February 20, 2022
Neighbors,
This week, we reached the midpoint of the 2022 legislative session! I was glad to see and recognize Fairfax County School Board members Stella Pekarsky, Laura Jane Cohen, and Karl Frisch in the House Gallery during their visit to Richmond.
In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:
Upcoming Virtual Town Halls
Legislative Updates
WMATA Metro Updates
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 KL Tran
Delegate, 42nd District
Upcoming Virtual Town Halls
I will be hosting the Virginia Department of Transportation and Dominion Energy to give updates about our road infrastructure and electric grid in the 42nd District. I hope you will join us to have your questions answered!
Thursday, February 24 at 6:30pm with Virginia Department of Transportation
Join me and VDOT to get a virtual update on road infrastructure in the 42nd District! Register here!
Thursday, March 3 at 6:30pm with Dominion Energy
Join me and Dominion Energy for a virtual discussion about their responses to inclement weather and plans for future improvements to electric infrastructure in our community. Register here!
Legislative Update
Tuesday was “Crossover” - With the exception of the budget bills, this was the deadline for bills to pass the Chamber they were introduced in and “cross over” to the other Chamber.
Of the 1,593 bills introduced in the House this session, 766 of them passed and will now be considered by the Senate. And of the 898 bills introduced in the Senate, 578 of them passed and will now be voted on by the House.
Below, I have summarized some bills that passed the House at Crossover.
SB 739 — This bill allows students to opt out of wearing masks in Virginia K-12 schools. I believe school districts need the flexibility to implement responses to COVID-19 that is appropriate for their local community, in accordance with CDC guidance. I opposed this bill, and it passed the House and Senate and was signed by the Governor with an effective date of March 1.
HB212 — This bill rolls back access to reproductive care in the Commonwealth, putting politicians in-between Virginians and their health care providers. I opposed this bill and it passed the House on a party-line vote.
HB336 — This bill removes the ability of public workers to collectively bargain with their employer, even if they vote to do so. I opposed this bill and it passed the House on a party-line vote.
HB516 — This bill requires regular assessment to address inland and coastal flooding in Virginia. It includes a new Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and the codification of the Coastal Resilience Technical Advisory Committee. It also requires the integration of the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and the Coastal Resilience Master Plan. This bill passed the House unanimously, and I was proud to support it.
HB509 — This bill repeals Virginia’s “red flag” law, which allows law enforcement to confiscate an individual’s firearm under an Extreme Risk Protection Order if a judge has determined that the individual poses a risk to themselves or others. My colleague, Delegate Wendy Gooditis, gave an impassioned speech about her brother Brian’s suicide and why this law could have possibly saved his life. I opposed the bill and it passed the House on a party-line vote.
HB753 — This bill exempts religious organizations and nonprofit organizations run by religious organizations from the anti-discrimination protections in the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA). The VHRA prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation on the basis of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, and military status. I opposed this bill and it passed the House by a vote of 62-37.
HB787 — This bill prohibits teachers from teaching “divisive” topics in the classroom. I believe it is important to teach a complete history of our Commonwealth and country, and I joined several colleagues in offering amendments to ensure the continued ability to teach seminal historical events, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, integration of public schools, and the Obergefell v. Hodges US Supreme Court decision.
I offered an amendment that would allow for the teaching of Asian American and Pacific Islander history such as Vincent Chin’s murder. You can see my comments here. Our amendments failed on a party-line vote. I opposed this bill and it passed on a party-line vote.
HB1353 — This bill creates a Virginia Football Stadium Authority to levy bonds to finance the construction of a stadium for the Washington Commanders football team. I opposed this bill and it passed the House.
HB1128 — This bill would allow veterans and surviving spouses to exempt up to $40,000 in military retirement pay and eligible benefits. The exemption would be phased in: $20,000 in tax year 2022, $30,000 in 2023, and $40,000 in 2024 and each year after. I supported this bill and it passed unanimously from the House.
HB1350 — This bill prohibits selling dogs or cats for experimental purposes, a response to the atrocities at the Envigo dog-breeding facility in Cumberland. I supported the bill, and it passed 99-1.
Update on My Legislative Agenda
Seven of my bills passed the House of Delegates this session, and they will now be considered by the Senate. I am grateful to my constituents and stakeholder organizations for their advocacy on behalf of my bills. You can see my full legislative agenda here, and I’ve included a description of my bills that passed the House below.
Strengthening Public Education
HB979 — This bill would allow eligible internationally-trained teachers to qualify for a provisional teacher license. This 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. The bill passed out of the House 95-3. It has already been heard by the Senate Committee on Education and Health, where it passed 15-0.
HB1246 — This bill supports students with disabilities by requiring the Virginia Department of Education to assess how schools can ensure digital learning tools are accessible. Thanks to my constituent and the National Federation for the Blind for working with me. It passed out of the House unanimously.
Expanding Healthcare Access
HB987 — This bill ensures that Medicaid information is accessible to Virginians with limited English proficiency or with disabilities, bringing Virginia into compliance with federal regulations. This bill passed unanimously out of the House.
HB1071 — This bill protects vulnerable hospital patients against medical debt. It requires hospitals perform financial aid screenings, provide payment plans, and make charity care information more accessible. It passed the House unanimously, and I appreciate the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Legal Aid Justice Center for partnering with me.
Protecting Consumers
HB1027 — This bill defends Virginia small businesses from merchant cash advances, a potentially predatory practice, by regulating these transactions. I appreciate the support of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, The Commonwealth Institute, and the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience. This bill passed unanimously out of the House. You can learn more here.
Honoring Our Military Families
HB957 — This bill allows localities to give tax relief for surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty. Thank you to my constituents Traci and Edith, and surviving spouses throughout Virginia and the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations for their support. The bill passed the House unanimously.
Protecting Kids
HB1043 — This bill directs the Department of Education to assess requirements for background checks and child abuse training in youth sports. Thanks to many activists and YMCA of Greater Richmond for their support. The bill passed unanimously out of the House.
WMATA Metro Update
Metro has several track work construction projects underway that will affect travel. In particular, the blue and yellow line trains will experience significant schedule changes in the next few weeks, including single-tracking and line shutdowns. I encourage you to plan your trip ahead of time. See here for specific details.