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Dear Friend,
We have wrapped up our third week of the session at the General Assembly and are nearing our halfway point. This halfway point is known as “Crossover,” and it is the final date by which all legislation must pass out of its Chamber of origin. In this newsletter, I share information on the Senate budget bill, provide an update on a few items of my legislation, and share engagements from this past week. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and for staying informed.
The Senate’s Budget
Yesterday the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee (SFAC) and the House Appropriations Committee (HAC) presented their amendments to the Governor’s budget [[link removed]] . A number of my budget amendments were included in the Senate Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee Reports [[link removed]] :
* Crucial funding priorities outlined within the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s (JLARC) report on the K-12 Funding Formula [[link removed]] , including $222.9 million to raise the support cap and $52.8 million to fund a special education add-on
* Funding for the Virginia Department of Health to draft a report on the status of Community Health Workers (CHWs) throughout the Commonwealth, as outlined in my SB981 [[link removed]]
* $25.0 million for an employer cost-share pilot program to address early childhood needs and provide support for working families
* $13 million across the biennium to support mathematics education in our K-12 schools
* $300,000 for workforce retention with our Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, ensuring quality accessible services for people living with brain injuries
* Continued funding for the City of Richmond’s Combined Sewer Overflow, a multi-year effort that requires funds from local, state, and federal partners
* $5,138,000 to support the statewide learning management system for Virginia’s K-12 Schools
* Funding to support the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Advisory Council established under the Virginia Department of Health through my SB1101 [[link removed]]
As we near the end of the 2025 legislative session, members of the Senate and the House of Delegates appropriations committees will work together to develop a final budget proposal that prioritizes Virginia’s working families, education, health care, and essential infrastructure.
Legislation Update
Crossover , the date by which all legislation must pass out of its Chamber of origin, is Tuesday, February 4. Here are some updates on my bills:
Bills That Have Passed the Senate:
SB1064 [[link removed]] - This bill expedites the process for the Certificate of Public Need (COPN) for the addition of psychiatric beds in facilities and clinics to meet the increasing need for mental health services. It passed the Senate with unanimous support (39-0) and now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.
SB1081 [[link removed]] - This bill dissolves the TPA-Formulary and the TPA-Formulary Committee which has now become obsolete. The Board of Optometry makes decisions on essential concerns for professionals of optometry, and the Board is bound by the standards and scope of practice for optometrists. This bill passed the Senate unanimously (39-0) and has been sent to the House of Delegates.
SB1100 [[link removed]] - This bill enables Dominion Energy to seek the approval of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) and establish a pilot program for virtual power plants. Virtual power plants enable us to meet growing energy demands by combining a network of small-scale, distributed energy resources (DER) like rooftop solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles. The Virtual Power Plant connects and manages these DERs in a system that enables them to act as a single large power plant, allowing them to collectively respond to grid demands and provide stability to the electricity supply. Although the bill received strong bipartisan support in the Commerce and Labor Committee, the legislation passed the full Senate with limited GOP support because of misinformation delivered by one of my Republican colleagues. He thought that the bill would allow Dominion Energy to control his refrigerator. As we move forward with the legislation, I encourage all of my colleagues to review and understand the role that Virtual Power Plants can play in addressing our energy needs. Regardless, the bill passed the Senate, and it now heads to the House.
SB1104 [[link removed]] - This bill establishes key guidelines and protections for student-athletes engaged in outdoor training and sports under conditions of extreme heat. Ensuring our students are safe while participating in extracurriculars should be commonsense policy; the bill updates requirements for schools to include appropriate evaluation of humidity and heat, and to have cooling tubs or tarps for emergency situations. Tragically, a young athlete in Central Virginia died from heat stroke this past summer; for this reason I introduced the bill to protect and save the lives of students. While the bill offers commonsense recommendations, my Republican colleagues still voted against it, and thus the legislation passed the Senate on a partyline vote (21-18).
SB1105 [[link removed]] - This bill establishes the right to contraception and codifies it within Virginia Code. After the fall of Roe v. Wade, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas openly called for the Court to “re-consider” the constitutional right to contraception. Protecting access to contraception is overwhelmingly popular, with 81% of Americans supporting such legislation [[link removed]] . Despite this, the legislation passed without a single Senate Republican member voting in support.
Bills on Final Read in the Senate:
SB1098 [[link removed]] - The Reproductive Health Care and Gender Affirming Care Protection Act safeguards medical professionals who are providing reproductive health care and gender-affirming care that is legal in Virginia, shielding them from subpoena or extradition efforts of other states’ authorities.
SB979 [[link removed]] - This legislation calls for a one year delayed enactment of the revised public school accountability system. It also calls for a comprehensive review of the accountability model recently established by the Virginia Department of Education to ensure that the new system is transparent and better measures both student growth as well as proficiency so that parents and educators can more effectively support student learning outcomes.
Bills That Were Incorporated into the Senate Budget:
The following bills were heard in the Senate and Finance Committee and were passed by, but still incorporated into the budget:
SB977 [[link removed]] - This bill focuses on restoring school funding for our Standards of Quality (SOQ) and also proposes a more fair and equitable funding formula (as recommended by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission) for our K-12 schools. This legislation has been placed into the Senate budget to support JLARC recommendations for fully funding support positions.
SB978 [[link removed]] - This bill addresses the need to improve student learning outcomes in mathematics by establishing the Office of Mathematics Improvement to help encourage opportunities for improving mathematics instruction for educators and mathematics learning outcomes for students. A significant portion of this legislation has been incorporated into the Senate budget
SB1063 [[link removed]] - This legislation addresses concerns raised by the passage last year of the College and Career Ready Program. The issues raised are addressed in the Senate budget
SB1065 [[link removed]] - This legislation establishes the Virginia Access Fund within the Commonwealth Savers Plan (formerly known as VA529), to support education accessibility, affordability, and attainability. This legislation was passed by in Finance and Appropriations, but it will be addressed in next year’s legislative discussions.
SB1099 [[link removed]] - This legislation would establish a Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program Fund by our Virginia Community College System, supporting development of a power purchase agreement (PPA) and increasing internship opportunities. Due to budget constraints, the bill was passed by in Finance and Appropriations.
SB1103 [[link removed]] - This legislation would create regulations that would establish standards designed to protect employees during extreme heat conditions from heat illness. Over 200 heat-related deaths in high-hazard industries occurred just last year. Although this legislation was passed by due to budgetary constraints with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI), the House passed its cognate of my bill, and I hope to continue to address concerns as we move forward this session.
SB1179 [[link removed]] - This bill increases the Virginia Motion Picture Tax Credit Fund by $5M, for a total of $11.5 million beginning in fiscal year 2025. Virginia’s film industry generates $862 million annually and supports more than 5,000 workers, but the industry requires stable investments from the state in order to be competitive with neighboring states. Although funding for a film tax credit was not included in the Senate budget, my amendment to the budget allotting an additional $2.5 million to the Governor's Motion Picture Opportunity Fund was included to support Virginia’s film industry.
SB1414 [[link removed]] - This legislation creates the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program to provide the framework for Virginia to build its own model to incentivize employers to contribute to the childcare costs of their employees. Although the legislation did not continue this session, the program is outlined in the Senate budget.
Bills That Will Not Continue This Session
SB1062 [[link removed]] - After passing the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee, my legislation establishing a statewide internship coordinator and intern professional development program was passed by indefinitely in the Finance and Appropriations Committee. Access to internships is vital for students to advance their careers and professional experience, while simultaneously creating a pipeline of talent for our state agencies. However, the House passed its cognate of my bill, and I hope to continue to address concerns as we move forward this session.
SB1178 [[link removed]] - The legislation grants authority to localities to adopt strategies intended to facilitate the development of affordable housing on property owned by religious organizations or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. I continue to work with advocates on the critical issues of housing scarcity and housing affordability.
This Week’s Engagements with Visitors to the General Assembly Building
The General Assembly Building is humming during Session with visitors, advocacy organizations, partners, students, and many members of the public engaged with the work of the legislature. Here are a few highlights from this week’s engagements:
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On Monday morning, the Autism Society of Central Virginia visited my office to share its priorities of inclusion and timely resources. I remain focused on empowering our autism community with responsive and essential resources.
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On Monday as well, I spoke with members of the American Federation of Government Employees [[link removed]] Local 2328. The changes at the federal level require the Commonwealth to strengthen its dedication to worker protections and rights.
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Educators and students from Richmond City Public Schools (RPS) joined my office for their day of advocacy to share their priorities with state legislators. Many of their concerns highlight the shortfalls identified within the 2023 JLARC study [[link removed]] . I continue to fight, through my introduced legislation and the budget, for necessary funding for our schools, focusing especially on the need to fund our Standards of Quality.
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I was also delighted to welcome members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated for their day of advocacy on an array of critical issues. For over a century, they have been crucial in advancing Virginia and the nation on social issues. Many members of this delegation that visited my office were or are educators, and we spoke extensively about my efforts to fund and support public education in Virginia.
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My staff also welcomed young women from Pretty Purpose as part of an intergenerational day of advocacy by Voices For Virginia’s Children. Their work to empower young women through in-school and community-based programs for holistic development is crucial.
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On Wednesday afternoon, my staff met with the Swipe Out Hunger Coalition which focuses on increasing access to food on university campuses. Students should not have to struggle with food insecurity while working to achieve their education goals. I continue to work with partners and fellow Democrats to pass legislation such as SB1016 addressing food insecurity at universities.
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On Wednesday, several aerospace organizations from across the state visited the General Assembly Building. I met with a Civil Air Patrol [[link removed]] cadet and discussed how our civilian aviation resources participate in many different ventures.
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On Thursday, my Chief of Staff joined a press conference on my behalf highlighting the significance of Medicaid in Virginia. Six years ago, we were able to expand Medicaid coverage in the state, allowing thousands to gain healthcare access. I continue to advocate for Medicaid with the support of groups such as The Commonwealth Institute (pictured), to ensure that Virginians do not lose access to healthcare.
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On Thursday afternoon, my team met with the CASA [[link removed]] Caucus for their day of advocacy. Their work emphasizes the importance of service to our Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities through classes for adult English language learners, financial literacy, legal services, and much more.
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Friday morning, I attended a press conference to share my continued legislative effort to provide basic protection for Virginia workers under extreme heat conditions [[link removed]] . Worker safety issues remain a top priority, especially as federal regulations continue to be dismantled by the Trump administration.
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On Saturday, I joined a large gathering at St. Paul’s Baptist Church to celebrate the remarkable life and leadership of the Honorable Henry Marsh III [[link removed]] , former State Senator and the first Black Mayor of Richmond City. Several notable speakers and family members testified to Senator Marsh’s tenacity, convictions, and dedication to the fight for civil rights and social justice.
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Later that afternoon, I held my second Session Roundtable. This week’s topic focused on reproductive rights and maternal healthcare. During this virtual meeting, I was joined by panelists Dr. Wendy Klein, former Health Brigade Medical Director and Kenda Sutton-El, Founder & Executive Director of Birth in Color. Moderated by Dr. Caroline Emmons, this roundtable examined issues of legislation, the ongoing work within our communities, and the concerning state of reproductive healthcare in a post-Dobbs world.
Connecting With My Office
My office can be reached at the following:
Email: [email protected] [gmail.com]
Phone: 804.698.7515
If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here [[link removed]] .
— Ghazala
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