February 13, 2022
Neighbors,
We just finished the fifth week of the legislative session. It was our last full week before Crossover, when all bills must pass the chamber they were introduced in and “cross over” to the other chamber. We also reached the official halfway point of the 2022 legislative session, another exciting milestone!
In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:
Upcoming Town Hall
Constituent Meetings
Legislative Updates
Sorensen Institute
As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Best, Kathy
Kathy KL Tran
Delegate, 42nd District
Town Halls
Thanks to everyone who joined the virtual town hall with the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus! I am proud to serve as the First Vice Chair for Policy and join the Caucus in giving an update on our legislative agenda, including to expand language access, support small businesses, and increase workforce opportunities for immigrants.
Upcoming Virtual Town Hall: Thursday, February 24 at 6:30pm with Virginia Department of Transportation
Join me and VDOT to get a virtual update on transportation infrastructure in the 42nd District! VDOT officials will present and then take questions from participants. Register here!
Constituent Meetings
I was honored that my constituents and other participants in the House Page Program visited my office this week! I am inspired by their interest in our state government and love the opportunity to get to know them this session.
My staff and I gave a monthly update to the South County Federation, with a focus on the infrastructure needs in our community. We also met with constituents visiting Richmond and members of the Families Forward Virginia and the Chronic Disease Coalition. We discussed vaccine and mask mandates, family economic security, and expanding healthcare. If you would like to schedule a meeting, please email my office at delktran@house.virginia.gov.
Legislative Update
Below, I have highlighted some bills that have passed the House of Delegates and will now be considered by the Senate as well as the status of two Constitutional Amendments.
HB 34 and HB 177 — These two bills are aimed at suppressing voters’ ability to cast a ballot. HB 34 removes the option of submitting absentee ballots at secure drop-off locations. HB 177 requires voters casting absentee ballots to include their date of birth and the last four digits of their social security number. I did not support either of these bills. They both passed the House on a party-line vote.
HB325 — This bill would eliminate the requirement that a person must report to the State Police within 48 hours of learning of the loss or theft of their gun or a gun in their possession. I did not support this bill and it passed the House on a party-line vote.
HB 86 — This bill creates an easily accessible website within the Department of Elections that will allow constituents to view detailed campaign finance information. I supported this bill and it passed the House 99-1.
HB 95 - This bill requires financial institutions to cooperate in any investigation of alleged adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation conducted by a local department of social services. I supported this bill and it passed the House unanimously.
HJ 57 and HJ 28 — These are Constitutional amendments that would allow Virginia voters to key issues - HJ 57 would remove the defunct portion of the Virginia Constitution that outlaws same-sex marriages and affirm an individual’s right to marry. HJ 28 would automatically restore returning citizens’ voting rights. Both amendments passed with bipartisan support last year but failed on a party-line vote in subcommittee this year. I am not a member of this subcommittee so am unfortunately unable to vote in support of the amendments.
Update on My Legislative Agenda
As we reach the midpoint of the legislative session, I want to share my deep appreciation to everyone who has called, written, or provided public testimony about issues that are important to you. I value your input and thank you for your time and engagement. Below is an update about my bills that were heard or voted on this past week.
Strengthening Public Education
HB979 — This bill allows eligible internationally-trained teachers to qualify for a provisional license from the Department of Education. It helps address our teacher shortage while enabling refugees and immigrants to practice their trained profession. Thanks to the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, Virginia PTA, Virginia Education Association, American Federation for Teachers, Church World Service, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington for their support. This bill passed the House by a 95-3 vote.
HB1246 — This bill requires the Department of Education to recommend how local school divisions can ensure that digital learning tools are accessible to all students. Thank you to my constituent and the National Federation for the Blind for working with me. This bill passed unanimously out of the House Appropriations Committee.
Expanding Healthcare Access
HB987 — This bill updates our code to comply with federal regulations by ensuring information about the Medicaid program is available to Virginians with limited English proficiency and people with disabilities. This bill passed unanimously out of the House Appropriations Committee.
HB1071 — This bill protects uninsured and vulnerable hospital patients from overly aggressive debt collection and provides eligible patients with the right to have a payment plan to pay off their medical debt. I appreciate having the support of the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Legal Aid Justice Center on this issue. This bill passed unanimously out of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee.
HB1012 — This bill would have ensured that every child in Virginia has access to health care insurance, regardless of their immigration status. I am proud to have worked with The Commonwealth Institute on this legislation. Unfortunately, while it had bipartisan support, it failed to advance from subcommittee.
Protecting Consumers
HB1027 — The bill regulates companies that offer merchant cash advances, providing new protections for small businesses against these predatory lending practices. It passed out of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy unanimously. I appreciate having the support of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, and Richmond Black Restaurant Experience on this bill. You can learn more here.
Honoring Our Military Families
HB957 — This bill allows localities to exempt surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty from property taxes. Thank you to my constituents Traci and Edith, and all the surviving spouses for their advocacy. I appreciate having the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations’ support. This bill passed the House unanimously this week.
Protecting Kids
HB1043 — This bill requires the Virginia Department of Education to make recommendations on how to increase youth safety through required background checks and child abuse and neglect training for employees and volunteers of sports leagues. Thank you to many activists and the YMCA of Greater Richmond for their support. This bill passed the House unanimously.
Building A More Welcoming And Inclusive Virginia
HB1049 - This bill would have advanced language access equity by making sure that people who are limited English proficient or people with disabilities affecting communication have access to Virginia state government. Thank you to the many supporters of this legislation, including the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, Virginia Poverty Law Center, and Voices for Virginia’s Children. You can learn more about this issue here. This bill failed in the House Appropriations Committee.
Sorensen Institute
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia is seeking applicants from across Virginia to apply to their 2022 summer programs. See more information below regarding individual programs:
2022 High School Leaders Program (HSLP) — This is a leadership training opportunity for the next generation of Virginia leaders. Students will receive three graded college credits upon completion of the program. The application is open now and closes on March 22. Apply here!
2022 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) — Intended for Virginians in the first decade of their careers, ELP is a leadership development program focusing on developing effective leadership and public policy skills. The application is set to open this spring. Check here for updates!