2025 General Assembly Week Two Newsletter!
The General Assembly Session is officially underway!
With the first full week officially wrapped up, I wanted to share information and updates from Richmond about some of the historic work we have been able to accomplish already.
The first order of business this week happened in the House chamber, when we voted on the three resolutions to amend our state constitution:
HJ1 enshrines reproductive freedom in the Virginia Constitution. This amendment would guarantee the right to the full continuum of reproductive care, including prenatal care, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. With the current Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade and 50 years of precedent with it, we must protect reproductive freedom and a person’s right to make decisions about their own health.
HJ2 ensures the automatic restoration of voting rights for returning citizens. Virginia remains the only state in the country that permanently disenfranchises with felony convictions and it is long past time for us to turn the page on Virginia’s era of Jim Crow laws intended to deprive Black Americans of their right to vote.
HJ9 repeals the current language in the state constitution that prohibits same sex marriage and removes the discriminatory language defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. It additionally affirms the right to marry for all adults, regardless of sex or gender.
I am proud to have cast votes in support of each of these historic amendments. The House and Senate will have to pass each of these amendments again in the 2026 General Assembly Session before they go directly to Virginia voters.
We have now released a full summary of the legislation I am carrying this session. I invite you to review the bills on the LIS website.
Week Two in Review...
I chaired my first meeting on Wednesday for the Counties Cities and Towns Subcommittee #1. I am happy to announce that we were able to pass amended charters for the cities of Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Norfolk on to the full committee. We also passed Delegate Simonds’s HB1827 to the full committee that will encourage localities to use data on social determinants of health to assess how their plans affect public health and access to healthcare services.
Also on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to participate in a press conference with a number of my colleagues and members of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition. From Constituent outreach, to civic associations and national defense professionals, we have heard the resounding message from our community. We will continue to work hard to ensure that there is No Fairfax Casino!
On Thursday, my first bill made it out of committee! HB2085 is a bill that increases transparency by requiring health insurance carriers to disclose to medical providers if their payments will incur a transaction fee before processing a claim. Insurance companies will now also have to offer an alternative payment method without such fees. I hope this legislation will allow healthcare providers to focus their resources on providing more affordable and critical care for patients rather than dealing with surprise payment processing fees from insurance companies.
I loved meeting with constituents and advocates this week, including:
The Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association,
Cornerstones,
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy,
CASA in Action,
Justice Forward,
And more!
Hearing from constituents, advocates, and industry leaders is incredibly important to me as I work to best represent YOU and work to craft and advance strong policy that keeps Virginia moving forward.
Another highlight of the week, of course, was welcoming Delegate JJ Singh to the Virginia House of Delegates as the newest member of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus!
No matter the time of year, my staff and I are available to assist you!
From navigating state agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Virginia Unemployment Commission, and the Department of Social Services to developing policy that strengthens our community, my team and I are here for you. If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to my office anytime. You can reach us at delishin@house.virginia.gov or (703) 677-8334.