E-NEWSLETTER

JULY 3, 2021

Neighbors,

Happy 4th of July! This week, I attended a ceremonial bill signing of House Bill 2161, which is a bill I introduced to protect service members, military spouses, their dependents, and veterans from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Employment discrimination for military spouses is an ongoing challenge that has stymied their career mobility and economic attainment. And service members and military families continue to deal with housing discrimination.

I am proud to have worked with Attorney General Mark Herring, Senator John Bell, Blue Star Families, the Veterans of Foreign Wars – Department of Virginia, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, multiple Chambers of Commerce, the Virginia Realtors Association, and other supporters to fight the injustice of discrimination against those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

We need to make sure that we are doing all we can to welcome military families to our communities. This signifies historic progress in our work to make Virginia, and the 42nd district, the most welcoming state for military families.

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Below, please find updates about the following:

  • COVID Response

    • Vaccination Updates

    • End of Virginia’s COVID State of Emergency

  • Legislative Updates

    • Summary of New Laws Effective July 1

    • Upcoming Special Session

  • Community Updates

    • Federal Infrastructure Projects and Requests

    • VDOT Updates

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday weekend. As always, please let me know if I can be of 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

VIRGINIA’S COVID RESPONSE

Vaccination Update

  • We’ve reached a statewide milestone in our COVID vaccination efforts – 71.3% of Virginians ages 18 and older have received one dose and 61.9% are fully vaccinated! Individuals ages 12 and older are eligible for a COVID vaccine; you can find a vaccination site here.

 End of Virginia’s COVID State of Emergency

  •  On June 30, Governor Northam ended the state of emergency that has been in place to address COVID given the decline in cases and the increased vaccination rates in Virginia.

  • There has been some confusion about whether Virginia law prohibits wearing masks now that the COVID state of emergency has ended. There is a current state law that prohibits wearing masks if you are doing so to hide your identity; however, that does not apply to wearing a mask to protect yourself from COVID.

  • The Virginia Department of Health addresses this issue and reminds us about the continued importance of wearing masks, as recommended by the US Centers for Disease, here.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

New Laws Effective July 1

  • Many of the bills that passed the General Assembly during the 2021 Legislative Session took effect on July 1, including five bills that I introduced:

    • House Bill 2035 expands employment opportunities for Virginians receiving TANF benefits.

    • House Bill 2036 makes it easier for the Virginia Employment Commission to use emails and other electronic communications to get in touch with Virginians about their unemployment benefits. You can read about ABC 8’s coverage of this bill and other reforms to the Virginia Employment Commission here.

    • House Bill 2161 protects military service members, military spouses, and their dependents from discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and housing. You can read an article from The Virginian-Pilot about this bill here.

    • House Bill 2162 establishes a right for individuals with disabilities to have a designated support person provide them assistance at hospitals.

    • House Bill 2163 protects all customer data provided to the DMV by requiring written agreements to be in place for when sharing of DMV data, restricting how third parties can access DMV data, and limiting the sharing of DMV data for civil immigration enforcement. You can read ABC 8’s coverage of this bill here.

  • Other new laws include:

    • Voting Rights

      • House Bill 1890, the Virginia Voting Rights Act, ensures voters are not disenfranchised based on race or English language abilities. 

      • House Bill 1888 reforms our absentee voting system and speeds up the counting of absentee ballots on Election Day. 

    • Expanding Healthcare

      • House Bill 2007 increases prescription drug transparency.

      • House Bill 1987 expands access to telehealth for Virginians. 

    • Strengthening Public Education

      • House Bill 2013 prohibits local school boards from suing students for school meal debt.

      • Senate Bill 1303 requires local school districts to offer in person learning for the 2021-2022 academic school year following certain safety guidelines and offering families the ability to request virtual instruction.

      • House Bill 2204 establishes the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back Fund for the Virginia Community College System. The Fund will provide financial assistance to eligible Virginians enrolled in educational programs leading to employment in a high-demand field.

    • Reforming Our Criminal Justice System

      • House Bill 2263 abolishes the death penalty in Virginia, making us the 23rd state in the country and the first in the South to stop this practice. 

      • House Bill 2312 creates a regulatory system for a recreational marijuana industry and begins the process to legalize possession of marijuana for individuals over 21.

    • Lifting Up Working Families

      • House Bill 2137 establishes up to five days of paid sick leave for consumer-directed home health workers.

      • House Bill 1280 expands access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to 25,000 people and updates program requirements to help people reach self-sufficiency. 

      • House Bill 1900 strengthens remedies for tenants being forced out of their homes.

      • House Bill 2174 establishes the VirginiaSaves program for eligible workers currently not offered a retirement savings program and will be administered by Virginia529. 

    • Gun Safety Legislation

      • House Bill 1909 prohibits guns in certain school board properties. 

      • House Bill 1992 restricts domestic abusers from purchasing firearms.

      • House Bill 2128 extends the time to complete background checks for gun purchases.

    • Protecting the Environment

      • House Bill 1965 directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program.

    • Advancing Equality

      • House Bill 1848 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment. 

      • House Bill 2130 establishes the first LGBTQ Advisory Board in the history of Virginia to advise the Governor.

 New Special Session to Start August 2

  • Virginia is receiving $4.3 billion in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Governor Northam has called the General Assembly into a Special Legislative Session starting on August 2, 2021 to appoint judges and allocate the federal ARPA funds. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that these funds best support our recovery from COVID.

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Federal Infrastructure Projects and Requests

  • I joined Senator Scott Surovell and Delegate Paul Krizek to ask US Senators Kaine and Warner for $80.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for infrastructure projects that affect the 42nd District. Our request included $45 million for the undergrounding of utilities along Route 1 and $35.5 million to replace the Giles Run Bridge on Old Colchester Road in Mason Neck.

  • The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to construct a covered multipurpose pavilion at the Lower Potomac Field Station, Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area in Mason Neck. BLM is accepting comments on the updated draft Environmental Assessment (EA) through July 9, 2021, here.

    • The BLM will host two virtual public meetings to provide an overview of the EA, address community interest, and offer more information on the proposed project. Each meeting can be accessed using the details provided below.

 When: July 7, 2021, 7:00 PM EST

Topic: Meadowood Multi-use Pavilion Public Comment Session

Please click the link below to join the webinar - Passcode: 555482

https://blm.zoomgov.com/j/1608539908?pwd=a3p4RXoyZ081UXowT3hmNU44cmk0Zz09

Or by Telephone, Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 669 254 5252  or +1 646 828 7666  or 833 568 8864 (Toll Free)

Webinar ID: 160 853 9908

Passcode: 555482

 Updates on Some VDOT Projects in the 42nd District

  •  VDOT has been working to replace the bridge over Pohick Creek and expects the bridge will reopen around July 5.

  •  VDOT has begun construction to create an auxiliary lane on Southbound I-95 from Route 123 to the Prince William Parkway. This will help relieve the congestion on I-95 and Route 123 that backs up into the 42nd District. I’m glad that we were able to secure an agreement for this project.

  •  VDOT continues working on Phase I of Rolling Road Expansion at the intersection of Old Keene Mill and Rolling Road, to add turning capacity at that intersection.