April 12, 2022
Neighbors,
Spring is in bloom and I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather! Thank you to everyone who attended my last town hall with Delegates Watts and Krizek on March 28. I am hosting my 2nd Annual Earth Day Town Hall on April 21. See below for more information!
Spring is in bloom and I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather! Register for my upcoming town hall...
In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:
Upcoming Earth Day Town Hall on 4/21
Legislative Updates
Special Session
Legislative Updates
COVID Update
Community Updates
VDOT Paving and Restriping Public Meetings
Gunston Hall Semi-Annual Board Meeting
FilVets Recognition and Education Project
As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Best, Kathy
Kathy KL Tran
Delegate, 42nd District
Upcoming Earth Day Town Hall on 4/21
Please join me and my special guests Senator Jennifer McClellan, the League of Conservation Voters, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and New Virginia Majority, for my 2nd Annual Earth Day Town Hall on Thursday, April 21 at 7:00pm.
We’ll be discussing environmental justice and conservation in the Commonwealth. Register to attend here: https://bit.ly/earth_day_town_hall.
Legislative Update
Special Session
The General Assembly convened on April 4 for a special legislative session at the request of Governor Glenn Youngkin.
As I’ve mentioned before, we ended the 2022 regular legislative session on March 12 without passing a biennial budget. The Virginia Constitution requires us to have a balanced budget, and we need to have it finished, passed, and signed by the end of the fiscal year, June 30.
The special session lasted under two hours before we adjourned. The Governor called us back into session before the House and Senate negotiators agreed on a final budget, so there were no bills to vote on.
The budget negotiators continue to work towards an agreement. If you would like to see a summary of all of the budget proposals, I would recommend the analysis that The Commonwealth Institute did here.
My Legislative Update
Five of my bills were sent to the Governor for his consideration.
The Governor has signed four of my bills into law and has submitted technical amendments to one bill.
HB957 — The Governor signed this bill last Tuesday, April 5, on Gold Star Spouses Day. It allows localities to give tax relief for surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty. I’m proud to have worked on this legislation with my constituents Traci and Edith, and with the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations and the Military Officers Association of America.
HB0979 — The Governor signed this bill yesterday, April 11. It will help address our teacher shortage by allowing eligible internationally-trained teachers to qualify for a provisional teacher license. Thanks to the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, Virginia PTA, Virginia Education Association, American Federation for Teachers, Church World Service, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington for their support.
HB1027 — The Governor signed this bill yesterday, April 11. It will defend Virginia small businesses from merchant cash advances, a potentially predatory practice, by regulating these transactions. Thanks to the Virginia Poverty Law Center, The Commonwealth Institute, and the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience for working on this legislation with me. You can learn more about this legislation here.
HB1071 — The Governor signed this bill yesterday, April 11. It will protect vulnerable hospital patients against medical debt by requiring hospitals to perform financial aid screenings, provide payment plans, and make charity care information more accessible. I appreciate the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Legal Aid Justice Center for partnering with me.
HB0987 — Yesterday, April 11, the Governor recommended technical amendments to the House of Delegates to this bill. We’ll take up these recommendations during our reconvene session on April 27. If passed, this bill will ensure that Medicaid information is accessible to Virginians with limited English proficiency or with disabilities, bringing Virginia into compliance with federal regulations.
COVID Update
On March 24, the Biden Administration released a letter with updated COVID guidance for educators and parents of students with disabilities, including kids who are immunocompromised or who have complex medical conditions. The document builds on previously released guidance.
As always, I’m watching the developing situation with COVID and will continue to advocate for the best state policies for our community and commonwealth.
Community Updates
VDOT Paving and Restriping Public Meetings
VDOT will be participating in a series of virtual public meetings on the preliminary 2022 paving schedule. The meetings will be divided based on County magisterial districts. At each meeting, attendees will be able to give feedback on the paving schedule.
Dranesville, Hunter Mill and Providence — Monday, April 18, 7 p.m.
Lee, Mount Vernon and Springfield — Tuesday, April 19, 7 p.m.
Braddock and Mason — Thursday, April 21, 7 p.m.
Sully — Thursday, April 21, 7 p.m.
To get meeting links and to find out more information about the meetings, click here!
Gunston Hall Semi-Annual Board Meeting
It was so great to join the Gunston Hall Board of Regents for their semi-annual meeting. Thank you for having me!
Gunston Hall was home to George Mason, one of our Founding Fathers. He wrote the Virginia Bill of Rights, which inspired the Bill of Rights in our nation’s Constitution. Hope you can stop by to visit!
FilVets Recognition and Education Project
On Saturday, April 2, my kids and I had the opportunity to join the FilVets’ walk to commemorate Filipino and American WWII veterans and honor their sacrifices on the 80th anniversary of the Bataan Death March. I enjoyed spending time with constituents, advocates and allies to lift up this important issue.