April 22, 2024

Neighbors, 

Happy Earth Day! I am committed to protecting our one and only planet - My kids and our future generations deserve a chance to enjoy Earth’s natural beauty and many treasures. I hope that you will join me for my 4th Annual Earth Day Town Hall on Wednesday, April 24 — more information below!

I am also wishing a meaningful Passover to all who are celebrating today!

In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:

  • Town Halls

    • 4th Annual Earth Day Town Hall

    • Legislative Town Hall

  • Community Updates

    • Investiture of Judge Jonathan D. Frieden

    • George Mason University Social Work Class

    • Storytelling as an Advocacy Tool: An AAC Community Discussion

    • Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5’s Apprentice School

    • Humane Society of Fairfax County

  • Legislative Updates

    • New Board Appointments

    • Reconvened Session and Biennial Budget

  • Transportation Updates

    • Commonwealth Transportation Board Public Meeting

    • The Department of Rail and Public Transportation Public Meeting

    • Northern Virginia Regional Trails Survey

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

Town Halls

I hope to see you at one of my two upcoming town hall meetings!

4th Annual Earth Day Town Hall

Delegate Kathy Tran’s

4th Annual Earth Day Town Hall

Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00pm

Register for this virtual discussion: https://bit.ly/2024TranEarthDayTownHall

 

This Wednesday, April 24, I will be hosting my 4th Annual Earth Day Town Hall, featuring special guests from the Southern Environmental Law Center, Our Virginia Outdoors, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation — I hope you will join us for this virtual discussion!


Legislative Town Hall

Virtual Legislative Town Hall

Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00pm

Register: https://bit.ly/PostReconvenedTownHall 

 

On Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00pm, I will be giving a legislative update and a preview of the upcoming special session for the biennial budget. I Hope you will join us for this virtual meeting!


Community Updates

Investiture of Judge Jonathan D. Frieden

I was honored to attend Judge Jonathan Frieden’s investiture to the Fairfax County Circuit Court. Judge Frieden has previously served on Fairfax County Domestic and Juvenile Relations Court. He will bring deep experience working with families and vulnerable youth, as well as an unwavering commitment to justice, to the Circuit Court. Congratulations, Judge Frieden!


George Mason University Social Work Class

I always appreciate opportunities to speak to our future leaders about the impact of state legislatures! Many thanks to my constituent, Professor Tomaszewski, for inviting me to speak to her social work students. I shared how my background as a social worker has informed my service in the House of Delegates. 

I also spoke recently to Duke University students who are studying for the semester in Washington, DC. I shared how my experience coming to the United States as a child refugee has influenced my advocacy for human rights. 


Storytelling as an Advocacy Tool: An AAC Community Discussion

Thank you to my constituents, Toby and Lindsay, for organizing and  inviting me to a community conversation, “Storytelling as an Advocacy Tool: An AAC Community Discussion.” It was powerful to hear first hand experiences with augmentative and alternative communication and why communication is a human right.


Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5’s Apprentice School

I attended the Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5’s Apprentice School Open House — The in-depth knowledge that trade apprentices acquire throughout their training is truly impressive!  


Humane Society of Fairfax County

It was so nice catching up with my constituents, Gina and Eileen with the Humane Society of Fairfax County, to discuss animal rights legislation that were considered during the legislative session.


Legislative Updates

New Board Appointments

I’m proud to share I have received new appointments to the following boards and commissions, and I am now serving on the following:

  • The State Water Commission — This commission studies water supply and allocation, and makes legislative recommendations to the General Assembly based on the research. 

  • The Potomac River Basin Commission — This commission is an interstate compact dedicated to reducing existing and future pollution in the Potomac River Basin, which includes Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

  • The Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences — This subcommittee evaluates Virginia’s tax preferences, including credits, deductions, subtractions, exemptions, and exclusions. 

  • 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.

  • Secretary of Labor Work Group on Workforce Development — This work group advises the Secretary of Labor on the consolidation of Virginia’s labor and workforce development programs as required by legislation we passed in 2023.

  • Advisory Council on Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders (PANS) Associated with Streptococcal Infections and Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANDAS) — This Council assists the Commissioner of Health on understanding and educating the public about the latest research on PANDAS/PANS.

Reconvened Session and Biennial Budget

On April 17, the General Assembly met for our annual Reconvened Session. We considered the Governor’s vetoes and proposed amendments to bills that passed the General Assembly during the legislative session as well as his proposed amendments to the biennial budget.

Governor’s Action on Legislation

The Governor made an unprecedented 153 vetoes this year. The General Assembly did not override any vetoes; you can see all of the bills that the Governor has vetoed to date here.

The Governor proposed amendments to 117 bills. Of these, the General Assembly  accepted the Governor’s proposed amendments to 62 bills. You can see a full list of bills for which we accepted the Governor’s recommendations here. 

The General Assembly rejected the Governor’s amendments to 55 bills. Now, the Governor has 30 days, until Friday, May 17, to either veto these bills, sign them into law as passed by the General Assembly, or let them become law without his signature.

Biennial Budget

As I have mentioned, we are constitutionally required to pass a balanced biennial budget this year. In March, the General Assembly agreed to a bipartisan budget that invests $26.5 billion in public K-12 schools, over $1 billion in higher education, $175 million for affordable housing, and nearly $150 million for Metro. You can see that budget here.

The Governor recommended an historic 223 amendments to the bipartisan biennial budget proposed by the General Assembly. There are substantial differences between the Governor’s amendments and the budget the General Assembly’s budget – For example, the Governor proposed a reduction in public K-12 education funding by $451 million, in higher education by $87 million, in Metro by $114 million, and in social services and community services board facilities by $20 million. To learn more about the differences between the General Assembly’s budget and the Governor’s amendments, I recommend The Commonwealth Institute’s budget side-by-side.

Given the major differences between the General Assembly and the Governor, the House of Delegates, state Senate, and Governor agreed that we needed a fresh start on the budget. As such, we will be meeting in Special Session starting on May 13 and using the bipartisan budget passed by the General Assembly as the starting point for developing an updated budget proposal. 

I am committed to work toward a budget that increases public education funding, expands access to health care, revitalizes our transportation system, uplifts working families, and ensures a better quality of living for everyone. I am sure that the General Assembly and Governor will come to an agreement before the end of the fiscal year.

My Legislative Agenda

During the Reconvened Session, the General Assembly considered recommendations from the Governor on two of my bills. 

  • House Bill 992 connects participants in the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work (VIEW) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training Program to employment and training services. We accepted several of the Governor’s technical recommendations and unanimously rejected his recommendation to remove a requirement about the provision of SNAP benefits to participants. 

  • House Bill 993 prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay fees to obtain normal maintenance or to pay rent if a no-fee option is not available. The Governor’s recommendation would have removed the prohibition on fees for requesting normal maintenance, and it was rejected unanimously. 

Both of these bills have been returned to the Governor, and as I mentioned, he has 30 days to determine if he will veto them, sign them into law, or allow them to become law without his signature.

Other Bill Highlights

Below, I have highlighted some other legislation that either the Governor vetoed or the General Assembly rejected his proposed recommendations.

  • House Bill 46 and Senate Bill 47 allow someone who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a protective order or a criminal domestic violence conviction to transfer their firearm to a person who may lawfully own the firearm. The Governor vetoed these bills.

  • House Bill 570 and Senate Bill 274 create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which is empowered to review the affordability of prescription drugs and limit the price that state-regulated insurance will pay for them. The Governor vetoed the bills.

  • House Bill 588 makes it easier for tenants to adjust after a fire or other incident that makes a rental unit unfit to be inhabited. The Governor recommended a reenactment clause, effectively defeating the legislation. The recommendation was rejected by a unanimous vote.

  • House Bill 609 and Senate Bill 237 protect access to contraception by giving health care providers the right to prescribe contraceptives, people the right to obtain them, and offering legal actions if people’s rights are infringed.  The Governor’s amendment weakened these protections by tying these protections to two Supreme Court cases. The recommendations were not considered by the state Senate and the House of Delegates, and the bill was returned to the Governor.

  • House Bill 698 and Senate Bill 448 set up a framework for the legal sale of marijuana products in Virginia starting on May 1, 2025, and the creation of a Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to oversee the sales. The Governor vetoed these bills.

  • House Bill 790 and Senate Bill 582 ban the online sale of nicotine vapor and liquid nicotine, prohibits vending machine sales of tobacco products, and increases the enforcement of sales of tobacco products to minors. The General Assembly approved the Governor’s technical recommendations, and I supported them. This bill will become law.  

  • House Bill 805 and Senate Bill 14 allow localities to levy a one percent sales tax to fund school construction if passed in a local referendum. The Governor vetoed the bills.

  • House Bill 819 and Senate Bill 238 require health plans to cover contraception without cost-sharing. The Governor’s recommendation would have allowed exceptions if a provider felt providing the contraception violated their sincerely held religious or ethical beliefs. The recommendation was rejected by a bipartisan vote in the House of Delegates and a party-line vote in the state Senate. I opposed the recommendations.

  • House Bill 1539 protects residents of other states from extradition if the request is because of the person sought or provided reproductive health care services, unless the request is a violation of Virginia law. The Governor vetoed this bill.

  • Senate Bill 212 legalizes, taxes, and regulates skill game machines, which were temporarily legalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor proposed an amendment to the bill that would have allowed localities to ban skill games, capped the number of machines at 20,000 statewide, and prohibited the games close to schools, casinos, historic horse racing facilities, daycare centers, and places of worship. The state Senate rejected the recommendations by a bipartisan vote.

Transportation Update

Commonwealth Transportation Board Public Meeting

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), which oversees transportation projects and funding, is hosting a series of meetings across Virginia for the public to share feedback on transportation projects that it has recommended for funding.

The CTB will be voting soon on their Draft Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Six-Year Improvement Program. That program will allocate funding to highway, road, bridge, rail, bicycle, pedestrian, public transportation, and transportation demand management projects. At the public meeting, the CTB will take comments on projects valued at over $25 million. 

You can find information for the Northern Virginia District meeting below. You may participate by attending the meeting in-person or submitting comments online, by email, or by mail: Infrastructure Investment Director, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1401 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

 CTB’s Northern Virginia District 

Six-Year Improvement Program Public Meeting

Loudoun County Government Center

1 Harrison St SE, 1st Floor

Leesburg, Virginia 20175

Thursday, April 25, 2024

5:00pm

 

The Department of Rail and Public Transportation Public Meeting

The Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is hosting a public meeting to discuss the Six-Year Improvement Program. DRPT’s meeting will be at the time and location below, and participants can participate virtually or in-person.

DRPT’s Six-Year Improvement Program Public Meeting

1725 Duke Street, Suite 675

Alexandria, VA 22314

4:00pm

If you are unable to attend, you may submit comments by email or by mail: Public Information Office, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, 600 East Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond, VA 23219.


Northern Virginia Regional Trails Survey

As they prepare to expand their participation and investment in the regional trails program, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) is asking the public to participate in a regional trails survey here. To learn more about NVRC’s work to expand trails, click here.