2025 General Assembly Week Three Newsletter!
It has been a cold but busy week in Richmond!
On Monday, I had an opportunity to address the House Appropriations Committee about my packet of budget amendments. Here are some of the asks I have submitted on behalf of our community:
Item 40 #1h: $360,836 to fund three new attorneys in the Fairfax County Public Defender’s office to service the Towns of Herndon and Vienna and the City of Fairfax;
Item 96 #1h: $250,000 to fund local invasive species program grants to support localities as they work to offset the administrative costs associated with administering volunteer programming;
Item 124 #1h: $100,000 to establish a voluntary fund for teachers working with students with IEPs to gain appropriate microcredentials to help them teach every child to the best of their ability;
Item 216 #2h: $100,000 for the Master Naturalists Program to help establish scholarships and offset licensing fees for those seeking to complete a Virginia Master Naturalist basic training course;
Item 288 #48h: $9,711,678 to re-establish respite care services for paid parents and spouse with disabled children on Medicaid waivers; and
Item 433 #2h: $1,400,000 to establish a microtransit pilot program in the Town of Herndon.
The House Appropriations Committee members and staff carefully weigh all of the budget amendments that get submitted and do their best to prioritize these requests as they compile the House budget for the second year of this biennium. The House Appropriations Committee budget will be published on Sunday, February 2nd.
I presented seven bills before House committees and subcommittees this week, and I am pleased to report that they are all on their way to the House floor!
HB 2083, which establishes pregnancy as a qualifying life event for the purpose of purchasing health insurance, reported unanimously out of the House Committee on Health and Human Resources.
HB 2084, which directs the State Corporation Commission to consider whether new or separate customer classifications are reasonable in the context of the surge in power demand due to Virginia’s booming data center industry, reported out of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce on a bipartisan 15-7 vote.
HB 2087, which establishes guardrails to guarantee an open market for electric vehicle charging station infrastructure and development across Virginia, reported out of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 on a 6-4 vote.
HB 2088, which expands access to care for sexual assault survivors through teleforensic services, reported unanimously out of the House Courts of Justice Committee.
HB 2090, which expands access to the Virginia Community Solar Program and will permit residents of multi-family homes and apartment complexes to purchase solar energy power, reported out of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce on a 12-10 vote.
HB 2091, which invests in workforce development education and job placement programs that match Virginia’s high-demand occupations list, reported unanimously out of the House General Laws Subcommittee on Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process.
HB 2341, which directs the Department of Education to develop culturally responsive and language-appropriate mental health support and services guidance and policies for school districts, reported out of the House
And: HB 2085, which increases transparency by requiring health insurance carriers to disclose to medical providers if their payments will incur a transaction fee before processing a claim, passed the House unanimously on Wednesday!
For a full summary of the legislation I am carrying this session, please visit the Legislative Information System website!
I loved meeting with constituents and advocates this week, including:
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia
Virginia Credit Union League
Birth In Color RVA
Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
Virginia AFL-CIO
The Arc of NOVA (who I got to introduce on the House Floor!)
Students from Virginia Tech
Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
And more!
A real highlight for me this week was a visit from the Fairfax County Council of PTAs and Fairfax County SEPTA. Michelle and her daughter, Aviva, reached out to me last year to tell me about the lack of support for General Education teachers who want to work to better serve students in their classrooms who have IEPs. The microcredential budget amendment that I introduced was a direct result of that conversation.
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.
Commuter’s Corner! “Big Beam Weekend” Advisory from the Virginia Department of Transportation:
As part of the 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project, crews will install five steel bridge girders spanning 295 feet in length over northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway Inner Loop) at the Dulles Corridor Interchange for a new 495 Express Lanes ramp. This work is scheduled to occur over the weekend of January 24-27, 2025, and will require major traffic impacts on northbound I-495 near Tysons and at the Dulles Corridor Interchange.
During the weekend-long operation, traffic on northbound I-495 will be reduced from six lanes (four general purpose and two express) to two lanes and shifted to the 495 Express Lanes for about a one-mile stretch near Tysons. Traffic shifts and lane reductions will be in place for approximately three miles beginning at the Route 7 interchange until just past Lewinsville Road.
Additionally, the ramp from eastbound Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Airport Access Highway to northbound I-495 and westbound Dulles Toll Road under I-495 will be closed and detoured. Work and traffic impacts will begin at 9 p.m., Friday, January 24, with all lanes and ramps reopened by 5 a.m., Monday, January 27. Work is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if necessary.
More information here!
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.