Visit Who’s My Legislator to find out how redistricting affected your community.

Budget Package

The primary disagreement between the House and Senate (and Governor) revolved around tax policy. The final budget includes:

• Rebates. One-time rebates of $200 for single filers and $400 for joint filers, totaling approximately $906M
• Standard Deduction. Increases the standard deduction to $8,500 for single filers and $17,000 for joint filers. The current deduction is $8,000/$16,000.
• Military Retirement. In 2022, the General Assembly passed a bill to exempt up to $40,000 in military retirement benefits from the income tax for individuals over age 55. The budget removes the minimum age provision.
• Sales Tax Holiday. Reinstates the sales tax holiday for school supplies, emergency preparedness products items, and Energy Star and WaterSense products. The tax holiday will be held the third weekend in October.

Not included in the budget were the Governor’s proposals to decrease the corporate income tax rate from 6% to 5% and to cut the top individual income tax rate from 5.75% to 5.5%.

In terms of expenditures, the adopted budget takes a cautious view of the fiscal environment and assumes that revenue growth will likely slow. As a result, the focus is on one-time initiatives over increasing ongoing programs or creating new programs. Approximately $3.5B is directed toward non-recurring activities while $1.1 billion goes toward ongoing programs. I think this is a prudent approach.

• Economic Development. $200M for the Business Ready Sites Program. This program is a key component of Virginia’s economic development strategy by identifying potential industrial sites and assisting with site preparation and development.
• Direct Aid for Schools. $908M increase for the state’s share of school funding.
• Teacher Salaries. $55M for an additional 2% salary increase for teachers effective January 2024 (this is on top of an already approved 5% increase).
• School Support Positions. $153M to temporarily lift the cap on funding for school support positions. Support staff include maintenance workers/custodians, food service staff, technology support, etc. The cap was put in place in response to the 2008 Great Recession and was never lifted. This had the impact of shifting the entire cost burden to Fairfax County Public Schools. Making this provision permanent will be a big focus of the 2024 General Assembly (and one of my top priorities).
• Flexible Education Funding. $418M in one-time flexible funding. School systems are encouraged to use the funding to address COVID-19 learning loss.
• Higher Education Affordability. $137M to increase access and affordability of higher education, including $63M in undergraduate financial aid.
• Workforce Development. $8.4M to the community college system for workforce development and career and technical education programs.
• Developmental Disability Waivers. $10.5M to add an additional 500 DD waiver slots. DD waivers are essential for providing children and adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities with a wide range of critical support services.
• Mental Health Services. $156M in new spending to support mental health services, including $58M to create crisis receiving centers and crisis stabilization units and $34M permanent supportive housing for individuals with serious mental illness.
• Community Services Boards. $22M to partially fill a long-standing funding gap for local community services. The Fairfax-Falls Church CSB provides essential services to individuals with mental illness, substance abuse disorders, and developmental disabilities.
• Crime Prevention. Funding for crime prevention, including $15M for Operation Ceasefire, $5M for the Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, and $10M for the Safer Communities Program.
• Water Quality Improvement Fund. $645M for water quality projects, including $30M for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (one of my budget requests).
• Climate Change Resilience. $100M for the Resilient Virginia Revolving Loan Fund. This funds my legislation from last year and helps localities and private businesses to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
• State Employee Raise. $61M to provide most state employees, including university employees) an additional 2% raise effective December 2023 (this is on top of an already approved 5% increase).

Another useful piece of information is how much additional funding will be provided to Fairfax County Public Schools. Direct aid to Fairfax County will go from $959,115,532 in FY23 to $1,006,832,068 in FY24. Direct aid to the City of Fairfax will go from $11,066,754 in FY23 to 11,517,141 in FY24.

Click here for a useful document by the Commonwealth Institute that compares the final budget to proposed budgets by the Governor, House, and Senate. You can also download a presentation by the House Appropriations staff that provides a great overview by policy area.

Summer Homework – Legislative Commissions

Although we are a part-time legislature, General Assembly members are appointed to various commissions that meet throughout the year. This allows us to focus on specific issues and develop recommendations for action outside of the pressure of the regular session.

Here are a few highlights of the commissions on which I serve:

• Chesapeake Bay Commission. This is a tri-state commission made up of legislators from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Our most recent meeting was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where we discussed efforts to meet Bay restoration targets as well as potential solutions to the growing problem of PFAS contamination, otherwise known as “forever” chemicals. Other recent meetings have focused on the problem of invasive blue catfish and declining blue crab stocks.
• State Water Commission. This commission is charged with studying all aspects of water supply – including quality and quantity. Our August agenda focused on water supply improvements being implemented through the American Rescue Plan Act and a shortage of certified water treatment plant operators. We also discussed the impact of proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PFAS standards on water suppliers like Fairfax Water.
• Housing Commission. Our August meeting included a presentation on economic, demographic, and housing market trends in Virginia. Bottom line: we desperately need more affordable housing! Earlier that day, I led a workgroup to discuss derelict buildings, the foreclosure process in homeowner associations, and the need for electric vehicle charging stations in new multi-family housing communities.
• Early Childhood Care and Education Commission. The commission includes legislators as well as representatives from businesses, economic development, local government, school divisions, parents, and early care and education providers. The commission is brand new, but we have already started to tackle a wide range of topics, including affordability, accessibility, and how to attract and retain quality providers.

It is an honor to serve you in the House of Delegates! As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback!

As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, I am happy to share with you the new laws that go into effect in Virginia today.

Each January, 140 representatives of the people (100 delegates and 40 senators) gather in Richmond to propose, debate, and vote on legislation. This year, 1,906 bills were introduced. Of those, 804 were ultimately signed into law. I am pleased that nine of my bills made it to the Governor’s desk. These include:

• HB1635 – Tenant Protections. Protects tenants by allowing them to end a lease and receive a full refund if the premises contains serious health or safety risks at move-in.
• HB1634 – Climate Change. Encourages local governments to address climate change resilience in their comprehensive plans.
• HB1636 – Child Care Safety. Ensures child day care programs that knowingly operate without a license are held accountable when a child in their care suffers a serious injury or death.
• HB2096 – Invasive Plants. Prohibits planting of plants identified as “invasive” on state property and requires landscapers to notify a customer if they propose the use of an invasive plant.
• HB2095 – Drought Management. Strengthens our region’s drought management and planning efforts.
• HB2099 – Aging in Place. Expands access to the Livable Homes Tax Credit program, which helps people with mobility issues to stay in their homes.
• HB2113 – Competitive Procurement. Requires state authorities that are currently exempt from procurement requirements to adopt written policies that incorporate competitive negotiation principles.

Below is a selection of other new laws that may affect our day-to-day lives. You can also find excellent summaries from the Division of Legislative Services and the Virginia Public Access Project.

HB2317 – Jury Duty Pay. Increases the jury duty allowance from $30 to $50 per day.

HB1517 – Automatic Renewals. For any free trial lasting more than 30 days, requires the customer to be notified of their option to cancel the free trial within 30 days of the end of the trial period.

HB1770 – Control of Energy Rates. Strengthens the State Corporation Commission’s ability to review the earnings of electric utilities and to adjust rates paid by customers if they exceed a fair rate of return.

HB1572 – “Swatting.” Makes it a felony to knowingly make a false emergency communication (i.e., 911) that results in serious bodily injury or death. Swatting is the term used when a fake emergency is called into law enforcement with the purpose of eliciting a mass law enforcement response.

HB1682 – Fentanyl/Weapon of Terrorism. Adds any mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl to the state definition of “weapon of terrorism.” This increases the penalty for manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl to a Class 4 felony.

HB2330 – Public Transportation Safety. Creates new penalties to protect public transportation drivers who are the victims of assault and/or battery. In addition to other penalties, a conviction includes a ban from public transportation for at least six months.

HB2372 – Catalytic Converters. Creates a presumption that possession of a catalytic converter removed from a vehicle by someone not in the auto repair or salvage business is guilty of theft. The penalty is a Class 6 felony.

HB2298 – Stiletto Knives. Removes switchblade knives and adds stiletto knives to the list of concealed weapons that may not be carried in public.

HB2387 – Firearm Safety Tax Credit. Establishes a $300 tax credit for years 2023 through 2027 for the purchase of firearm safety devices (gun safes, locks, etc.). The total program may not exceed $5 million in any given year.

HB2007 – Freedom of Information Act. Requires public bodies to post fee and pricing information for a Freedom of Information Act request on their website or in a written policy.

HB1446 – Nursing Home Standards. Effective July 1, 2025, establishes nursing staffing requirements for certified nursing facilities and imposes sanctions on facilities that do not comply.

SB1221 – Assisted Living Facilities. Directs the Board of Social Services to establish minimum liability insurance requirements for assisted living facilities.

HB2028 – Guardianships. Requires a guardian to visit an incapacitated person at least three times per year and at least once every 120 days.

HB1602 – Telemedicine. Removes the requirement that a health care provider must maintain a physical presence in Virginia to serve Medicaid patients.

HB2274 – Pharmacist Scope of Practice. Allows pharmacists to initiate treatment and administer controlled substances for group A Streptococcus, influenza, COVID-19, and urinary tract infection.

SB1003 – Hearing Aids for Minors. Requires health insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids and related services for children 18 years or younger when recommended by an otolaryngologist.

HB1895 – Nondisclosure and Sexual Harassment. Prohibits an employer from requiring a nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement with the purpose of concealing the details of a sexual harassment claim.

SB1040 – Social Security Numbers. Prohibits an employer from using an employee’s social security number, or any derivative of, as part of an employee’s identification number or access badge or card.

HB2082 – Rental Keys and Key Codes. Requires large rental property companies (200 units or more) to require any applicant for employment that will have access to keys to go through a pre-employment criminal history records check.

SB1455 – Curfews. Enables the chief law-enforcement officer of a locality to enact a curfew under certain circumstances during a civil disturbance. The curfew may not last longer than 24 hours without approval from the local governing body.

HB2294 – THC in Hemp Products. Limits the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that can be included in a hemp product to 0.3%, with certain exceptions when the amount of CBD is at least 25 times greater than the amount of THC. The law also creates a regulated hemp product retail facility registration process to oversee the new law.

HB2428 – Cannabis Advertising. Prohibits advertising any cannabis product or product containing synthetic THC or similar product that may not be legally sold in Virginia. The law also prohibits advertising from targeting minors, being placed near schools, referencing intoxicating effects, etc.

SB855 – Blue Headlights. Prohibits the use of blue headlights on vehicles.

SB951 – Uninsured Motorists. Effective July 1, 2024, repeals the option to register as an uninsured motorist and to instead pay a fee. All motorists will now be required to obtain insurance.

HB1516 – Towing. Prohibits a towing operator from refusing to allow the owner of a towed vehicle from accessing and recovering personal items without first paying the towing fee.

HB1932 – Move Over on Hazard Lights. Requires drivers to make a lane change or reduce speed when passing stationary vehicles that have activated hazard warning signal flashers, caution signs, or flares.

HB1388 – National Guard Passport. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish a program allowing members of the Virginia National Guard to enter state parks without paying a fee.

HB1592 – Bullying. Requires a school to notify the parent of any student who is involved in an alleged bullying incident within 24 hours. Current law only requires notification within five school days.

SB1175 – Virginia Literacy Act. Expands the Virginia Literacy Act in several ways, including requiring each local school board to provide reading intervention services to students who demonstrate substantial deficiencies based on SOL or other screening tests.

HB1592 – Teacher Arrests. Requires state law enforcement agencies to notify school systems within 48 hours of the arrest of a school employee for a felony or a Class 1 misdemeanor.

SB1453 – Defibrillators. Requires the placement of an automated external defibrillator in every public school. Under current law, schools have the option to place defibrillators but are not required to do so.

SB1515 – Pornography Age Verification. Requires pornographic websites (defined as having more than one-third of its content focused on sexual conduct) to implement an age verification system to prevent children under the age of 18 from accessing the site.

HB1948 – Absentee Voting. Removes the witness requirement for absentee ballots and replaces it with providing the last four digits of a social security number and birth year.

Having trouble sleeping at night? There are 770 more bills to go! The Division of Legislative Services 2023 Session Summary provides a complete list of bills introduced by subject area and whether they passed, failed, or were carried over.​

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have thoughts or questions. It is an honor to represent you. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!