Newsletter Week of 1/30/2023

Dear Friend,

We just wrapped up another busy week down in Richmond! Here is what my team and I have been up to!

My Bills:

This week we had multiple bills up in committee, and I defended and passed my first bill in front of the full House of Delegates! HB2424 will increase access to interpreters in civil proceedings for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. This bill's Senate companion also passed unanimously so we expect it's on track to head to the Governor's desk to be signed into law!

Other Bills Include:

• HB 2492 - Ensures that Virginia's Disability Board remains in compliance with federal law so that Virginia doesn't lose out on millions of dollars in federal funds.

I presented this bill in front of the full Rules Committee on Tuesday (it passed unanimously) and then on the Floor for 2nd Reading on Friday. I expect this to pass through the House on Monday.

• HB 2416 - Makes booster seats and other child car restraints tax-free to support our working families.

I presented this bill to a Finance subcommittee on Tuesday and then to the full committee on Wednesday. Unfortunately, this bill did not pass the Appropriations Committee on Friday, but I will continue to fight to make life more affordable for young families in Virginia.

• HB 2473 - Makes Veterans' benefits more accessible by providing a poster listing benefits to all employers in Virginia.

I presented this bill before subcommittee on Tuesday. Although this bill was tabled, the committee said that they would work with the Department of Labor to ensure we increase accessibility of Veterans benefits and services.

I've also co-patroned other important legislation:

Patron Type	Bill #	Chief Patron	Bill Description	Status
Chief Co-Patron	HB2445	Bennett-Parker	Renews the wholesome food donation tax credit for amounts up to $10,000	Passed Committee 22-0
Chief Co-Patron	SB 852	Favola	Prohibits issuing a search warrant for the search and seizure of a computer containing menstrual data	Passed Senate Judiciary 12-2
Co-Patron	HB 1419	Kory	Extends eligibility for the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program to the descendants of persons who were residing in jurisdictions in Virginia in which the public schools were closed to avoid desegregation between 1954 and 1964.	Passed House 99-0
Co-Patron	HB 1520	Simonds	Places certain restrictions on railroad companies to increase safety	Failed in Subcommittee 4-3
Co-Patron	HB 1566	Rasoul	Requires teachers to be paid at or above the national average	Passed Appropriations Subcommittee 8-0
Co-Patron	HB 1604	Ware	​Directs the State Corporation Commission to order reductions to base rates charged by utility companies provided that the companies are making unreasonable profits	Passed Committee 22-0
Co-Patron	HB1852	Subramanyam	​Directs the Commission on School Construction and Modernization to make recommendations to incorporate renewable energy generation facilities in schools	Failed in Subcommittee 6-2
Co-Patron	HB1938	Plum	​Requires school boards to employ at least one full-time counselor per 1,000 students	Failed in Appropriations Subcommittee 5-3
Co-Patron	HB 2038	Shin	Allows state employees health insurance to also cover that of an incapacitated child regardless of whether the child lives with the employee	Passed House 100-0
Co-Patron	HB 2070	Murphy	​Any person who possess a firearm after being found guilty for assault and battery against someone in a dating relationship is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor	Failed in Subcommittee 3-3
Co-Patron	HB 2073	Murphy	Creates the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to speed up issuance of a license to practice medicine in the Commonwealth for qualified physicians from out of state	Assigned to Subcommittee
Co-Patron	HB2074	Murphy	​Repeals mandatory minimums for persons charged with simple assault and battery for those on the autism spectrum provided that the crime was influenced by the person's disability	Referred to Committee
Co-Patron	HB2076	Murphy	Changes eligibility for Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program: shortens from five years to one the physical presence requirements, 90% static disabled instead of 90% permanent disabled, makes stepchildren of living veterans eligible	Failed in Appropriations Subcommittee 5-3
Co-Patron	HB2078	Murphy	​Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a licensed firearm manufacturer to give a handgun to an unlicensed person without a locking device or a warning that guns should be kept locked	Failed in Subcommittee 5-3