NEWSLETTER

March 16, 2020



Greetings!

The Virginia General Assembly adjourned the 2020 Regular Session on Thursday, March 12th after we met to vote on the 2020-2022 Biennial Budget and judicial vacancies. Below is a highlight of the budget proposal that passed the General Assembly and is with the
Governor for consideration.

Additionally, I am including updated information regarding recent announcements by Governor Northam and Fairfax County officials to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Virginia and our community. 

Per the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health, I strongly encourage you to practice social distancing as much as you are able to. As a community, we can limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect public\ health.

As always, if you need assistance with our state government or have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me by emailing DelKTran@house.virginia.gov or calling 804.698.1042.

Best, Kathy

Coronavirus Update

I have been providing updates on state actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia via email and on social media. You can find those updates on my FaceBook page here.

Recent Updates from Governor Northam

Yesterday, Governor Northam announced a temporary ban on all public events of more than 100 people. This is an additional step Virginia is taking in order to respond to the spread of COVID-19. You can find his full remarks here. 

Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) made the following updates:

Effective Monday, March 16, Fairfax County park, library, and other community facilities will close for two weeks. Senior centers and adult day health care facilities operated by Fairfax County are also closed. You can find the County’s announcement here. 

FCPS has also announced that, effective immediately, all FCPS school buildings will be closed until further notice. The laptop distribution that was previously scheduled for Monday, March 16 has been postponed. You can see the most recent updates, and stay up to date
on future announcements by FCPS, here. 

The meal distribution sites operated by FCPS will continue and will be expanded starting March 16. You can find additional information regarding the meal distribution sites, including their schedule and locations, here.  

2020-2022 Biennial Budget 

The House of Delegates and State Senate have passed the most progressive budget in our Commonwealth’s history. This is a balanced budget, as required by the Virginia Constitution, and it provides opportunities for all Virginians to thrive. Below are some highlights.

Brings Our Rainy Day Funds to Historic Levels

  • $394 million for our “Rainy Day” reserve funds, bringing our Commonwealth’s reserves to historic levels. This will help Virginia maintain our AAA bond rating.

Strengthens Public Education, Including Bringing Our K-12 Per Pupil Funding to Pre-Recession Levels

  • 4 percent pay raise for our hardworking teachers over the biennium.  

  • Increases per pupil K-12 funding above the Fiscal Year 2008 levels for the first time since the Great Recession. Part of this funding will go towards needed capital expenditures like roof repairs, building renovations, and new buses. Local governments will be able to use the remainder to meet the unique needs of their communities.

  • $46 million increase to lower the school counselor-to-student ratio in public K-12 schools starting in the Fiscal Year 2022. 

  • $88 million increase for the Virginia Preschool Initiative to make sure vulnerable families have access to early childhood education.

  • $61 million in supplemental funding for school districts with high poverty rates. 

  • $80 million to freeze tuition at Virginia’s public universities. Additionally, the budget includes $60 million for need based financial aid for in-state students. 

  • $69 million to implement Governor Northam’s “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” (G3) program, which will allow low-income students graduate from community college debt free if they major in certain in-demand occupations.

Supports the Economic Prosperity of Virginia Families

  • $46 million in additional funding for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. 

  • $1.3 million to establish the new Virginia Food Access Investment Program and Fund to combat food insecurity. 

  • 2 percent bonus for state-supported local employees in Fiscal Year 2021 and a 3 percent raise in Fiscal Year 2022.  

Improves Our Transportation Infrastructure

  • $200 million increase in SMART Scale funding available to Fairfax and Loudoun County. These funds are used to address local and regional transportation priorities.

  • $50 million additional for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. NVTA makes improvements to our regional transportation infrastructure. 

  • $45.9 million increase for Virginia Department of Transportation’s road maintenance budget, which includes maintenance of secondary roads and highways. 

Expands Access to Affordable Healthcare

  • Establishes a State Health Benefit Exchange program, which is aimed at lowering insurance costs for Virginia families. 

  • Directs the Virginia Secretary for Health and Human Resources to begin the process of establishing a reinsurance program, which will also lower healthcare costs for families. 

  • $96 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates, including for personal care workers or home health aides. 

  • $34 million to allow Medicaid recipients to access dental care. 

  • Addresses racial disparities in maternal health by expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months and directing a study on how Virginia could fund a certified doula program.

  • Adds 1,385 additional developmental disability waiver slots over the next two years. 

Several of my funding requests were included in the final conference report for the 2020-2022 Biennial Budget. 

  • $320,000 to fund two additional full time staff members at Mason Neck State Park, a treasure in the 42nd District. Additionally, the budget directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study different options for upgrading the park’s water infrastructure. I appreciate working with Friends of Mason Neck State Park on these requests. 

  • $250,000 for the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial, which will open this year in the 42nd District and honor the suffragists who fought for women’s right to vote. 

  • $880,500 to set up the infrastructure to exempt live-in caretakers from the Electronic Visit Verification program. Thanks to Teresa C, Teresa E and other constituents who worked with me to advocate for this change.

  • $19 million to provide overtime pay to home health aides. I appreciate the many families in our community who have shared the importance of the services provided by home health aides and how overtime services can help meet their family’s needs.