NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Neighbors,

I am pleased to share with you updates from our fourth week of the 2020 Special Legislative Session. As I shared previously, Governor Northam convened the legislature to finalize our biennial budget, consider legislation to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and make police, criminal justice, and social justice reforms. There are many ways you can stay engaged in the 2020 Special Legislative Session. Learn more at: http://kathyfordelegate.com/staying-engaged.

Upcoming Tele-Town Hall on 9/23 at 6pm

Join Delegates Vivian Watts, Mark Sickles, Paul Krizek, and me for a tele-town hall on the Special Legislative Session!

Wednesday, September 23 at 6:00pm. 

Dial-in (605) 472-5239 | Access Code 811044 |  Submit Questions here 

Below are updates regarding: 

  • Special Legislative Session

    • COVID-19 Relief

    • Criminal Justice Reform

    • Biennial Budget for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022

  • COVID-19 response updates

    • Extension on Ban of Utility Service Shut-Offs

  • Community Updates

    • Fairfax County Public Schools Board 

    • 2020 Census Reminder

As always, please let me know if I can be of assistance by calling my office at 804-698-1042 or by emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

Best, Kathy

Delegate, 42nd District 

Special Session

The State Senate and House of Delegates have each completed our work on legislation that was originally introduced in our respective chambers. While the Senate has already started voting on  House bills, the House is beginning to consider Senate bills this week.

Below is a highlight of some of the legislation that passed the House of Delegates and will now be voted on by the Senate. You can view all the bills that have been introduced during the special legislative session and their status here.

  • COVID-19 Response

  • The House of Delegates passed the following bills to provide assistance to Virginians during the COVID-19 pandemic: 

    • House Bill 5028 expands eligibility for teachers, first-responders, and other high risk essential workers to claim workers’ compensation if they contract COVID-19. 

    • House Bill 5047 prohibits businesses from price gouging Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

    • House Bill 5064 requires landlords to offer payment plan options for tenants who are unable to pay their rent on time due to barriers resulting from COVID-19.

    • House Bill 5068 prohibits, with certain exemptions, financial institutions from garnishing federal stimulus checks from individuals and businesses. 

    • House Bill 5087 is my bill to amend Virginia’s short-term compensation program to allow Virginia to be eligible for approximately $2.7 million in federal funding. This program assists employers with keeping their workforce part time during an economic slowdown and provides those affected workers with some unemployment insurance benefits.

    • House Bill 5113 requires school boards to participate in a federal program that provides free breakfast and lunch for eligible students.

    • House Bill 5115 gives people facing evictions additional time to stay in their homes if they provide evidence that they have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. 

    • House Bill 5116 establishes a paid quarantine leave policy for eligible workers.

  • Criminal Justice Reform

  • To ensure that our law enforcement policies and criminal justice system are more equitable, the House of Delegates has passed the following bills: 

    • House Bill 5029 requires law enforcement officers to step in when there is excessive use of force by another officer and also to provide aid to any person injured due to excessive force.  

    • House Bill 5043 establishes a mental health awareness response and community understanding services (Marcus) alert system. This will ensure that community care teams, led by mental health professionals in partnership with registered peer recovery specialists and law enforcement, are called upon to respond to mental health crisis situations.

    • House Bill 5049 prohibits law enforcement agencies from purchasing and using certain military weapons as well as from using tear gas and kinetic munitions in certain situations.

    • House Bill 5055 requires local governments to establish civilian review boards (CRBs) and established allowable activities and responsibilities  of the boards.

    • House Bill 5069 prohibits the use of neck restraints, including chokeholds, in Virginia.

    • House Bill 5072 gives the Virginia Attorney General the authority to investigate and prosecute patterns of discrimination by law enforcement agencies. 

    • House Bill 5098 expands the definition of hate crimes to include false 911 reports based on certain protected classes, including race. 

    • House Bill 5099, also known as Breanna’s Law, prohibits no-knock warrants in Virginia. 

    • House Bill 5109 standardizes the  training curriculum across Virginia’s law enforcement academies and establishes in-service training requirements for law enforcement officers.

    • House Bill 5146 automatically expunges the records of Virginians who meet certain criteria. This includes expungement for larceny, which was the focus of legislation that I introduced earlier this year.

  • Budget

  • We are continuing to work on the biennial budget bill for fiscal years 2021 and 2022. As I shared previously, Virginia’s Constitution requires a balanced budget. This year, given the uncertainties of the economy as a result of the pandemic, we have an estimated $1.1 billion shortfall from the budget we passed in March at the end of the regular legislative session. Below are summaries of my budget requests:

    • Item 300 #1h is a request to require medical facilities in Virginia to allow, during the COVID-19 pandemic, designated people to accompany individuals with disabilities during their medical appointments.

    • Item 482.20 #21h would restore about $9.6 million in funding to pay home health aides overtime. These funds were previously approved by the General Assembly in the 2020 Regular Session.

    • Item 482.20 #26h restores $880,500 in funding to exempt live-in providers from the Electronic Visit Verification program. These funds were previously approved by the General Assembly in the 2020 Regular Session.

    • Item 482.20 #28h restores $321,600 in funding for additional staffing at Mason Neck State Park. These funds were previously approved by the General Assembly in the 2020 Regular Session.

    • Item 482.20 #29h restores $250,000 in funding for the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. These funds were previously approved by the General Assembly in the 2020 Regular Session.

COVID-19 Response Updates

Extension on Ban of Utility Service Shut-Offs

  • The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has once again extended its moratorium on service disconnections for customers who are unable to pay utility bills as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This moratorium will be in effect until October 5, 2020. You can view the announcement here.

Community Updates

Fairfax County Public Schools Board 

On September 22 at 4pm, the Fairfax County Public Schools Board will have a working session with Superintendent Brabrand to discuss the health and operational metrics that will guide when FCPS will resume in-person instruction. You can view the work session on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 or on their website. 

2020 Census Reminder

For every person that is not counted in the Census, Virginia loses an estimated $20,000 per decade in federal funding. So, make sure you are counted! The deadline to complete the Census is 9/30, and you can fill it out online at www.my2020census.gov, by mail, or by calling 844-330-2020. You can learn more at www.2020census.gov. 

There are many ways you can stay engaged in the 2020 Special Legislative Session. Learn more here: http://kathyfordelegate.com/staying-engaged