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Dear Jack,
It’s hard to believe that we are already in the third week of the 2025 Legislative session. It feels like we just got to Richmond, but time flies when you are working hard and having fun! I am happy to report another successful week as we begin to wrap up the first half of this year’s session.
Update on My Legislation
We had an incredibly active week with some bills just starting their journey and others making it onto the House floor! I am excited to add to my already diverse portfolio last session, with new legislation that addresses pressing economic issues like affordable housing and fees, as well as health care, education, good governance, and gun violence prevention. The current status of my bills follows:
2 are headed to the Senate
3 are currently on the floor of the House
1 has passed out of full committee
6 are waiting to be heard in subcommittee next week
If you are interested in looking at the legislative history and bill text of my proposals, you can view them on the Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS).
CLICK HERE TO SEE MY LIS PAGE! [[link removed]]
Gun Violence Prevention
HB 2055 [[link removed]] and HB 2679 : [[link removed]] these bills direct schools to provide information to parents of a student found at-risk for harming themselves or harming others, respectively, on the existing safe storage of firearms laws, as well as material on safe storage of medications. Assigned to the Education K-12 Subcommittee. These bills will be heard on Tuesday.
Affordable Housing
HB 2054: [[link removed]] Our seniors need affordable assisted living and this bill empowers localities to negotiate for it. Successfully passed out of the House on January 23rd! Passed by a vote of 75-21 and is waiting to be heard in the Senate. Read about it in Loudoun Now [[link removed]] .
Education
HB 1915: [[link removed]] Clarifies that tenured teachers must give notice of non-continuation before the school year ends while maintaining the school division's authority over dismissal of tenured teachers. Passed out of the Education Committee 11-10 . This bill is currently being heard on the House floor.
HB 1936 : [[link removed]] Directs the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to create an index of each teacher training to allow us to better understand the subject, frequency, and total hours we expect our educators to spend training. Passed out of the Education Committee 21-1 . This bill is currently being heard on the House floor.
HB 2053 : [[link removed]] Empowers the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to develop a rubric for each institution of higher education to utilize in conducting a self-assessment to make sure their teacher preparation programs are in line with the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA). Assigned to the Education K-12 Subcommittee to be heard on Monday.
Other Legislative Updates
On Thursday, House Bill 1716 (guarantees the right to contraception), which I co-patroned, passed out of the House. While other states are taking away a right to contraception and little progress is being made federally on this issue, Virginia is taking another step forward to safeguard access to contraception. Passage of House Bill 1716 would be another major victory, as Virginia continues to be a sanctuary in the South for those who want the freedom to make this personal choice without government interference.
Budget Amendments to the State Budget
During this past Monday, my colleagues and I presented our proposed amendments to the state budget. You can find them at the link below:
CLICK HERE TO SEE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS [[link removed]]
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124 #37h [[link removed]] : $30,000 to assist in the construction of handicap access improvement at Meadowland ES.
Although the county has earmarked funding for improvements at Meadowland ES, they will not become available until FY 2029. With an allocation from the state, the county could move the project to an earlier date and those earmarked county funds could still go to improve accessibility, beyond just ramps and curb cuts at the bus lot.
331 #22h [[link removed]] : $100,000 to help fund Anna Sudha Community Kitchens, a non-profit organization of hundreds of volunteers (including disabled and special needs volunteers) addressing food insecurity in innovative way. Anna Sudha Community Kitchens currently operates at a deficit funded personally by the founder, since its inception.
Photos from Session
On the House Floor
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Credit to Jenna Alexander from Virginia PTA for this photo!
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This week I had 5 bills get to the floor with 2 heading to the Senate!
Loudoun County Professional Firefighters
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I am so happy to see our first responders in Richmond! Our firefighters work to keep our community safe!
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One perk of being a Delegate is getting to meet service dogs like Birdie when our first responders come to Richmond!
MOVE Chamber of Commerce and Muslim Day of Advocacy
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It was excellent to see our friends from the MOVE Chamber of Commerce during Muslim Advocacy Day!
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It was an honor to introduce Hurunessa Fariad, the first Muslim woman to deliver the invocation prayer!
Hamkae Center
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Introducing the Hamkae Center, which does excellent work in our community, advocating for long term policy solutions and building up the Asian-American and all working-class communities.
ICYMI
Meet our Session Intern Natalie!
Natalie Bertrand is our Virginia Commonwealth University intern, this session. Natalie is double majoring in Political Science and Homeland Security, and will be graduating this spring. She hopes to attend law school in the near future and work in some capacity surrounding constitutional law. Originally from Woodbridge VA, she has lived in Richmond for the last three years. In her free time, Natalie enjoys hiking and spending time with her friends and family.
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Resources to take part in the Legislative Session
Are you interested in watching the hearing for a bill you are particularly passionate about? Are you looking for a way to give testimony for bills that you support or oppose? Are you wondering what’s in the state’s budget? The General Assembly has these services and more to allow you to participate and view the entire 2025 Session!
Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS)
The Virginia Legislative Information System tracks bills from their introduction to their passage! You are able to create lists of bills that interest you through the lobbyist in a box feature, look through the calendar to find when important bills are being heard, and see the overall stats of this session.
CLICK HERE VIEW LIS! [[link removed]]
Virginia General Assembly Website
The General Assembly website streams every floor session, committee, and subcommittee meeting. It also gives a detailed explanation on how a bill becomes a law in Virginia, and showcases the history of the General Assembly and the Capitol Building. If you are interested in watching meetings of the General Assembly or learning more about our legislative process, use the link below.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WEBSITE! [[link removed]]
How My Office Can Help You
Navigating state agencies can be confusing and difficult at times. As your delegate, I can help you communicate with state agencies such as the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), Departments of Taxation, Social Services, Transportation, and more! I can also submit inquiries with those agencies on your behalf and help you engage with the state agency you need. There are limits to what I can do, however. For example, I am unable to expedite cases or force state agencies to favor your inquiry, provide legal advice or recommend a specific attorney, intervene with judicial issues, overturn decisions, or be involved with matters involving private businesses.
Whether you want to bring an issue to my attention, need my office’s assistance, or want to invite me to a community event, please reach out! If there is any way I can assist you, please let me know here: [link removed] [[link removed]]
Come Visit Me In Richmond!
If you or your group are coming to Richmond to speak to legislators, see the floor session, or stop in for a day trip, come by my office! My staff and I would enjoy speaking with you about ideas for improving our community and addressing concerns facing our region!
The best ways to get in contact with my office are through the district email ( [email protected] [[email protected]] ) and the phone number for the Richmond office ((804) 698-1027).
Yours in Service, [[link removed]]
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Delegate Atoosa Reaser (she/her)
Virginia House of Delegates
District 27 (Eastern Loudoun)
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Paid for by Elect Atoosa Reaser
Elect Atoosa Reaser
PO Box 651052
Sterling, VA 20165
United States
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