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Dear John,

I hope you had a restful August and that you found ways to beat the heat. My children and I returned to school, they as students and I as a teacher, but I had many balls in the air during August, especially with legislative work. Speaking of which, below you’ll find legislative updates, highlights from August, and helpful resources.

For additional announcements and updates, please follow me on Facebook [www.facebook.com/VanValkenburg4VA/] , Instagram [[link removed]] , X/twitter [[link removed]] , Bluesky [[link removed]] , and YouTube [[link removed]] .

Legislative Updates

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The Joint Subcommittee to Study the Consolidation and Scheduling of General Elections [[link removed]] had its final meeting on August 3rd, completing our two years of work. After hearing all of the evidence, the Subcommittee decided not to go forward [[link removed]] with a recommendation to move all elections in Virginia to even years in line with federal elections. While I voted to move forward, and think it would have been better for Virginia's democracy if state and local elections had the higher turnout that they do on the federal cycle, the evidence in favor of consolidation was not as much of a slam dunk as many of us thought it would be. Nevertheless, I think all parties involved learned a lot and some election reforms may still come out of the process.

The next day, I was pleased to participate in a roundtable hosted by the Attorney General's Office at the Varina Library with various stakeholders, including Henrico Schools, Police and Supervisors. The roundtable focused on enforcement of new laws governing vapes [[link removed]] , including SB 620 [[link removed]] , a bill I carried this past session on behalf of former Senator Adam Ebbin and alongside Delegate Patrick Hope. Too many stores are selling illegal products or selling to kids, and this legislation paired with actions by the AG Office's represents meaningful progress in cracking down on illegal activity.

I later attended the second meeting of the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Task Force, which was created by my 2026 bill with Delegate Helmer SB 223/HB 285 [[link removed]] . We're making progress towards getting more distributed energy resources on the grid--these are our most affordable energy source and increase grid resiliency.

On August 17th, the Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market, which I serve on, met. I wasn't able to be there due to my work schedule, but since there have been many questions swirling around the recently-passed legislation to set up this market, I want to share some of the information and resources presented at this meeting which can be found here [[link removed]] .

The Virginia Housing Commission's Rent Fees Workgroup met for a third time this year on August 19th, to discuss the latest draft of my bill, SB 349 from 2026 [[link removed]] which seeks to regulate the fees landlords charge applicants prior to and upon lease signing. This month's discussion focused on refining technical language in the bill, identifying compromise language for the security deposit and prepaid rent provisions in code, and tweaking previous changes to strengthen accountability. My Legislative Aide Emmaline Herring participated on my behalf and presented a new provision regulating damage addendums for the workgroup's consideration. You can watch the meeting by clicking here [[link removed]] . The next meeting will take place virtually on September 22nd.

On August 24th, the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDS) convened the first workgroup meeting of the year to discuss the implementation of my SB 270 from 2026 [[link removed]] and the operation of recovery homes in Virginia more generally. During this meeting, DBHDS and the Board of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services presented a draft of regulatory changes to the Administrative Code that is now accessible for public comment-- click here [[link removed]] to view the draft. This draft incorporates some of the required changes from my bill, focusing on certification, the complaint process, corrective action plans, disciplinary actions, marijuana consumption, and other operational requirements for recovery homes in Virginia. The next meeting will take place on October 15th where we will review the draft and public comments in detail.

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In my July newsletter, I reported that I had submitted a letter to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) [[link removed]] with about 20 other legislators in support of the Spanberger Administration's filing saying that the data center industry should pay for transmission infrastructure required by their growth. The good news is that the SCC agreed with us [[link removed]] and shifted most of the cost of transmission to data centers. Our intervention saved Dominion customers, based on the standard bill, $2 a month! We have more work to do, but this is a step in the right direction.

Finally, my op-ed in the Richmond Times Dispatch stating my opposition to the proposed NextEra-Dominion merger [[link removed]] was published in print, and I have a new video out [[link removed]] on the topic.

Highlights from August

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I kicked August off with a visit to Quioccasin Baptist Church with my friend Shannon Taylor. It was a great Sunday morning to worship with Rev. Dr. Brown and the whole congregation!

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On August 12th, I joined General Assembly colleagues and friends from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) for an awards ceremony celebrating our work this past session. Thank you to CCAN for naming me the Virginia Senate MVP for my work expanding solar energy and pushing for grid modernization! Prioritizing our cheapest and quickest-to-grid energy sources holds energy bills down, creates jobs and economic growth, and protects our environment.

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The Rith Initiative’s Threads & Bridges Festival at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture was a wonderful look at Indian American history in Virginia. The celebration was a lot of fun, and the panel with Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi, the Atlantic editor Bhumika Tharoor, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula, and Neil Bhatt was fantastic!

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Later in the month, I had a great night celebrating our energy and environmental wins this session with Delegate Betsy Carr and the League of Conservation Voters of Virginia. Congrats to Delegate Carr for winning LCV’s legislative award!

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It was wonderful to join IAVA Richmond VA to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Indian Independence with Delegate May Nivar and Sheriff Alisa Gregory. As always, it was a beautiful event where we could celebrate the oldest and biggest democracies in the world with food, culture, and friendship.

This year’s celebration was bittersweet because of local and global tragedies. I want my constituents to know that we are here for you and will do everything we can to push our federal representatives to ensure the United States is doing everything it can to locate those lost in Nepal.

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Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge and congratulate my friend Shannon Taylor for her victory in the CD-01 Democratic Primary. Now it's time to defeat Rob Wittman, flip Congress, and restore some sanity to this country!

I know that Henrico County is fired up and ready to go to get her elected to Congress. We've done so much to create majorities in Virginia and in Congress. Henrico leads the way! Please sign up to knock doors here [[link removed]] and learn more about Shannon and her campaign here [[link removed]] .

Resources & Information for Constituents

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SD-16 Town Hall:

On Saturday, September 12th at 2:30pm, I will be holding an SD-16 Town Hall with special guest Delegate May Nivar (HD-57). We'll be in the large meeting room at the Twin Hickory Library (5001 Twin Hickory Road). Please RSVP and submit questions here [[link removed]] . We realize this is an important holiday (happy upcoming Jewish New Year!) for some members of our community and they won't be able to make it--we are working on scheduling other town halls in the future.

General Information:

- Need information on available housing, food, healthcare, and other community resources in Virginia? 211 Virginia is a free, confidential service available 24/7, 365 days a year that connects Virginians with information on available resources .

Call or Dial: 2-1-1

Text: CONNECT to 247211, or

Visit: 211virginia.org/ [211virginia.org/]

Extreme Weather Preparedness:

Our area has experienced several storms recently with more expected in the coming weeks. In addition, we can continue to expect days with intense heat and humidity. With that in mind:

- Get up-to-date weather alerts here [[link removed]] .

- Read these [[link removed]] reminders and resources [[link removed]] from the Virginia Department of Health [[link removed]] , and Virginia Emergency Management's Extreme Heat Safety Guide [[link removed]]

- Here are some general [[link removed]] [[link removed]] severe heat resources provided by Henrico County [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

- You can search for cooling centers across the state here [[link removed]] .

- If your power goes out, check out Dominion Energy’s outage map [[link removed]] [[link removed]] for more information on estimated times of restoration in your area.

- Visit Dominion Energy ’s website [[link removed]] for more information regarding state cooling assistance and payment plans. To report an outage or power emergency, go here [[link removed]] .

- If you see downed power lines, please stay at least 30 feet away from them and call Dominion Energy at 866-366-4357 to report the location immediately.

- Register for Henrico County Emergency Alerts here: henrico.gov/services/henrico-alert/ [[link removed]]

- Follow Henrico County and departments on social media: henrico.gov/social-media/henrico.gov/social-media/ [[link removed]]

Employment:

- Check out Virginia Works to find job search resources here [[link removed]] .

- On Wednesday, September 2nd from 10am to 2pm at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (1651 East Parham Road), Virginia Works is hosting Pivot with Purpose, a free career summit to help individuals exploring a fresh start in the workforce. Whether you are restarting after a layoff, reentering after time away, shifting into a new field, or pursuing a path that aligns better with your skills and interests, these sessions offer the guidance, connections, and encouragement to help you move forward. For more details and to register for event, go here [[link removed]] .

- As part of Governor Spanberger’s Comprehensive Economic Development Policy, the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD) is conducting the 2026 Virginia Small Business Survey [[link removed]] to better understand the experiences, challenges, opportunities, and needs of businesses across the Commonwealth.

Labor Day Weekend Travel:

Lane closures will be lifted in most locations during Labor Day weekend, but some semi-permanent work zones will remain in place. Check VDOT’s Travel Advisories [[link removed]] for the latest travel alerts in your area and around the state. In addition, VDOT’s [[link removed]] [[link removed]] free mobile 511 app [[link removed]] offers information about traffic, incidents, congestion, and construction as well as access to traffic cameras, weather, electric vehicle charging stations and more. By calling 511 from any phone in Virginia, use 511’s “speak ahead” option for hands-free and eyes-free audible traffic alerts for incidents and construction along your route. Traffic information is also available at 511.vdot.virginia.gov [511.vdot.virginia.gov] .

Keep Virginia Beautiful:

There are two of statewide programs from Keep Virginia Beautiful you should check out: Student Ambassadors for Virginia's Environment (SAVE) for high school juniors and seniors (applications due 9/15) and their annual LOVE VA Campaign (runs 9/15 - 11/15). For more information, go here [[link removed]] .

Commonwealth Savers Plan:

Commonwealth Savers Plan is [[link removed]] an independent state agency that administers three tax-advantaged savings programs to help families plan for the future. Invest529 is Virginia’s direct-sold 529 education savings program. ABLEnow is Virginia’s Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program, providing individuals with qualified disabilities a tool to build tax-advantaged savings while maintaining eligibility for critical means-tested benefits. Their newest program, RetirePath, is a state-sponsored automatic enrollment IRA program geared at providing a retirement savings options for working Virginians who don’t have access to a retirement plan through their employer. You can learn more about these programs here [[link removed]] .

I’ll be back at the end of September with more great updates to share!

In the meantime, the 2026 Midterm General Elections are approaching. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd and early voting starts Friday, September 18th. To check your registration status and find where, when, and how you can vote, go here. [[link removed]]

If you are having any issues we can assist you with, would like to reach out and share an opinion, or if your organization or community group would like to invite me to an event or to speak, please don't hesitate to reach out at [email protected].

For campaign or political inquiries, reach out to [email protected].

Thanks so much for your support!

Yours in service,

Schuyler VanValkenburg, 16th District

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