Session Week Three
As you might already know, the Virginia General Assembly meets for a short session (historically 45 days) in odd years. The rapid pace of committee hearings, bill presentations, and floor votes has been head-spinning. As we approach crossover, the urgency grows to get these bills all docketed and heard in committees before the deadline. Stay tuned as next week is sure to move quickly, too.
Residency Requirements: HB 2038
Some of the best legislation we consider comes directly from the people. This past year, a constituent brought to our attention a flaw in our state insurance system. After review, we discovered an unneeded burden placed on state employees who are parents of children with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
Currently, state employees can extend enrollment of coverage to incapacitated adult children, as long as the child resides at the home of their parents.
My legislation removes the residency requirement and allows flexibility for families to make the right decision regarding independent living facilities without risking the loss of healthcare coverage.
I am proud to share that today my bill was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee unanimously. HB 2038 will advance to the House Floor, and should be voted on by the full body this upcoming Wednesday.
Connecting Our Communities: HB 2041
In the past few years, Loudoun County has made a concerted effort to connect and expand their network of community trails and paths. Representatives from the county came to my office with a problem: Some private property owners were reluctant to provide public access easements for these trails due to liability concerns.
This legislative fix allows counties to permit easements while granting limitations on potential lawsuits.
My legislation was passed out of the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee unanimously. This upcoming Tuesday, I anticipate presenting HB 2041 on the House Floor for full consideration.
Animal Testing Accountability: HB 2042
The General Assembly continues to tackle the problem of underregulated animal testing in the Commonwealth. This legislation would require entities engaged in animal testing to annually report the quantity of animals in their possession and the total number of animals euthanized. These facilities would also be required to develop and submit a ten-year plan to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) on how to reduce the number of animals used in research.
This legislation was supported by the Virginia Alliance for Animal Shelters, the Virginia Animal Control Association, PETA, Animal Justice Advocates, the Humane Society of Virginia, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, the Richmond SPCA, the Virginia Pet Advocacy Alliance, and the Virginia Dog Army.
Despite strong advocacy, HB 2042 was rejected on a party line vote. I will continue to advocate for greater transparency and accountability of animal testing research facilities.
Virginia Emergency Utility And Security Act: HB 2283
Over the past year I have worked with stakeholders to address utility disconnections in extreme weather events or public health crises. After much negotiation with utilities and advocates, I presented compromise legislation before Subcommittee #1 of the House Commerce and Energy Committee. The bill directed the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to establish regulations to address these disconnections.
Progressive advocate organizations and representatives of utility companies came together to support the bill. Unfortunately, this common-sense legislation was rejected in the subcommittee on a party-line vote. Whether it's extreme heat, extreme cold, or global pandemics, Virginians need to keep the power on and the water running when they need it most. This legislation will be coming back.
Fair Fines for Families and Youth Act: HB 2044
This session, I teamed up with students from the University of Virginia School of Law’s state and local government policy clinic to address the fines and fees that juveniles face in the court system. The majority of children that encounter the juvenile justice system are from low-income families, and court fines and fees punish families when they are trying to provide support when it's needed most.
This bill would have provided discretion to judges to reduce or eliminate these costs depending on the financial situation of the family. These fees are often never collected because families can’t afford them, and the collections process wastes limited resources by the courts. Republicans in the Courts of Justice Civil Law subcommittee #1 defeated this legislation in a party-line vote.
Constituency & Advocacy Meeting Recap:
I want to give a special thanks to all the advocates who took the time to visit our office this week and share their legislative priorities.
I was pleased to meet with CASA of Virginia to discuss how to best support our immigrant community. I am proud to prioritize healthcare, paid sick leave, and CASA’s other goals for the 2023 session. Among their priorities, I am working with Delegate Kathy Tran and co-patroning HB 2210, that expands health care access by creating an insurance program for 13,000 undocumented children in Virginia.
On Monday, I met with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. One of the advocates turned out to be someone I met on the campaign trail last year. It’s always great to see neighbors down in Richmond!
Also on Monday, SEIU Virginia 512 union representatives came by my office to share how lawmakers can support home care workers and public employees this session. We discussed their top objectives of paid sick days, family leave, and collective bargaining.
Tuesday morning I met with members of Virginia Promise Partnership, which advocates for safe and affordable child care access. It is difficult for parents to work when quality child care is out of reach. I’m proud to continue to support investments in early child care to benefit working families.
On Wednesday, the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS® (NVAR) stopped by my office to discuss their legislative priorities for the 2023 session. I’m happy to meet with organizations like NVAR that protect businesses and individuals in the community.
The Virginia Coalition for Human Rights (VCHR) is a broad coalition that advocates for human rights for all. We discussed the importance of protecting universal human rights, free-speech, academic freedom, and non-discrimination. I was pleased to welcome VCHR to the Capitol and introduce them on the House Floor.
I was so happy to see the dedicated volunteers from the Virginia PTA, who work tirelessly to advocate for students, teachers, and parents. They are an essential part of the ecosystem that delivers a world-class education in our communities.
On Thursday, the ARC of Northern Virginia and I met on Zoom to discuss their legislative priorities. Virginia still has a long way to go to meet the urgent needs of the disability community, and hearing from advocacy groups like the ARC helps direct the General Assembly towards meaningful solutions.
In the News
The Virginia Mercury created an editorial cartoon (by John Cole) in reference to my legislation, HB 2039, that addresses price gouging of incarcerated individuals in local and regional jails. Click here to read the story.
Announcements:
Sorensen 2023 High School Leaders Program:
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, an organization that seeks to enhance the quality of state government, is seeking civic-minded students from across the Commonwealth to apply to the 2023 High School Leaders Program in Charlottesville. This program concentrates on studies in civics, youth leadership, and Virginia politics and government.
Applications close March 20th, 2023. Apply here or contact our office for more information.
Dranesville Strategic Planning Forum:
Fairfax County Public Schools is in the process of developing a new strategic plan. Part of that process will be gathering input from the public in the form of virtual and in-person community forums across the county.
The Dranesville District forum will be Saturday, February 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Spring Hill Elementary School cafeteria (8201 Lewinsville Road, McLean, VA 22102)
To register for FCPS’s Strategic Forum planning process, click here.
Become a Farmers Market Vendor:
Calling all local farmers and food producers!
Vendor applications are now available for the Herndon Farmers Market. The market opens on May 3rd outside the Herndon Municipal Center.
Application deadline is February 10th. Click here to learn how to apply.
Stuff the Bus:
Fairfax County’s annual food drive is underway. The “Stuff the Bus” will be stopping in Herndon on February 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Herndon Safeway.
More details here.
Team Shin Updates:
On Sunday, January 15, 2023, my Chief of Staff, Jameson Babb, welcomed his son, Anand Eugene Babb, into the world.
While Jameson is on leave to spend time with and support his family, Janine Gaspari will be helping us this session. Janine has years of experience in the General Assembly, most recently acting as former Del. Mark Keam’s Chief of Staff. I am delighted to welcome her to the team and so grateful that she was willing to step up in this busy season.
The 86th District in Richmond:
I look forward to meeting with constituents at the General Assembly. You can find our office in the Pocahontas Building: 900 E. Main St. E318, Richmond, VA 23219.
It is an honor to serve as your representative in the Virginia House of Delegates. My team and I are always here to assist you so please do not hesitate to reach out.
Call: (804) 698-1086 or Email: DeliShin@house.virginia.gov.