February 11, 2024

 Neighbors, 

Happy Lunar New Year — Chúc mừng năm mới! It was wonderful to celebrate the start of the Year of the Dragon with community members. May this year bring you health, happiness, prosperity!

Tuesday, 2/13 is Crossover, an important deadline in the legislative session. At this time, only bills that have passed the House of Delegates “cross over” to the state Senate and vice versa. As such, we have been incredibly busy debating and voting on bills in order to be prepared to meet this deadline.

 

In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:

  • Town Hall

    • VAAPIC Town Hall on 2/17

    • Recent Town Halls

  • Legislative Updates

    • Constituent Meetings and Legislative Briefings

    • My Legislative Agenda

 As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1018 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

 

Best, Kathy

 

Kathy KL Tran

Delegate


Town Halls

VAAPIC Town Hall on 2/17

I hope you’ll join me and other members of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) for our virtual Crossover Town Hall on Saturday, February 17 at 10:00am.  Register here: https://bit.ly/vaapic-feb17.

Recent Town Halls

Thank you to everyone who attended my Legislative Town Hall on January 30 and my annual Town Hall with the Virginia Department of Transportation on February 6. It’s always a pleasure to share updates and to hear your thoughts!

Legislative Updates

Constituent Meetings and Legislative Briefings

Thank you to my constituent Robin and her sons for visiting me and sharing the Virginia Hemophilia Foundation and Health Care for All Coalition's legislative agenda. I was proud to introduce them on the floor of the General Assembly.

It was wonderful to meet with members of Disabled Disruptors and talk about their advocacy on behalf of Virginians with disabilities.

Many thanks to Dreamer Mothers in Action for coming to talk about how we can address issues facing the Virginians who are undocumented immigrants.

I was glad to visit with Casey and members of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). My staff and I have worked with Casey in his role as a member of the South County Federation and Chair of the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.

It was great to catch up with my constituent James during his visit to Richmond to advocate with the Virginia Conservation Network. We had first met in December to discuss his interest in addressing climate change, specifically expanding electric vehicle charging stations in rural Virginia. 

I appreciated hearing from Fairfax County 50+ Democrats about their priorities to support our older residents.

I enjoyed meeting with my constituent Teresa and other volunteers with Virginia’s Autism Project during their advocacy day.

I was pleased to connect with Dr. Harry G, Past President with the Medical Society of Virginia, when he came to advocate for increased services for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

It was a joy to see my constituents and other students from West Springfield High School. They were in Richmond to share their National History Day projects as part of Virginia History Day on the Hill – They are so impressive!

Thank you to my constituent Jan for coming to Richmond to discuss how we can better support and empower nurse anesthetists.

My staff and I also met with 

  • Al Fatih Academy

  • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated

  • Amalgamated Transit Union

  • The Arc of Northern Virginia

  • Autism Society of Central Virginia

  • Children’s Home Society of Virginia

  • International Alliance and Theatrical Stage Employees,

  • James Madison University students, 

  • Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington

  • Kaiser Permanente

  • Medical Society of Virginia

  • NASA

  • National Parks Conservation Association

  • Nature Forward

  • Neighborhood Health

  • Rare Access Action Project (RAAP)

  • Tenants and Workers United

  • Virginia Academy of Family Physicians

  • Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  • Virginia Association for Parks

  • Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action

  • Virginia Conservation Network

  • Virginia Economic Development Partnership

  • Virginia Farm Bureau

  • Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance

  • Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association

  • Virginia Maritime Association

  • Virginia Sierra Club

Legislative Update

We are quickly approaching the midpoint of the legislative session. I joined my Democratic colleagues in the House of Delegates at a press conference to celebrate passage of HB 1, to increase the minimum wage to $15/hour by 2026, and HB 2, to ban future sales of assault weapons and high capacity magazines. A majority of Virginians support these legislative proposals, and I expect them to pass the state Senate and go to Governor Youngkin for his consideration.


My Legislative Agenda

This session, I introduced 21 pieces of legislation to help meet the needs of vulnerable Virginians and build a more welcoming Commonwealth. Currently one bill has been voted on by the full House of Delegates and 16 others passed out of committee and will be voted on by the full House of Delegates for consideration in the next few days. You can view my full legislative agenda here.

 

My legislation that has already been voted on by the full House of Delegates

This year, the General Assembly is required by the Virginia Constitution to pass a balanced biennial budget. You can see the Governor’s proposed budget here.

My legislation that has already been voted on by the full House of Delegates

House Joint Resolution 45 gives Virginia voters the opportunity to amend the Constitution of Virginia to provide equitable tax relief to surviving spouses of service members who were killed in the line of duty. This Resolution unanimously passed the House of Delegates, and I thank my constituents Traci and Edie, as well as the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, for their advocacy.

My legislation that passed Committee and will be voted on by the full House of Delegates

House Bill 971 lowers the number of years that a nurse practitioner must work under supervision by a physician before being able to practice autonomously, helping to address our health care workforce shortage. This bill passed from the Health and Human Services Committee with strong bipartisan support. Thanks to the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners, Medical Society of Virginia, and AARP for their partnership.

House Bill 980 ensures students who report being hazed are notified about available mental and behavioral health services. This bill passed from the Education Committee, and I appreciate collaborating with my constituent Kalynne, Love Like Adam Foundation, and Virginia Education Association.

House Bill 985 bans toxic asphalt sealants in Virginia. This bill passed with strong bipartisan support from the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. Many thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia League of Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Club for their support. You can read coverage of my efforts by WUSA9 and the Richmond Times Dispatch.

House Bill 986 allows notaries to charge up to $10 for notarizing hard copy documents. My constituent Daniel had asked me to help as these fees have remained unchanged since 2005. This bill passed out of the Courts of Justice Committee, and I thank the Virginia Association of Notaries for their support.

House Bill 989 requires the Department of Elections to translate and publish key voting information in Virginia’s most widely spoken languages other than English. This bill passed unanimously out of the Privileges and Elections Committee and was supported by New Virginia Majority and the Voter Registrars Association of Virginia.

House Bill 992 helps connect participants in the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work (VIEW) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training Program to employment and training services. This bill passed from the Labor and Commerce Committee, and I worked on it with  Voices for Virginia’s Children and the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

House Bill 993 prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay fees to pay their rent or obtain normal maintenance or repair of their unit. The bill passed out of the General Laws Committee. I am grateful to my constituent Susan for bringing this issue to me and for the opportunity to partner with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, New Virginia Majority, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Legal Aid Justice Center, Virginia NAACP, and Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia. 

House Bill 995 creates a pathway for immigrants and refugees living in Virginia who are internationally-trained physicians to obtain their medical licenses in the Commonwealth, enabling them to reach their full career potential while meeting health care needs in underserved communities. You can read more about the difficult path to occupational licensure that refugee physicians face in this blog post from the Refugee Advocacy Lab. 

This bill passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee with strong bipartisan support. I collaborated on this legislation with the Refugee Physician Advocacy Coalition (RPA), Medical Society of Virginia, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, and Church World Service.

House Bill 1060 requires insurance companies to notify their policyholders if they request the State Corporation Commission  to increase their rates and that the agency must consider the impact on policyholders when reviewing requests for rate increases. This issue was first brought to me by my constituent Jeff, and I am proud this bill passed out of the Labor and Commerce Committee with  bipartisan support. Many thanks to the Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and AARP for their support.

House Bill 1186 establishes a pilot program that provides all-terrain wheelchairs at our state parks. The bill passed unanimously from the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee and the Appropriations Committee. Thanks to the Friends of Mason Neck State Park, Virginia Conservation Network, Virginia Association for Parks, disAbility Law Center of Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for working with me.

House Bill 1261 gives the Virginia Employment Commission permanent authority to waive overpayment of unemployment benefits when the overpayments were made through no fault of the individual. This bill passed out of the Labor and Commerce Committee and from the Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support. Thanks to the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Legal Aid Justice Center for supporting this bill.

House Bill 1355 updates Virginia’s Information Technology Access Act by requiring information and communication technologies to be accessible to all persons with a disability and expands the requirements to include public school districts. This bill passed unanimously out of the Communications, Technology and Innovation Committee and with bipartisan support from the Appropriations Committee. I worked closely on it with Virginia Higher Education Accessibility Partners, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, The Arc, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia, and the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.

House Bill 1487 requires the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to publish translations of model rental forms in top languages other than English that are spoken in Virginia so that all tenants, regardless of their language abilities, understand their rental terms. This bill passed from the General Laws Committee and Appropriations Committee. I worked on this bill with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, New Virginia Majority, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Legal Aid Justice Center, Virginia NAACP, and Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia.

House Bill 1531 creates a civil penalty for anyone in the Commonwealth who uses bullhooks or a similar device to hurt or intimidate elephants. It passed out of the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. You can learn more about my efforts in the Fairfax Connection. 

I am grateful for the support of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, Virginia Animal Control Association, Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

My legislation that did not advance out of Committee

Thank you to the advocates with Church World Service for all you do to welcome New Americans to Virginia. I appreciate your support for my House Bill 995, to provide a path to professional licensure for refugee doctors living in Virginia. 

House Bill 969 provides targeted relief to working families and addresses child poverty for an estimated 1.3 million Virginian kids by establishing a state child tax credit. Unfortunately, this bill did not pass out of the Finance Committee. I deeply appreciate partnering with the Commonwealth Institute, Voices for Virginia’s Children, New Virginia Majority, Virginia Education Association, Freedom Virginia, SEIU, the Interfaith Interfaith Center for Public Policy,  and the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

House Bill 970 expands health coverage for uninsured children regardless of their immigration status. While it passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee unanimously, it did not receive funding by the Appropriations Committee. Many thanks to the Healthcare for All Virginians Coalition, Medical Society of Virginia, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, CASA, and the Virginia Catholic Conference for their efforts on this issue.

House Bill 982 provides Medicaid coverage for hearing aids and audiological services for adults. You can read more about the ties between hearing loss and memory loss in this article from the Washington Post. 

While the bill passed nearly unanimously out of the Health and Human Services Committee, it was not funded by the Appropriations Committee. Thanks to AARP, Speech-Language Hearing Association, Virginia Poverty Law Center, and Alzheimer’s Association for support. 

House Bill 984 requires the Department of Education and the Community College System to study how to expand Head Start programs on Virginia community colleges. While this bill passed out of the Education Committee, it was not considered by the Rules Committee due to time constraints. I will work with the Chair of the Education Committee to see how we can complete this assessment after the legislative session. I worked on this bill with the Virginia Head Start Association and Voice for Virginia’s Children.

House Bill 1001 expands the right of state and local employees to collectively bargain for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. The bill passed out of the Labor and Commerce Committee, but in talking with stakeholders about actions taken by the state Senate on the Senate cognate of this bill, we decided to re-introduce this bill during next year’s legislative session. 

I am proud to partner with the Virginia AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America Virginia State Council, Virginia Professional Fire Fighters, Virginia Education Association, Virginia Conference of the American Association of University Professors, SEIU 32BJ, SEIU 512, National Coalition of Public Safety Officers, Virginia NAACP, A. Philip Randolph Institute, and UFCW Local 400.