It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and we’re already in the middle of the back-to-school season! While it’s been a record hot summer, with no signs of slowing down, I still hope you and your family found a chance to rest and recharge! I’ve been out and about throughout the district this past month and wanted to share an update on my activities, some great community events coming up, a few helpful resources and take a moment to address the recent catastrophic action by the Youngkin Administration to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

As we enter into the thick of summer, I wanted to take this opportunity to connect with you to provide some news related to the District as well as keep you updated as well as share some great opportunities for local businesses and keep you up to date on what I’ve been up to around the 86th. I hope you and your family are enjoying the warm weather and staying cool!

As the heat ramps up here at home, there’s a lot going on in Virginia politics. In particular, today (July 1) is the day when the bulk of the legislation passed during session takes effect. For your awareness, I’ve provided a brief summary of some important ones below.

It’s hard to believe it’s already June! It’s been a busy first half of the year, and I wanted to reach out to share some updates and resources with you.

With Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month coming to a close, I wanted to reflect on the past month and what AAPI heritage means to me. As the daughter of Korean immigrants, this month is especially important to me, and I take great pride in my identity as an Asian-American.

The last week of the Regular Session 2023 Virginia General Assembly has ended. Two of my bills, HB 2038 and HB 2041 have passed the House and Senate and have been sent to the Governor for his consideration. I eagerly await his signature to make it official!

I am proud to announce that two of my most important pieces of legislation have cleared both the House of Delegates and the Senate and are headed to the Governor’s desk for his consideration:

HB 2038 and HB 2041

Today the Senate passed Delegate Irene Shin’s legislation (HB 2038) expanding health care to some of the most vulnerable Virginians. This bill provides adults with incapacitating disabilities with the option to live in a group home setting or independent living facility. Currently, these adults are required to live with their parents in order to be eligible for state employee insurance coverage plans.

Crossover week leads to new challenges … in the Senate!

I’m proud to announce that two pieces of legislation, HB 2038 and HB 2041, have crossed over to the Senate and were assigned committees. Next week the Senate is likely to hear both of the bills and I am confident that they will be well considered.

The crossover deadline is approaching, and this week has been a frenzy in the General Assembly as we work to pass bills out of the House. Committees have been meeting in the early morning and into the late evenings, pressing forward to complete as much work as possible before the February 7th deadline.

RICHMOND, Va. – Late Tuesday night, the House Commerce and Labor subcommittee #4 rejected Delegate Irene Shin’s legislation (HB 2485) that would cap privately-owned ATM fees at $3 per transaction. It was a party-line vote: five Republicans rejected the bill, and one Democrat supported the bill.

RICHMOND, Va. – Late Tuesday night, the House Committee on Rules rejected Delegate Irene Shin’s legislation (HB 2478) that would establish the Virginia Fast Food Industry Workers Standards Board. It was a party-line vote, with 12 Republicans rejecting the bill, and five Democrats supporting the bill.

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.

With the first full week of the 2023 General Assembly Session now complete, I wanted to share some of the highlights. I met with many constituents and advocacy groups; sat in the first Counties, Cities & Towns Committee meeting of the year; and had my first bill heard in committee.

The Virginia General Assembly has wrapped up our first few days of the 2023 Legislative Session! I am so excited for my second session as your Delegate representing the Town of Herndon, Fairfax and Loudoun County. I will continue to serve as a member of two House committees: Counties, Cities & Towns, and Communications, Technology & Innovation.

I hope you and your family have been enjoying the holiday season. I wanted to touch base as the General Assembly will be back in session on January 11th and I wanted to provide a rundown on what’s been happening throughout the Commonwealth, in the 86th District, and the work I have been doing as your Delegate. It is an honor to represent our community in the House of Delegates and to advocate for our priorities and values. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if we can be of service.

I hope this communication finds you well. As we get closer to the 2023 General Assembly session in January, I wanted to give you an update on the happenings throughout state government, in the 86th District, and the work I have been doing as your representative during the month of October. As always, it’s a true honor to serve as your representative in the legislature and please don’t hesitate to reach out if I or my office can ever be of any assistance.

Beginning this month, our office will be providing monthly updates to keep you up to date with what’s going on in Richmond and around the District. As we did last year, during the General Assembly session in January and February, we’ll resume sending weekly updates. I look forward to providing you with these updates and making them accessible to all – so if you know of something happening in the District you think your neighbors should know about, share it with our office! We will be happy to consider it for an upcoming newsletter! With that, here are our updates from the (very busy!) month of September.

Last week, Governor Youngkin amended Delegate Irene Shin’s bill, HB1063, which would ensure that outward expressions of faith, such as headdresses, grooming practices, yarmulkes, or religious symbols would be protected from discrimination. The Governor’s amendment drastically changes the scope of the bill, and would protect workplace discrimination and bigotry in the future under the guise of religious expression.

Last Friday, the House of Delegates passed Delegate Irene Shin’s Jail Cost Reform Legislation

Delegate Irene Shin’s legislation will establish a work study group to gather stakeholders to address pricing disparities, and determine a way to reduce or eliminate many of these costs.