NEWSLETTER
NOVEMMBER 20, 2020
Neighbors,
During the recent special legislative session, we updated the biennial budget to reflect a re-forecast in state revenue as a result of the pandemic. The budget was signed by Governor Northam this week, and I have included some key highlights below.
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Veterans Tele-Town Hall, 11/30 at 7pm
Hope you can join me for a discussion about what Virginia is doing to support veterans and military spouses! My special guests will be Carlos Hopkins, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, and Claudia Flores, Director of Policy and Planning for the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
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As always, please let me know if I can be of assistance by calling my office at 804-698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Best, Kathy
Delegate, 42nd District
Budget updates
The final total for the biennial budget is over $134 billion, and as a reminder, we are constitutionally required to have a balanced budget. Below is a summary of key items from the budget; you can view it in its entirety at https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/.
My budget proposals
I am pleased to share that the following funding and policy changes that I introduced in the budget passed the General Assembly and are included in the biennial budget:
$321,600 for two new staff positions at Mason Neck State Park, located in the 42nd District, to assist with park operations. Thanks to the Friends of Mason Neck State Park for working with me to advocate for this funding.
$250,000 for the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial, which will be at the Occoquan Regional Park in the 42nd District and will honor the suffragists who fought for women’s right to vote. I appreciate all Pat W. has done to help me champion this request.
$12.8 milion to provide overtime pay for personal care attendants beginning January 1, 2021. I have heard from many families in our community about the importance of the services provided by home health aides and how overtime pay for this workforce can help meet their health care needs. I worked with SEIU Virginia 512 to secure this funding.
Require medical facilities to allow individuals with disabilities to designate a support person to accompany them during appointments. I introduced this policy proposal to address concerns from constituents who have faced hardships given the changes to visitation and related policies during this pandemic.
Require the Department of Medical Assistance Services to exempt live-in caretakers from the Electronic Visit Verification program beginning January 1, 2021. Many thanks to Teresa C, Teresa E, and other constituents who worked with me throughout the year to advocate for this important change for families who provide live-in care for their loved ones who have disabilities.
Federal CARES Act
As I previously shared, Virginia must allocate and spend $1.3 billion remaining in federal funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) by the end of this calendar year. The budget makes the following allocations:
$100 million to establish a fund to offset utility debt for Virginians.
$71 million to increase Virginia’s testing and contact tracing capacity.
$72 million to provide hazard pay for personal care attendants.
$42 million to purchase and distribute personal protective equipment.
$7 million for food banks across Virginia.
$3 million for emergency housing for homeless Virginians.
$60 million in grants for Virginia’s child care providers to minimize the loss of providers during COVID-19 closures.
$16 million toward short-term child care for Virginians.
$220.8 million to support local school divisions with COVID-19 related costs.
$210 million to provide additional unemployment insurance benefits and increase the solvency to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.
Healthcare
The budget includes about $44 billion to increase healthcare access, including:
$11.2 million in fiscal year 2021 to continue providing nursing homes an additional $20 per person, per day until June 30, 2021. This will help nursing homes impacted by COVID-19.
$6.3 million in fiscal year 2022 to expand access to mental health services for children through the Virginia Mental Health Access Program.
$500,00 in fiscal year 2022 for grants for recovery residences to assist people with substance abuse disorders.
$5 million in fiscal year 2021 to the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation to accelerate the development of COVID-19 drug therapies that are currently in early stage clinical trials.
$30.1 million for community health services through Virginia’s System Transformation Excellence and Performance (STEP-VA).
$2.4 million to increase Medicaid mental health provider rates.
$4.1 million in Fiscal Year 2022 to fund 250 DD Waiver slots.
$17.5 million to add dental benefits in Virginia’s Medicaid program beginning July 1, 2021.
$2.5 million to extend postpartum care under Medicaid to 12 months beginning April 2021, if Virginia receives federal approval by that time.
Education
The budget includes about $21 billion to support student success and address the effects of COVID-19, including:
K-12 Education
$95 million for school divisions expected to lose money from the sales tax revenue re-forecast. These funds come from revenue collected through games of skills and will help address the impacts on school division budgets caused by COVID-19.
Give local school boards the flexibility to spend textbook funds for remote learning or reopening costs.
$37.3 million in fiscal year 2022 to expand early childhood education for three and four year olds.
$35.2 million in fiscal year 2022 to support at-risk students.
Higher Education
$80 million in fiscal year 2021 for operations, financial aid, and other COVID-19 related costs.
$2 million in fiscal year 2021 for workforce credential programs at the Virginia Community College System and Richard Bland College to train unemployed Virginians in high demand fields.
Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform
The budget includes about $3 billion for public safety, including:
$22.8 million for criminal justice reform that passed during the special legislative session. This includes creating the Marcus Alert system, increasing earned sentence credits, and updating and strengthening various law enforcement conduct and training standards. Most of these costs are one time expenses necessary to set up systems and infrastructures for implementation.
$14.1 million for one-time grants to help local law enforcement agencies purchase body-worn cameras.
$10.9 million to give all law enforcement personnel employed by the state government, local sheriff offices, and regional jails a $500 bonus on December 1, 2020.
Housing, Broadband, Utility Relief
The budget includes funding and policies to address the housing and utility challenges Virginians are facing as a result of COVID-19, including:
Housing
$105 million to, in response to COVID-19, expand access to affordable housing, assist with rental payments, and help people who are homeless. This investment includes state funds, money from the federal CARES Act, and the federal Community Development Block Grant Funds.
Establishes payment plan guidelines, including requiring tenants be informed of the VRMRP during the current national eviction moratorium, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Extends the eviction moratorium once the national eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year. It will continue for the duration of Governor Northam’s State of Emergency Declaration.
Broadband
$85 million to expand broadband access across Virginia.
Utility Termination Moratorium
Extends the current moratorium on utility service termination to when the Governor determines that economic and public health conditions no longer warrant such moratorium or 60 days after the State of Emergency Declaration ends, whichever is sooner.