, who co-holds the conservation easement with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Richmond Healthy Homes Program
The City is offering a first come, first serve funding opportunity for home owners with qualifying income levels. Qualified individuals can apply to have aging water heaters replaced, deteriorating steps and porches repaired, bathroom and kitchen fixtures replaced, leaking roofs repaired or replaced, and much more. Projects that will cost under $14,999 will receive a grant that does not need to be repaid. Projects over $15,000 will be issued a forgivable loan that does not need to be repaid unless the homeowner sells or moves out of the home during the loan period. In such case, the loan will not accrue interest.
Those interested can reach out to Don Grivetti for more information at Don.Grivetti@rva.gov or 804-646-4078 or you can call 804-646-1766 for general information.
Virginia Public Media Headquarters
Virginia Public Media (VPM) has recently announced their plan to move their headquarters from Chesterfield to Downtown Richmond. VPM is hoping to break ground in Spring 2024 on what will become a 50,000 square foot facility, located between 1st & Foushee streets. You can read more about the new facility and see renderings of its design at this link from VPM.
Greater Richmond Continuum of Care Inaugural Report
The Greater Richmond Continuum of Care is a network of providers focused on ending homelessness. They recently released their inaugural report which highlights the collaborative efforts to curb homelessness over the past year. You can read the report at this link.
State Council of Higher Education Report
The State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) has published a report on credit-bearing internships which will be informative for future workforce development and higher education initiatives, including the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership’s (V-TOP) goal of creating 100,000 new internship positions by 2033. Internships highlight the importance of real work experience, as Virginians enter, or re-enter, the workforce. You can read the full report at this link.
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