January 14, 2024

Neighbors, 

I am so honored to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates — I thank you for the trust you have placed in me to be a voice for our community, the 18th House District. 

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

  • Town Halls

    • South County Town Hall 

    • Fairfax County Delegation Public Hearing

  • Legislative

    • 2024 General Assembly Session Begins

    • Staying Engaged During Session

    • Legislative Briefings

  • Transportation Updates

  • Winter Storm Preparation

  • New DMV Customer Service Center

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

Upcoming Town Halls

South County Town Hall 

On Saturday, January 27 at 10:00am, Senator Scott Surovell, Delegate Rozia Henson, and I will be having an in-person South South County Town Hall at South County Middle School. Hope to see you there!

Fairfax County Delegation - Public Hearing

Thank you to everyone who came to share your priorities at the Fairfax County Delegation’s Public Hearing on January 6. I appreciate hearing from you as we prepared for session.

Legislative Updates

2024 General Assembly Session Begins

We started the 2024 General Assembly session on January 10. This year is what we refer to as a “long session,” which lasts 60 days. During this time, we will debate and vote on thousands of bills — I look forward to working everyday to build a more just and equitable Commonwealth.

The start of this year’s session was incredibly moving as we elected Delegate Don Scott to be the first Black Speaker of the House of Delegates. It is an historic moment for our Commonwealth and country, and I am proud to work with Speaker Scott to keep moving Virginia forward.

We received our committee assignments during the first day of session. I am returning to the Health and Human Services Committee and was appointed as Vice Chair of that Committee and Chair of the Social Services Subcommittee. 

I will also return to the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee, and I am newly appointed to the Finance Committee and Rules Committee.

Committees have begun meeting already — We had a full room at the first meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee! 

I attended a press conference announcing the shared legislative priorities of House and Senate Democrats. I was proud to speak about our commitment to keeping our communities and children safe from gun violence, the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. 

Staying Engaged During Session

We have a brand new beautiful, state-of-the-art General Assembly Building and I hope to be able to welcome you to Richmond.

However, if you are unable to visit in person, there are numerous ways that you can stay informed and engaged during session. I’ve highlighted some tips and resources below as well as on my website. 

My Newsletter and Town Halls

During session, I send a weekly electronic newsletter to provide updates about my work in Richmond on behalf of our community and to share key issues that are being considered in the General Assembly. 

I also host or participate in town halls and hope you will be able to join us. You can learn about my town halls through my newsletter or via my social media.

You can subscribe to my newsletter here.

Providing Input to Legislation

Your input is important to me. You can call my office at 804-698-1018 or email me at delktran@house.virginia.gov with your feedback or to schedule an appointment to meet with my team. You can also write to me at P.O. Box 2731, Springfield, Virginia 22152.

Tracking Legislation

You can keep track of the things we do in Richmond using the resources below:

  • View all of the bills that have been introduced for the 2024 General Assembly Session on the Legislative Information Services homepage.

  • Watch the live floor session, live committee meetings, and archives of previous meetings.

  • Find the agenda for each committee meeting on the committee’s homepage.

    • Each agenda will identify the bills that have been “docketed” or will be heard during the committee meeting.

  • Sign-up to provide public comments or submit written comments for committee hearings.

Legislative Briefings

My staff and I have been busy meeting with individuals and groups about various legislation that will be considered by the General Assembly. 

I enjoyed seeing my constituent Zach as he visited the Capitol before returning to George Mason to continue his studies.

Thanks to Scott, the Director of Gunston Hall, for coming to visit. We discussed the importance of ensuring that our museums and cultural institutions have the funding they need to tell our history.

We also met with the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, Friends of Mason Neck State Park, Justice Forward Virginia, Medical Society of Virginia, Moms Demand Action, Southern Environmental Law Center, Virginia Association for Biological Farming, Virginia Association of Counties, Virginia Conservation Network, and Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association.

Transportation Updates

Winter Storm Preparation

As we prepare for winter storms the next couple of days, I encourage you to plan ahead before the snow starts to fall. You can find inclement weather resources on my website. 

Before you drive in winter weather, visit 511virginia.org or call 511 for road and traffic conditions. You can report adverse or hazardous road conditions by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

If you lose power or notice a tree or other obstruction on a power line, report the issue to Dominion. They rely on the public to report outages to them in order to address the issue. You can report outages on their website.

As a reminder, VDOT plows the streets in the following order:

  • The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are VDOT’s first priority. 

  • Primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) and major secondary roads (routes numbered 600 and up) with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow.

  • Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available.

VDOT also reminds you to make safety a priority. They offer the following safety reminders:

  • It is best not to travel during a winter weather event.

  • Monitor the forecast for your planned route and limit travel based on roadway conditions.

  • Allow more time to reach your destination.

  • Drive at lower speeds and keep a safe distance of at least five to 10 seconds behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road.

  • Don't pass a snowplow or spreader unless it is absolutely necessary.

  • Use caution in locations where pavement freezes first, including bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas.

  • Keep an emergency supply kit in your car at all times in case of a breakdown or stoppage. This should include:

    • Flashlight and extra batteries

    • Ice scraper

    • Cell phone and charger

    • Jumper cables

    • Blankets or quilts

    • First aid kit

    • Bottled water

    • Non-perishable food (nuts, energy bars)

    • Abrasive material for traction (cat litter, sand)

    • Shovel

In the event of two or more inches of snow, you can watch a live map of VDOT’s snowplows.

New DMV Customer Service Center

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is moving the Fair Oaks Mall Customer Service Center! They closed the old location on Thursday, January 11 and will open the new location on Monday, January 22 at 8:00am at 9855 Braddock Road. 

The new DMV location will be triple the size of the old location and feature 10 additional service windows.

While the Fair Oaks office is closed, you can still conduct transactions online at www.dmv.virginia.gov. If you need to visit in-person, you can find the nearest location on DMV’s website.