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Valentine's Day is a big deal in the General Assembly. Look at this beautiful bouquet I picked up for my office’s fantastic Administrative Assistant from one of the 16th Districts local businesses, Danny’s Flower Market over on Three Chopt. Thanks, Danny’s!

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I am very excited to announce that both my presidential primary (SB 1119) and plats subdivision bills (SB 974) passed out of the House chamber last week! 

I am happy to share an update on the progress of my bills from this past week. Below you will find a list detailing the status of each, along with a brief description of what each bill does. Many of my bills have already made their way through the House of Delegates after crossover; others will be on the floor this week.

SB 822 - This bill would limit the amount of time that public school teachers are required to participate in non-academic trainings, helping our school districts to prioritize and saving teachers precious time for planning and grading.

Status: Passed the House Committee on Education unanimously with a substitute and will be voted on in the House this week.

SB 838 - This bill will charge uncertified recovery residences with a Class 1 Misdemeanor if they fail to become certified, or register their desire to become certified, by July 1, 2025. It also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to form a workgroup to recommend oversight measures and create credentialing guidelines for recovery residences.

Status: Passed the House Health & Human Services Committee and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee where it was unanimously reported and is headed to the House floor.

SB 854: This bill limits the use of social media platforms with addictive feeds for users under 18 unless they get verified parental consent.

Status: Passed the Senate and is now assigned to the House Communications, Technology & Innovation Committee where it will be heard this Monday and hopefully head to the House floor.

SB 855 - This bill seeks to overhaul the K-12 assessment process, bolstering the quality of both SOL and local alternative assessments while limiting the window that the SOL tests can be given to the last two weeks in May.  

Status: This bill was rolled into the Senate biannual budget as a budget amendment, and I have become a co-patron of the House companion bill, HB 1957, which is making its way through the Senate.

SB 871 - Extends from 2025 to 2028 the expiration of the retail sales and use tax exemption for certain printed materials purchased by an advertising business from a printer in the Commonwealth, so long as such materials are distributed outside of the Commonwealth.

Status: Reported from House Finance with a substitute and is headed to the House floor.

SB 955 - This bill seeks to ensure all of our public schools have access to high quality instructional materials.

Status: Reported from House Education with substitute (15-6) and headed to the House floor.

SB 974 - This bill will significantly reduce the time it takes to approve plat development plans by shifting approval authority from the local planning commission to a designated agent employed or authorized by a locality. 

Status: This bill successfully passed the House 89-8! It now awaits the Governor’s signature.  

SB 1014 - This bill prohibits any state agency from requiring a Bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite for employment in a governmental job, with few exceptions. 

Status: This bill passed the House unanimously! It now awaits the Governor’s signature. 

SB 1015 - This bill amends the definition of state code of "practice of chiropractic" to include recommending or directing patients on the use of vitamins, minerals, or food supplements. 

Status: This bill passed the House unanimously! It now awaits the Governor’s signature.

SB 1040 -  This updates several of Dominion Energy Virginia’s renewable energy portfolio standard programs. Under the pilot program, it’ll eliminate the need for a solar and wind powered generating plant to have a minimum capacity of 50 kilowatts in order to be eligible for the third party power purchase agreement, and will help to get more solar installation on industrial facilities and locations other than farmland.

Status: Passed the House Commerce & Labor Committee unanimously and is headed to the House floor. 

SB 1119 - This bill would place all primaries in a Presidential election year on the same date, which would increase voter turnout, save localities money, and make it easier to fully staff those primary elections with qualified officers of election.

Status: This bill successfully passed the House 55-42! It now awaits the Governor’s signature. 

In addition to my newsletter, you can continuously stay updated on my bills through the Legislative Information System (LIS). Livestreams and past recordings of Session, as well as committee meetings can all be found at this link. Legislation, as well as meeting calendars and committee information can be found here.

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Last week, I presented my recovery homes bill in front of the House Behavioral Health Subcommittee. I’m excited to share that this bill passed both the sub and full committees!

Last week, I had the honor of meeting and introducing on the Senate floor a group of impressive young students. They each had received awards at a statewide history competition and were recognized for their exceptional research! 

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My office continues to receive phone calls and emails from constituents who are anxious about the chaos and damage from the current presidential administration. I share your concerns and I am doing as much as I can to take actions and pass laws that will help the people of the 16th District and Virginians to achieve equality and a good quality of life. 

As we head into the last week of session, if you need anything, or to discuss any of my legislative priorities, share an opinion, make a scheduling request, or if you’d like me to come and share a legislative update at a community or organization meeting, please do not hesitate to contact my office at [email protected]. 

Yours in service,