Overview of Legislation
During the 2024 General Assembly session, I am focused on legislation that affects education, healthcare, housing, and energy. Proposed legislation for 2024 is available on the Legislative Information System (LIS). This Session, Senate members were limited to 21 bills. Here is a quick overview of some of my bills.
SB 227 seeks to codify recommendations from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s K-12 Funding Report. The bill encompasses recommendations 1, 7, 8, 9, and 10, as well as policy option 5.
SB 228 replaces the current SOQ formula calculations for special education (SpEd) and English Language Learner (ELL) students.
SB 229 establishes the Advisory Council on Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention. The Council will be composed of veterans and subject matter experts specializing in veterans issues, mental health, and public health, and will be required to report recommendations related to policy to the General Assembly and Governor’s administration.
SB 230, known as the Affordable, Reliable, Competitive (ARC) Act, expands on the Virginia Clean Economy Act by injecting competition into Virginia’s energy industry, boosting customer affordability and reliability.
SB 231, known as the Cover All Kids Act, will expand healthcare coverage to the nearly 88,000 children in Virginia who do not have access, regardless of income or documentation status. This bill is a Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus priority.
SB 232 clarifies and expands on tenant rights outlined within the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act, specifically as it relates to the sale or transfer of a manufactured home park and the terms of a rental agreement.
SB 233, known as the Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth Act, permits religious organizations to construct affordable housing on their property, thus expanding housing stock for the most economically vulnerable in our communities.
SB 234 expands green energy opportunities by creating a pilot program within Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond to fund the construction of parking lot solar energy canopies.
SB 235 amends legislation that was passed during the 2022 session related to parental notification of sexually explicit content. Some school divisions in the Commonwealth have used this statute as a basis for removing books completely from the school, leveraging the previous legislation as a tool of censorship.
SB 236 expands on the court data available to academic researchers for the purposes of research.
SB 237 establishes a right to contraception within the Code of Virginia. This is just a part of an important agenda establishing a clear and defined right to all forms of reproductive health care, including access to contraception.
SB 238, known as the Contraceptive Equity Act, eliminates burdensome co-pays, cost-sharing, reimbursement requirements, and coverage delays.
SB 239 authorizes Virginia to become a signatory to the Social Work Licensure Compact, expanding opportunities for licensed social workers to practice in other Compact member states.
SB 250 allows for the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to offer reimbursement for remote ultrasound procedures and remote fetal non-stress tests, both considered critically important for individuals experiencing high-risk pregnancies.
SB 251, known as the Lights, Camera, Jobs Act, works to bring state film incentives and funding in line with the average incentive packages in the South and Mid-Atlantic.
SB 272 establishes proficiency-based student-to-teacher ratios for our English Language Learner (ELL) students.
SB 276, commonly referred to as inclusive utility investing, allows utility companies to earn a rate of return on their investment in residential energy efficiency improvements and solar energy projects.
SB 277 expands the expedited review process for Certificate of Public Need (COPN) projects within our Commonwealth’s healthcare system.
SB 278, known as the Virginia Abortion Care and Gender-Affirming Health Care Protection Act, protects those providing healthcare services not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth.
SB 280 allows a competent adult diagnosed with a terminal condition and a very limited life expectancy to request a controlled substance to be self-administered from a licensed physician for the purpose of making end-of-life decisions.
SJ 18 creates a 13-member joint subcommittee for a one-year study of the Dillon Rule and its impact on Virginia's localities.
These bills are likely to undergo changes and edits as they go through the committee review process. My staff and I will share the bills’ individual progress through this weekly newsletter. Community members can follow along using the Legislative Information System website and by viewing live streams of Senate committee meetings and floor sessions.
