August 29, 2021

Neighbors, 

I hope everyone had a wonderful first week of school - Warm wishes to our Fairfax County Public Schools students, families, teachers and staff! 

In this newsletter, I have included information about:

  • Afghan Refugee Crisis

  • COVID-19 Response

    • COVID-19 Booster Shot Rollout Set For September 20

    • Evictions and Mortgage Relief

  • Legislative and Budget Updates

    • 2022 House of Delegates Page Program

    • Virginia’s $2.6 Billion Surplus

    • Combatting Discrimination Against Military Families

  • Redistricting Update

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 

Afghan Refugee Crisis

First Afghan Refugees Arrive In Virginia

Afghan refugees have started arriving in Virginia, mainly through Dulles Airport. Arriving Afghans are currently housed at different locations in Virginia, including at the Dulles Expo Site, Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Fort Lee in Prince George County, and Marine Corps Base Quantico. The bases are serving as transition stations as Afghans complete their background checks and are processed for resettlement. While some of these individuals will be resettled in Virginia, others will eventually settle in communities around the country. 

These individuals have put their lives at risk to help the United States during the mission in Afghanistan or have stood up for democracy and human rights as activists, academics, journalists, and in other ways. I’m proud that Virginia is taking such a central role in their resettlement.

Constituents have reached out to my office to ask the best way to help Afghan refugees resettling in Virginia or being processed in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Social Services has a list of Virginia’s Resettlement Agencies. If you are looking for a way to support refugee resettlement, please consider donating to one of those agencies that are working closely to meet the needs of these families.

COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 Booster Shot Rollout Set For September 20

State Vaccine Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula recently said that the state health officials are tentatively planning a September 20 rollout of the COVID-19 booster shots. 

Last newsletter, I wrote about new COVID-19 booster shots that would be available for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. 

I strongly urge you to review the CDC recommends to see if you should get a booster. Note the CDC also recommends people “talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.”

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing across the country, including in Virginia, and it’s primarily affecting unvaccinated individuals. If you haven’t received the vaccine yet, you can find a place to get it here.

End of Federal Evictions Moratorium 

On Thursday, the Supreme Court stopped the Biden Administration’s eviction ban which had banned evictions in areas “experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission” and would have expired on October 3. As of today, every locality in Virginia is experiencing “high” community transmission.

Fortunately, Fairfax County has money allocated through the General Assembly’s rent and mortgage relief program to help keep County residents in their homes. If you need rent assistance or are worried about losing your housing, call Coordinated  Services Planning at (703) 222-0880 from 8:00am — 4:30pm on Monday  through Friday. If you live outside of Fairfax County, visit https://www.stayhomevirginia.com/ for help.

Legislative and Budget Updates

2022 House of Delegates Page Program

The House Page Program is back for the 2022 legislative session! The Page Program is a great opportunity for 13 and 14 year olds to see the state government up close and firsthand. Applications are open until November 1, 2021 at 5:00pm. The applications must include:

  • A letter of endorsement from the applicant’s member in the House of Delegates

  • Authorization from the applicant’s school principal, teachers and guidance counselor

  • An essay by the applicant about why they want to serve as a page

If you live in the 42nd District, please reach out to let me know if you apply!


Virginia’s $2.6 Billion Surplus

Virginia ended the last fiscal year with a $2.6 billion surplus, the largest surplus in our history. We will vote on the next biennial budget during the 2022 legislative session. I’ll be having conversations with the Governor and my fellow state legislators on how to best use this surplus.

As your Delegate, I always strive to make sure the state government is as fiscally prudent with its spending as possible, while providing resources and services necessary for Virginians. Despite the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m proud that we have been able to deliver those resources and services while still ending up in the black.

This news comes on the heels of CNBC naming Virginia the back-to-back best state for business, the first state to ever receive that honor. The budget surplus is another testament to the work we have done to build a strong economy. 

Combatting Discrimination Against Military Families

During the 2021 legislative session, I introduced HB 2161, which combats housing and employment discrimination against service members, military spouses and their dependents as well as veterans. This bill passed and took effect on July 1, making Virginia a national leader in protecting our military families. 

InsideNOVA and The Spouse Angle recently discussed this new law. As the state with the second largest active duty population, I’m proud that we’re taking proactive steps to ensure that our military families are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Thanks, as always, to my partners through this process - advocates like Julie Shepard, Blue Star Families, Virginia Chapter of Veterans go Foreign Wars, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and other regional Chambers, Virginia Poverty Law Center, Senator John Bell, and Attorney General Mark Herring.

Redistricting Update
Members of the new Virginia Redistricting Commission, created by the passage of the redistricting amendment to the Virginia Constitution in 2020, met recently to discuss drawing new legislative maps after receiving new Census data. According to the new constitutional amendment, the Commission must draw maps for the State Senate and the House of Delegates within 45 days of receiving the Census data. Due to some technicalities, the Commission determined that date was August 26, so the clock is running now. You can follow the Commission’s work here.