VACo Supports Advance of Early Childhood Education Bills
Legislation supported by VACo that aims to create a Commission on Early Childcare and Education is moving through the General Assembly without opposition. HB 1423 (Coyner) / SB 1404 (Barker) renames the School Readiness Committee as the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education and makes several changes to the Commission, including adjusting its purpose, […]
Rural Electric Vehicle Fund Bill Survives the Senate but Dies in the House
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 […]
Bill to Mandate Live Broadcast and Video Archive of Board of Supervisors Meetings Fails
Legislation to require that localities provide a live video broadcast of public meetings of the local governing body and to archive such broadcasts on their websites failed on a close vote on the House floor earlier this week. HB 1487 (March), for those localities that do not currently live broadcast and archive, would have caused […]
Money Committees Release Budgets
The House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees met on Sunday and reported their respective amendments to the introduced budget. As has been the traditional practice on “Budget Sunday,” Committee leadership outlined the priority elements of their respective proposals and provided preliminary information on the proposed amendments. The actual text of the budget amendments […]
VACo Opposes Bill Eroding Sovereign Immunity for Medical Care Providers in Local or Regional Correctional Facilities
SB 1379 (Deeds), as introduced, waives sovereign immunity for health care providers employed by localities or by local or regional correctional facilities to provide medical services to prisoners for a claim of wrongful death or injury resulting from a negligent or wrongful act or omission in the provision of such medical services. VACo , VML […]
Modified PFAs Bill Addressing VACo’s Concerns Passes Senate
SB 1013 (Edwards), as introduced, would have required a public waterworks owner to notify customers via mailings and newspaper publication when a water quality analysis reveals that PFAS chemicals are present in a water supply or when a PFAS contaminant exceeds maximum contaminant levels. VACo opposed the initial iteration of the bill because of the […]
Legislation Advances to Refine Process for Removal of Elected or Appointed Local Officers
Several bills under consideration this session seek to refine the process for removal of elected or appointed local officers. As introduced, SB 1328 (McClellan), would have established a process for recall elections for elected officers and officers appointed to elected offices, instead of the current judicial process. As revised in the Senate Privileges and Elections […]
Fire Company Definition Bill Amended to Address VACo Concerns
On February 2, the House General Laws Subcommittee #1 heard testimony on HB 1765 (Carr), which as originally drafted, would expand the definition of Fire Companies in the Code of the Virginia to include firefighter support organizations whose purpose is to provide rehabilitation and support services to firefighters. The definition of a fire company is […]
Recordation Tax Distribution Bill Dies in Committee
SB 1161 (Stuart), as introduced, raises from $20 million to $60 million the amount of recordation tax revenue that should be annually distributed. This bill holds Hampton Roads Regional Transit harmless by keeping their $20 million dollar allocation annually. The important change in this bill, and one VACo members will be delighted to hear, is […]
“Tik Tok” Bill Expanded to Include All Public Bodies Passes the House
HB 2385 (Brewer), as originally drafted, would prohibit any employee or agent of any executive branch agency or person or entity contracting with any such agency from downloading or using any application, including TikTok or WeChat, or accessing any website developed by ByteDance Ltd. or Tencent Holdings Ltd. (i) on any state-issued device or state-owned […]
Bill Prohibiting Localities to Regulate Towing Fees Passes House
SB 979 (Marsden) and HB 1649 (Wyatt), as introduced, would prohibit localities from setting limits on towing fees and other associated fees for trespassing passenger vehicles that are in localities without a local ordinance setting these fees. VACo opposed the initial legislation as we believe this pre-empts local authority and restricts the ability of local […]
Fireworks Bill Fizzles Out
On February 2, the House General Laws Subcommittee #1 heard testimony on HB 1813 (March), which among other provisions, would strip local government authority to regulate the sale of or use, ignition, or explosion of fireworks within a locality. This bill or ones with similar intent have been periodically introduced in past General Assembly sessions, […]
Bill to Prohibit Data Centers Within One Mile of a Park Fails
SB 1078 (Peterson), which prohibits the location of a data center within one mile of a national park or state park, failed in the Senate Rules Committee by a vote of 13-4 last week. VACo spoke in opposition to the bill as it would encroach upon local authority to make land use decisions. Similar pieces […]
Capitol Contact ALERT! Call Now to Oppose Problematic Bill That May Result in Negative Impacts on Local Water Quality
Bill to be Heard Monday, February 6 – Call Your Delegates Now to Oppose HB 2282 (Edmunds), as amended, would allow forest harvesting activities to be exempt from the Virginia Stormwater Management Program even if the land does not intend to be reforested or turned into agricultural use. In effect, these changes in the law […]
Capitol Contact ALERT! Call Now to Oppose Bill Gutting Localities Ability to Regulate Solid Waste
Bill to be Heard Monday, February 6 – Call Your Senators Now to Oppose SB 1365 (Lewis) would exempt Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) from local flow control ordinance by State law. MRFs are facilities that separate recyclable materials such as metals or other recyclable products from solid waste. The definition of a MRF, as set […]
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 […]