March 4, 2024

Neighbors, 

The Virginia Presidential Primary Election Day is this Tuesday, March 5! My family and I all went to vote early on Saturday. Please make a plan to vote and encourage your family and friends to make their voices heard — Polls are open on Tuesday from 6:00am to 7:00pm. If you are in line by 7:00pm, you will be able to vote.

Before you go to vote, make sure you:

• Check your registration status

• Find your polling location

• Have an acceptable ID or are ready to sign an ID Confirmation Statement

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

• Fairfax Connector

• Community Updates

  • Pack 1100 Arrow of Light Crossover

  • Miss Virginia and Miss Virginia’s Teen

  • Let Asylum Seekers Work Video

  • Naloxone Training

• Legislative Updates

  • My Legislative Agenda

  • 7-Day Bills Update

  • Biennial Budget Update

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

Fairfax Connector 

Fairfax residents rely on the Fairfax Connector to get to work and around Fairfax County, and I have heard from constituents affected by the current labor strike.

Fairfax Connector bus operators and maintenance workers have been working since December without a contract. Represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, they are negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with Transdev, the contractor that runs the Fairfax Connector. 

Fairfax Connector workers are seeking a guaranteed 40 hour work week, a fair retirement plan that allows them to save for the future, and an adequate sick leave policy that enables them to accrue and use sick leave. 

I am in touch with ATU Local 689 about the status of discussions. And I led a group of Fairfax County legislators in sending a letter to Transdev strongly urging them to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair agreement and resume services as soon as possible.

You can read our letter on my website.

Community Updates

Pack 1100 Arrow of Light Crossover

I was honored to join Pack 1100 to celebrate the Arrow of Light Cub Scouts as they crossed over to Scouts BSA. Congratulations to these incredible youth!

Miss Virginia and Miss Virginia’s Teen

I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Virginia and Miss Virginia’s Teen and hearing about their service and leadership to our Commonwealth when they came to the Capitol.

Let Asylum Seekers Work Video

I was so honored to be featured in the Refugee Advocacy Lab’s Let Asylum Seekers Work video to call on Congress to pass the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act. Refugees are waiting up to six months to get authorization to work in the United States, and it is important to reduce that timeframe so they can work and provide for their families and fill critical workforce needs. You can read more about the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act and see the video here.

Naloxone Training

I attended a training about REVIVE!, the state’s Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education program, hosted by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). We learned to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose using naloxone. To learn more, visit the REVIVE! page on DBHDS’ website.

Legislative Updates

My Legislative Updates

We are heading into the final week of the legislative session. I continued to present my bills to Senate subcommittees and full committees, and several of my bills passed out of the Senate and are now on their way to the Governor for his consideration. 

Once the Governor receives a bill for consideration, he has four options: sign the bill into law, veto the bill, recommend amendments to the General Assembly for us to consider during the Reconvene Session in April, or let the bill take effect without his signature.

My Bills That Passed the House of Delegates and State Senate 

• 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 unanimously passed the House of Delegates and state Senate. Many thanks to 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 the House of Delegates by a vote of 88-11 and passed the state Senate unanimously. I am grateful for the support of New Virginia Majority and the Voter Registrars Association of Virginia.

• House Bill 993 prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay fees to obtain normal maintenance or to pay rent if a no-fee option is not available. This bill passed on a 51-49 vote in the House of Delegates and 22-18 vote in the state Senate. 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 1531 creates a civil penalty for anyone in the Commonwealth who uses bullhooks or a similar device to hurt or intimidate elephants. This bill passed with bipartisan support in the House of Delegates (63-36) and state Senate (29-11). 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. You can learn more about my efforts in the Fairfax Connection. 

• 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 legislation passed unanimously from the House of Delegates and state Senate. Many thanks to my constituents Traci and Edie, as well as the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, for their tireless advocacy. The issue will now go before Virginia voters on the November ballot.

7-Day Bills Update

On Friday, the General Assembly sent the first 84 bills that passed the General Assembly this legislative session. Under the Virginia Constitution, the Governor has seven days to act upon bills that are presented to them during the legislative session. As such, the Governor must either sign, propose amendments, or veto these bills by Friday, March 8 otherwise they will become law without his signature.

I spoke at a joint House and Senate Democratic Caucus press conference on some of the key pieces of legislation that we passed. Below are some of the bills sent to the Governor within the seven day timeline:

• House Bill 46 and Senate Bill 47 helps protect domestic violence survivors and keep guns out of domestic abusers’ hands. It allows someone who is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a protective order or a criminal domestic violence conviction to transfer their firearm to a person who may lawfully own the firearm. The bills passed the House with bipartisan support and on a party-line vote in the Senate.

• House Bill 48 and Senate Bill 46 bans legacy admissions at Virginia colleges and universities. The bills passed the House and Senate unanimously. 

• House Bill 673 directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to low-income communities for projects that incorporate nature-based solutions when distributing loans for flood prevention. The bill passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

• House Bill 819 and Senate Bill 819 mandate health insurance companies provide coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices and prohibit those companies from charging a copayment or other fee in most circumstances. The bills passed with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

• House Bill 1177 and Senate Bill 606 require the Virginia Commissioner of Elections to re-enroll Virginia in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which is an interstate program to ensure that voter rolls are reliable and updated. The bill was passed on a party-line vote in the House and Senate.

• House Bill 1336 and Senate Bill 568 allow crisis stabilization facilities to keep schedule II through VI controlled substances onsite for necessary stabilization treatment. The bill passed unanimously from the House and the Senate.

Biennial Budget Update

Last week, I shared highlights from the House’s budget proposal, including more money for public schools, expanding health care, lifting up working families, increased environmental protections, updated tax policy, and expanded transportation funding. House and Senate budget leaders are negotiating an agreement between the House and Senate.

You can review each legislative body’s proposal here. You can see my summary of the budget on my newsletter from last week, and I would also recommend the analysis completed by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.