Bill Creating a New Exemption from Stormwater Regulations for Harvesting of Trees Passes House Subcommittee
Under current code, the clearing of land for the harvesting of forest products is exempt from applying to comply with the provisions of the Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) law so long as the land is “reforested artificially or naturally” or “converted to bona fide agricultural or improved pasture.” HB 2282 (Edmunds) as amended would […]
VACo School Construction Financing Bill Tabled Without Public Testimony
In the early dawn light of January 27, and without taking public testimony, the members of House Finance Subcommittee #3 voted 5-3 to lay HB 2316 (Bourne) on the table, effectively ending the chances for the bill’s passage. As previously reported, this bill would permit any county or city to impose an additional local sales […]
Bill to Make Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) a By-Right Use Fails
HB 2100 (Hudson), as introduced, mandates that any single-family dwelling (SFD), or property that allows for SFD, be permitted to include an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). The bill was amended in a House Counties, Cities and Towns Subcommittee to remove the mandate and instead direct the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to […]
VACo Seeks Feedback on Waste Disposal Preemption Bill
SB 1365 (Lewis) provides that a locality may not adopt a local ordinance that would prevent or prohibit the disposal of garbage, trash, or refuse at any materials recovery facility as such term is defined in the bill. The amended bill reported out of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee by a vote […]
Bills Gutting Local Authority to Regulate Short-Term Rentals Fail
HB 2271 (Marshall) and SB 1391 (Lewis), which exempt short-term rental property managed by a Virginia realtor from any short-term rental ordinance, were laid on the table in their respective committees at the request of the bill patrons. Both the Senate Local Government Committee and the House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee also requested that […]
Problematic Workers’ Compensation Bills Denied or Referred
As previously reported, a number of bills making changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act are winding their way through the General Assembly. Two of the remaining bills have either been tabled or referred to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC). HB 1631 (Bulova) / SB 1088 (Ebbin) would allow dispatchers to claim workers’ […]
Virginia Department of Education Miscalculates Basic Aid Distribution by $200 Million
On January 27, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow emailed school superintendents across the Commonwealth that due to human error at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Basic Aid Calculation Tool released in mid-December did not include recognition of the grocery tax hold harmless payment, which began in FY 2023 as part of the offset […]
Problematic Bill Related to Local Enforcement to be Heard Tomorrow in Committee
SB 1495 (Surovell) provides that any person aggrieved by an enforcement action by a locality, where the enforcement action was based upon a willful disregard for applicable law, regulation, or ordinance, shall be entitled to an award of compensatory damages and to an order remanding the matter to the locality with a direction to terminate […]
House Bill to Limit Data Center Development Fails; Senate Version to be Considered
HB 1986 (Roem), as introduced, would have required more stringent stormwater management practices to be undertaken for land disturbances regarding the operation or construction of data centers across the Commonwealth within a certain distance from protected lands. During the House Commerce and Energy Committee’s Subcommittee #4 meeting, HB 1986 was amended to include a more […]
License Reciprocity Bills for Waterworks Move Forward
SB 999 (Mason) and its companion bill, HB 1940 (Runion), would allow for waterworks employees licensed in other states to be issued the equivalent license in Virginia. These bills would help localities recruit and retain these necessary public works employees as staffing issues continue at the local level. VACo spoke in support of SB 999 […]
Bank Franchise Tax Legislation Significantly Revised
An amended version of HB 1896 (Byron) was recommended for reporting by the House Finance Committee’s subcommittee #3, which met on Monday, January 30. As introduced, the bill would have allowed banks with $40 billion or greater in Virginia deposits to choose to pay their bank franchise taxes directly to the state, which would allocate […]
Resources for Jails under Discussion
Two bills that would cap or eliminate certain fees charged to individuals incarcerated in local and regional jails and require the provision of telephone service at no charge were filed this session. HB 2039 (Shin) was heard in a subcommittee of the House Public Safety Committee on January 19 and tabled, but the subcommittee Chair […]
VACo Opposes Bills that Remove Valuable Tools from the Procurement Toolbox
HB 1957 (Leftwich) and SB 954 (Petersen) would remove the authority of localities to use design-build or construction management at risk contracts for construction projects costing under $125 million. Current law allows their use for projects over $26 million and for complex projects below that amount. VACo opposes these bills as a limitation on the ability […]
Bill Making Changes to the Information Technology Access Act Advances with Changes
On January 30, the House Communications, Technology, and Innovations Committee heard HB 2207 (Tran), which makes changes to the Information Technology Access Act (ITAA). The changes included broadening the definition of digital accessibility and technology procurement requirements, as well as requiring all state agencies, public institutions of higher education, school divisions, and political subdivisions of […]
Charging Up in Support of Rural Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
VACo spoke in support of SB 1466 (Marsden) and HB 1588 (Sullivan), which would create the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund. This Fund would make available up to $25 million each fiscal year and assist developers by offsetting up to 70 percent of the cost of electric vehicle charging stations. According to the […]
BPOL Legislation Advances from Subcommittee
HB 2200 (Robinson) deals with BPOL taxes for oncology practices and would require a deduction from gross receipts for any amount paid for anti-cancer drugs that are purchased by a medical practice and administered to patients whose treatment is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE. VACo is opposed to a mandatory approach to tax […]