Neighbors,
Today, Tuesday, April 21, is the last day to vote in the Special Election on the proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting. Polls will be open from 6am to 7pm. To find your Election Day voting location or to check your voter registration status, visit the Virginia Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal.
If approved by Virginia voters, this constitutional amendment would allow the General Assembly to adopt new congressional districts this year, and Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting process will resume after the 2030 census. Review the proposed constitutional amendment on the Virginia Department of Election’s website here.
If you are eligible to vote but have not yet registered, Virginia offers same-day voter registration; you can learn more here.
If you have an absentee ballot, it must be postmarked by Election Day or dropped off at a drop box before 7pm. In Fairfax County, there will be drop-boxes at the Fairfax County Government Center or at any Fairfax County precinct voting location.
I encourage everyone to vote and make your voice heard! In this newsletter, I’ve included the following updates:
- Virtual Town Hall
- Community Updates
- Lewis High School’s “Meet Your Legislator” Day
- Honoring Paul Gilbert
- Laurel Highlands Homeowners Association and Fairfax County NAACP Town Hall
- Virginia Works Career Forward Summit
- The Arc of Northern Virginia’s “A Life Like Yours” Breakfast
- Legislative Updates
- Reconvened and Special Sessions
- My Legislative Agenda
- My Board and Commission Appointments
- Legislative Events
- Apply for a State Board or Commission
As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1018 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Best, Kathy
Kathy KL Tran
Delegate
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
Wednesday, April 29
7:00pm
Submit a question for the Town Hall here!
I hope you will join me, Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy, Delegate Rozia Henson, and Delegate Margaret Franklin for our Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, April 29 at 7pm – I look forward to seeing you!
COMMUNITY UPDATES
Lewis High School’s “Meet Your Legislator” Day
I enjoyed meeting students during John R. Lewis High School’s “Meet Your Legislator” Day
— Thanks for the warm welcome, Lancers!
Honoring Paul Gilbert
I was honored to present a commending resolution to Paul Gilbert celebrating his retirement as Executive Director of NOVA Parks. Congratulations to Paul on an impactful career protecting thousands of acres of parkland across Northern Virginia, expanding access to the outdoors, and preserving historic sites!
Laurel Highlands Homeowners Association and Fairfax County NAACP Town Hall
I shared legislative updates with the Laurel Highlands Homeowners Association and discussed the special election with members of the Fairfax County NAACP during a virtual town hall.
I’m grateful to hear from constituents and neighbors, and I welcome the opportunity to connect with you. If your HOA or civic association is interested in having me attend a meeting, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Virginia Works Career Forward Summit
I delivered remarks at Virginia Works’ Career Forward Summit, a career transition event for former federal workers and contractors.
I worked at the U.S. Department of Labor as a civil servant earlier in my career, and I deeply appreciate the expertise and commitment of our federally-connected workers. Through my service on the Virginia Workforce Board, I will continue to push for improved career services to workers affected by federal cuts.
Please see the Virginia Works’ employment resources for federally-connected workers here.
The Arc of Northern Virginia’s “A Life Like Yours” Breakfast
I attended the 8th Annual “A Life Like Yours” Benefit Breakfast to support the Arc of Northern Virginia in recognition of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. It was great to see constituents and inspiring to hear from self-advocates and families about the importance of expanding support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Reconvened and Special Sessions
During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly passed 1,156 bills. Governor Spanberger signed 971 bills into law, proposed amendments to 176 bills, vetoed eight bills, and allowed one bill to become law without her signature.
On April 22, the legislature will return to Richmond for the annual Reconvened Session to consider the Governor’s proposed amendments and vetoes.
On April 23, we will convene in a Special Session to continue work on the General Assembly’s budget proposal for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. The Virginia state constitution requires the General Assembly pass a balanced biennial budget this year.
At the conclusion of the regular legislative session, the House and State Senate each passed our own budget proposals, which you can view at this link. I also recommend the budget summary by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.
MY LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
I am proud that 14 of the bills that I introduced passed the General Assembly. The Governor has signed nine of my bills into law, and I have briefly described them below. The Governor had recommended amendments to five of my bills, and the legislature will vote on them at the Reconvened Session.
Thank you to all of the constituents, advocates, and stakeholders for partnering with me to address the priorities for our community and Commonwealth. Below are my bills from the 2026 legislative session that have been signed into law so far:
Improving Affordability
- Fair Rental Payment Policies and Prohibiting Unfair Rental Fees — House Bill 1005 improves tenant rights by requiring landlords to provide multiple methods for tenants to pay their rent and prohibit landlords from charging “junk fees” to pay rent or receive normal maintenance.
These issues were first brought to me by my constituent, Susan, and I appreciate the support of the Legal Aid Justice Center, New Virginia Majority, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and Virginia Poverty Law Center.
- Assistance with Utility Bills — House Bill 1002 helps individuals facing disconnection from utility services by requiring utility companies to provide customers with information about assistance programs or enroll them in payment plans. This bill also requires utility companies to provide their disconnection policies in multiple languages to improve services for customers.
Thank you to the Clean Virginia, Legal Aid Justice Center, New Virginia Majority, and Virginia Poverty Law Center for their support.
Expanding Health Care and Services to Vulnerable People
- Prescription Authority for Optometrists — House Bill 1006 improves access to medicine by allowing eligible optometrists to dispense and sell certain pharmaceutical drugs directly to patients for treating eye conditions.
I am grateful for partnering with the Virginia Optometric Association and Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons on this bill.
- Addressing Dental Hygienist Workforce Shortages — House Bill 1036 helps meet critical workforce shortages by creating a career pathway for dentists who are trained abroad to obtain a dental hygienist license.
Thanks to the Virginia Dental Association and Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics for supporting this bill.
- Establishing Centralized Intake System and Expanding Emergency Response for Vulnerable Children — House Bill 1490 improves the safety of vulnerable children by creating a centralized system at the Department of Social Services for handling child abuse or neglect reports and requiring local departments to respond to reports involving children under three within 24 hours.
Thank you to my constituent, Lawrence, for his advocacy and for the partnership of the Department of Social Services and Virginia Children’s Partnership, and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman.
Improving Safety and Protecting Fundamental Rights
- Addressing Workplace Violence Against Health Care Workers — House Bill 1489 strengthens statewide data collection, transparency, and accountability for incidences of workplace violence against health care workers in hospitals.
I worked with the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Psychiatric Society of Virginia, the Virginia Academy of Physicians Assistants, and Virginia Nurses Association on this bill.
- Voting Rights for People Under Guardianship or Conservatorship — House Bill 1014 requires Virginia courts to determine that an individual under guardianship or conservatorship lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting before disqualifying them from voting. You can read more about this bill here.
I am grateful for the support of the AARP of Virginia, ACLU of Virginia, Arc of Northern Virginia, disAbility Law Center of Virginia, League of Women Voters of Virginia, and Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.
- Guardrails on Data Sharing — House Bill 1161 protects all Virginians’ sensitive personal information by establishing strong guardrails for when Virginia state and local government agencies are able to share sensitive personal information with other state, local, and federal governments and other entities.
It was great to partner with the ACLU of Virginia, CASA, Legal Aid Justice Center, and New Virginia Majority on this bill.
- Assessing Cumulative Impact of Permits — House Bill 1266 requires the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to publish updated guidance on how to assess environmental impact on a community across certain industrial permits and how applicants for new permits can meaningfully engage in community outreach.
I am grateful for the support of American Rivers, Appalachian Voices, CASA, Chesapeake Action Network, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund Action, Friends of the Rappahannock, League of Conservation Voters of Virginia, National Parks Conservation Association, New Virginia Majority, Southern Environmental Law Center, Virginia Conservation Network, Virginia Organizing, and Wetlands Watch.
My Board and Commission Appointments
I’m proud the Speaker of the House has appointed and reappointed me to several state boards and commissions. These boards and commissions meet outside of the legislative session and provide opportunities to hear from experts and the public about various policy issues. The recommendations from our state boards and commissions often inform legislation.
New Appointments
I have newly been appointed to the following:
- Joint Commission on Health Care – This commission studies Virginia’s health care system and develops recommendations to improve access, affordability, and quality of care.
- House Select Committee on Standards of Conduct – This committee focuses on reviewing and strengthening ethical standards of conduct, ensuring accountability, and fostering a safe workplace in the House of Delegates.
Reappointments
I look forward to continuing to serve on the following:
- Autism Advisory Council – This Council assesses policies, legislation, and funding to address the needs of Virginians with autism spectrum disorders.
- Commission on Women’s Health – This Commission studies issues related to women’s health, including social determinants of health and systemic barriers to equitable health care.
- State Water Commission – This Commission studies water quality, supply, and allocation.
- Virginia Board of Workforce Development – This Board advises the Governor on how to improve Virginia’s employment, training, and education programs that are part of the public workforce system.
- Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences – This Subcommittee evaluates Virginia’s tax preferences, including credits, deductions, subtractions, exemptions, and exclusions.
Legislative Events
Japan-Virginia Night
I was honored to join Ambassador Shigeo Yamada at this year’s Japan-Virginia Night, celebrating our strong economic and cultural partnership. I look forward to strengthening the connections between the Commonwealth and Japan in the years ahead.
Virginia Workforce Board Meeting
I attended a meeting of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development at Reynolds Community College. We received an update on Virginia’s public workforce system and economic trends as well as heard from state agencies on plans to strengthen and grow Virginia’s training and apprenticeship programs.
Menopause Education Center
Senator Stella Pekarsky and I spoke on a virtual panel with the Menopause Education Center alongside state legislators from across the country. In recognition of Women’s History Month, we highlighted our legislation providing workplace accommodations to and prohibiting discrimination of people experiencing perimenopause or menopause.
State Futures Labor Legislators Network
Senator Jennifer Boysko and I joined State Futures Labor Legislators Network to discuss our efforts to support working families. I shared my work on House Bill 1263, which expands collective bargaining rights to public sector employees.
APPLY FOR A BOARD OR COMMISSION
If you are interested in shaping public policy, providing oversight of state agencies, and giving back to our Commonwealth, then I encourage you to apply for one of our many state boards and commissions!
We have over 300 state boards and commissions, and Governor Spanberger is seeking applications from Virginians to serve on them. You can:
- Research boards and commission that match your interests, experience, and expertise
- Create an account in the state’s online application system
- Submit an application to the Secretary of the Commonwealth for consideration.
Applications are accepted year round, and submitting one ensures you may be considered when vacancies arise. Click here to learn more about applying to serve on a board or commission.