Friends,

I hope you and your families are enjoying summer in full swing, and finding respite from the heat in whatever way you can!

Every day, we are listening to you and working to find solutions to the problems our communities face. In this week’s newsletter, I’ll highlight a couple of ceremonial bill signings for legislation that I carried, share some updates on the crucial redistricting process, and also look ahead to Special Session priorities.

Bill Signings
Recently, two bills I had carried were ceremonially signed by the Governor. The first bill codifies for the Commonwealth that universal access to wastewater treatment is a basic human right, ensuring dignity, prioritizing public health, and anticipating the infrastructure demands that continue to grow because of climate change. The second bill helps our Virginia food banks and other charitable organizations work more effectively with our agricultural community to access fresh, local produce and other products.

SB 1396 established the On-Site Sewage Indemnification Fund, a program through which the Virginia Department of Health will provide grants to low-income households to repair or replace aging septic systems. Over 500,000 Virginia households rely on septic systems that are 40+ years old, and the On-Site Sewage Indemnification Fund will give these homes critical support. The bill also established the interagency Wastewater Infrastructure Policy Working Group; this Group held its first meeting this past Monday and developed its work plan for the next several months.

SB 1188 established the Virginia Agriculture Food Assistance (VAFA) Program. The program assists Virginia’s farmers and food producers in harvesting, packaging, storing, and transporting their donated agricultural products to charitable food assistance organizations. This program helps to improve the supply chain and the nutritional content of our food assistance programs, and it comes at an especially relevant time as our food banks work hard to address the issues of food insecurity that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Virginia Redistricting Commission
The Virginia Redistricting Commission continues its work in the efforts to determine our new district maps, based on population changes as demonstrated by the 2020 US Census. Some of the work includes the following:

• The Commission’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee voted to issue requests for proposals for legal services and have scheduled interviews with respondents for the end of the month.
• The Commission’s Citizen Engagement Subcommittee worked to develop public participation guidelines and to finalize the public hearing schedule, which will take the commissioners to locations across the Commonwealth in order to hear from citizens. The Commission is holding its public hearings in July.

Redistricting — and ensuring it is done in as fair and impartial manner as possible — is a crucial component of our democracy. I hope you follow the work of the Commission and learn more about how you will be represented in the Commonwealth.

To follow the Commission's work and its schedule of events, please visit its website.

Special Session Priorities
The General Assembly will be back in a Special Session beginning August 2. This Special Session, called by the Governor, will convene in order to address the budget allocations for the federal funds sent to the Commonwealth under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Key priorities include critical infrastructure needs, educational priorities, and small business recovery from the pandemic. As the budget is finalized, I will share more details. Additionally, during the upcoming Special Session, the General Assembly will also be considering the appointment of judges to the expanded Court of Appeals.

I continue to have one-on-one meetings with constituents and organizations, both by Zoom and (now) in person. If you want to schedule a meeting, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. As a reminder, email is the best way to contact us. We can be reached at [email protected]. You can also schedule a meeting through our easy scheduling app.

— Ghazala