SB 188 (Peake) seeks to enhance the current process by which bills are reviewed for potential fiscal impacts on local governments. SB 188 would require bills that would mandate additional expenditures by local governments or reduce local revenues be filed by December 15. This would provide additional time for the Commission on Local Government and the local volunteers assisting them to complete their analyses before the bills would be heard. In the past, bills with a local fiscal impact were required to be introduced by the first day of the legislative session, but this deadline was repealed in 2010. SB 188 also directs the Commission on Local Government to work in cooperation with VACo and VML to develop improvements to the fiscal impact review process.
VACo appreciates the work of Senator Mark Peake and Louisa County Administrator Christian Goodwin on this legislation. VACo circulated a sample resolution to counties in December and encouraged Boards of Supervisors to adopt resolutions in support of legislation to provide additional time for review of bills with a local fiscal impact and is appreciative of the counties that have provided their resolutions to VACo.
VACo encourages members to contact their legislators, particularly if your legislator serves on the Senate Rules Committee, to which SB 188 has been referred.
Senate Rules Committee: Locke (Chair), Saslaw, Howell, Lucas, Edwards, Deeds, Marsden, Petersen, Barker, Favola, Lewis, Norment, McDougle, Vogel, McPike
VACo Contact: Katie Boyle