NEWSLETTER

JULY 1, 2020

Neighbor,

Today, many new laws that we passed in the 2020 legislative session go into effect. I am proud of our legislative accomplishments - These new laws help lift up everyone, including our most vulnerable neighbors, and reflect many of our shared values, like expanding opportunity and equality. 

These changes are a culmination of years of hard work by legislators and advocates. Thanks to many of you who have reached out to me to share your priorities for our community.

Also, today, Virginia moves to Phase III of re-opening our economy. Below, please see information from Governor Northam and the DMV about how this affects our community. It is still imperative that we remain vigilant in curbing COVID-19, and I strongly encourage you to practice social distancing and wearing face coverings.

It is an honor to represent our community in the Virginia House of Delegates, and I look forward to continuing to work together to create opportunities for all to thrive. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or need assistance by calling my office at 804-698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

Best, Kathy 

Delegate, 42nd District

Legislative Updates 

Below are highlights of laws that take effect today. Additionally, Virginia’s Division of Legislative Services published In Due Course, a comprehensive summary of laws passed during the 2020 legislative session, which you can find here.

Protecting and Expanding Healthcare Access

  • House Bill 66: Caps insulin copays to $50 for a month’s supply. 

  • House Bill 172: Prohibits balanced billing or surprise billing so that patients who receive out-of-network emergency care can only be changed the in-network rate required by their plan. 

  • House Bill 1141: Ensures that, if the Affordable Care Act was repealed, any new insurance plans that go into effect would still cover pre-existing conditions. I introduced this bill and am grateful to have the support of the Virginia Association of Health Plans. 

  • House Bill 1226: Prohibits the VCU Health System Authority and UVA Medical Center, the state’s two public hospital systems, from aggressively collecting debt unless reasonable efforts have been made to determine if the patient is eligible for financial assistance. I introduced this bill and partnered with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, VCU, and UVA.

  • House Bill 1428: Establishes a State Health Benefit Exchange program to help lower insurance costs for Virginians. 

  • House Bill 1701: Directs our state to study ways we can expand access to telemedicine services, requires the state to pursue reciprocal medical licensing agreements with states that border Virginia, and mandates expediting licensing applications for certain medical professionals from bordering states. This is timely as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to expand access to telemedicine and increase the capacity of our healthcare workforce. I introduced this bill and had the support of the Northern Virginia Medical Society, the Virginia Medical Society, and Americans for Prosperity.

  • House BIll 687: Establishes a certification program for doula in Virginia to make them easier to identify and seek their services. 

  • Our budget also directs the Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a workgroup to study how Virginia could establish and fund a doula program. 

Modernizing Transportation Infrastructure and Improving Road Safety 

  • House Bill 1414: Changes to transportation-related taxes and fees will provide new funding to modernize Virginia’s road and rail infrastructure. Benefits for our community in the 42nd District will include the following:

    • $200 million additional for SMART Scale funding available to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.

    • Restoration of an additional $50 million for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, which is used to improve our regional transportation infrastructure. 

    • $40 million increase to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s road maintenance budget, which includes maintenance of secondary highways. 

    • Increases Virginia Railway Express service by beginning the process to build a new rail Long Bridge over the Potomac River. 

    • The car safety inspection, which was originally proposed to be eliminated, remains an annual requirement. 

    • To address the sustainability of Virginia’s transportation infrastructure needs, changes in funding structures include:

      • Increasing the gas tax by 5 cents a year for 2 years. 

      • Establishing a 7.6 cent regional gas tax in areas that do not currently have one. Our community in Northern Virginia already has a regional gas tax and is unaffected by this change. 

      • Indexing the gas tax to the Consumer Price Index instead of the sales price of fuel.

      • Establishing fees for fuel efficient vehicles.

      • Two changes have delayed enactments: 

      • Delays changes to the diesel tax until July 1, 2021. 

      • Reduces most passenger vehicle registration fees by $20 starting in Fiscal Year 2022. 

  • House Bill 1442: Allows state and local police to use speed cameras in school and highway work zones. 

  • House Bill 874: Bans the use of cell phones while driving in order to protect Virginians from distracted driving.

Reducing Gun Violence

  • House Bill 2: Establishes universal background checks and eliminates certain loopholes in our Code. 

  • House Bill 9: Requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours of discovering the loss. 

  • House Bill 421: Provides local governments with the option of establishing policies regarding firearms. Any laws passed by localities must adhere to the Constitutions of the U.S. and Virginia, federal laws, and Virginia state laws. 

  • House Bill 674: Grants judges the authority to issue a temporary Emergency Substantial Risk Protective Orders for people deemed a risk to themselves or others based on a sworn petition from a law enforcement officer. Those under an ERPO would be prohibited from purchasing, owning or transporting a firearm during that time. 

  • House Bill 812: Restricts Virginians to purchasing one handgun per month, a law that had been previously in effect in our state.

  • House Bill 1004: Makes it a Class 6 felony if an individual who is subject to a protective order knowingly possesses a firearm. 

  • House Bill 1083: Increases the penalty and age limit to 18, from the current limit of 14, by which Virginians are unable to recklessly leave loaded and unsecured firearms around children 

Reforming Our Criminal Justice System

  • As I shared previously, Speaker Filler-Corn has indicated that additional criminal justice reform measures will be considered in the upcoming Special Session in August.

  • House Bill 264: Requires localities to adopt and establish written policies regarding the use of body worn cameras by law enforcement.

  • House Bill 298: Extends the statute of limitations for misdemeanor sexual offenses to give eligible survivors more time to seek justice. I introduced this bill, and I am proud to work with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance to pass it. 

  • House Bill 757: Prohibits state agencies and localities from inquiring whether someone has been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime on employment applications. 

  • House Bill 995: Increases the felony larceny threshold from $500 to $1,000. 

  • House Bill 909: Prohibits suspension of driver’s licenses because of non-driving related offenses and fees.

  • House Bill 972: Decriminalizes simple possession of marijuana and studies the impact of fully legalizing marijuana.

  • House Bill 1250: Prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in biased-based profiling and will require law enforcement to inquire about the race of every driver they pull over for a traffic stop.

  • House Bill 1284: Directs the Board of Corrections to conduct a review of their application and use of solitary confinement. 

Advancing Women’s Rights 

  • House Bill 405: Requires school boards to make menstrual products available at no cost to students. 

  • House Bill 827: Prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or any related medical condition. 

  • House Bill 980. Repeals medically unnecessary barriers to abortion services and reproductive healthcare.

  • Senate Bill 804: Includes domestic workers in our state’s employment protection laws. 

Creating a More Inclusive Virginia

  • House Bill 973, House Bill 1325, House Bill 1521, House Bill 857, House Bill 1638, House Bill 914, and House Bill 1086: Remove racist language left over from the Jim Crow era from various sections of our code dealing with housing, education, criminal law, and more. 

  • House Bill 6: Prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of source of income, including housing vouchers. 

  • House Bill 386: Bans conversion therapy in Virginia. 

  • House Bill 618: Expands protections based on gender, disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation under our hate crime laws. 

  • House Bill 1210: Establishes an Office of New Americans to assist with immigrant integration. I worked with New American Economy, World Education Services, Church World Services, and the International Rescue Committee to pass this bill.

  • House Bill 1514: Prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and style, particularly with hair styles associated with race. 

  • House Bill 1547: Allows all Virginia students, regardless of immigration status, to be eligible for in-state tuition at public Virginia universities if they meet certain criteria. 

  • House Bill 1179: Allows refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders to be eligible for in-state tuition immediately after resettling in Virginia. I introduced this bill and am thankful for the support of the International Rescue Committee to pass this bill.

  • House Bill 1041: Allows individuals to request a new birth certificate to show a change of sex upon their request and submission of certain documents.

  • Senate Bill 868: Establishes comprehensive protections in public accommodations, housing, and employment for LGBTQ Virginians. 

Protecting the Environment and Taking Climate Action

  • House Bill 414: Makes it easier for homeowners to install solar panels if they belong to a homeowners association. 

  • House Bill 706: Bans offshore drilling off of Virginia’s coast.

  • House Bill 1526: Also known as the Virginia Clean Economy Act, shifts the state’s energy portfolio to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, increases solar and offshore wind energy by more than 16,100 megawatts, makes it easier for homeowners to install solar, and promotes energy efficiency across our Commonwealth.

  • House Bill 572: Also known as the Solar Freedom Bill, makes it easier for property owners and local governments to access solar energy. 

  • House Bill 981: Directs Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which will lower our Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions and use the revenue generated to invest in energy efficiency programs for low-income households. 

  • House 1042: Establishes the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice to examine the impact of environmental policies and pollution on communities of color.

  • House Bill 1205: Expands the communication methods that will be used to notify Virginians if harmful substances are released into public waters and affect public health. I introduced this bill and thank the Virginia Conservation Network, James River Association, League of Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Club for their support.

Supporting Working Families and Safe Workplaces 

  • House Bill 624: Directs the Department of Human Right of the Department of Law to make recommendations for how to better enforce equal pay requirements regardless of race or gender. 

  • House Bill 798: Provides whistleblower protections for employees who collaborate with law enforcement in investigations related to violations of federal and state laws and regulations. 

  • House Bill 833: Requires all state contractors and subcontractors to use prevailing wages for public works contracts. Additionally, this bill allows local governments to utilize prevailing wages for their public works contracts, and incorporates my House Bill 1203.

  • House Bill 1198: Gives the Virginia State Board of Workforce Development flexibility to meet Virginia’s dynamic economy and workforce needs. I introduced this bill and worked with the Governor’s Chief Workforce Advisory on it.

  • House Bill 1199: Provides whistleblower protections for employees and independent contractors if they report that the employer is misclassifying workers in order to avoid paying required benefits or other compensation. This is another bill that I introduced and worked with the Governor’s Chief Workforce Advisor on.

  • House Bill 1201: Allows localities to establish responsible bidder criteria in their bid requirements for public works projects. I appreciate working with the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association on this bill.

  • House Bill 1228: Requires businesses with state contracts of $10,000 or more to inform and train their employees about their sexual harassment policies. This is one of the bills I introduced.

Strengthening Our Democracy

These bills make accessing the ballot box easier. Many of these reforms are particularly important as constituents have raised their concerns about being able to vote safely in our November elections:

  • House Bill 1: Establishes no-excuse absentee voting. 

  • House Bill 19: Reinstates the option of casting a ballot without photo identification, which was repealed in 2013.  

  • House Bill 108: Establishes Election Day as a state holiday in Virginia and removes Lee-Jackson Day as a state holiday.

  • House Bill 202: Requires election officers to receive increased training about new voting laws. I introduced this bill and appreciate working with New Virginia Majority to pass it.  

  • House Bill 235: Establishes automatic voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

  • House Bill 238: Provides additional time for absentee ballots to be received and counted in an election. 

Below are additional bills that I introduced that have been signed into law and will go into effect today, July 1, 2020: 

  • House Bill 1222: Allows individuals living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities to use recently expired IDs to notarize documents. Thank you to Daniel, my constituent, for his advocacy. 

  • House Bill 1225: Clarifies when electric utilities are able to terminate power without advanced notice and establishes an appeals process for customers. Thanks to Cheri, my constituent, for highlighting this issue. I was glad to work with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, Dominion Energy, Appalachian Power, and the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives to pass this bill. 

COVID-19 Updates

Updates from Governor Northam and state agencies

Phase III of Re-Opening Our Economy

  • Governor Northam announced all of Virginia will enter Phase III of re-opening the economy as of today, July 1. 

  • As I have previously summarized the guidelines under Phase III, which you can see here. The complete guidelines are available here. Please note there is a change regarding bar seating that was announced on June 30. 

DMV Road Skills Test

  • Starting July 1, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will begin the process of safely resuming road skills testing for passenger vehicles. In order to accommodate social distancing protocols, DMV has adopted a new procedure for road skills testing. 

  • DMV will be offering testing at selected sites located across the Commonwealth. For residents in the 42nd District, the DMV Woodbridge customer service center will begin performing skills tests on July 6th, and the skills test appointment calendar for that location is live on their website. You can make an appointment here.


 

View my summary of the 2020 legislative session here.

View my previous e-newsletters here.

View my new COVID-19 resource page to see a summary of state actions, guidance, and resources here.