Dear friends,

We are fewer than two weeks away from crossover—the last day for each Chamber to act on its own legislation. This week, I will share an update on my legislation, provide a summary of useful General Assembly terms, talk about highlights from constituent meetings, share the story of a father’s activism on behalf of his son, and amplify a new way to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Thank you for reading this newsletter and staying informed about the current happenings around Virginia Senate District 10.

Legislation Update 
As we wrap up a busy fifth week of session, many of my bills have successfully continued to move through the Senate committee process and are now headed to the House of Delegates for deliberation. 

• SB 159 prohibits transcript withholding as a form of debt collection for direct-to-school debt for students who attend public colleges & universities in Virginia. This bill passed through the Senate on a vote of 25-15 and will now go to the House of Delegates. 
• SB 161 directs the Department of Education to develop guidelines on policies to inform and educate coaches, student athletes, and their parents or guardians on the nature of heat related illness, how to recognize it, and how to prevent it. This bill passed the full Senate on a 40-0 vote and is now headed to the House of Delegates.
• SB 241 establishes the Renal Disease Council and the Renal Disease Council Fund. This bill passed the full Senate 21-19 and will head to the House of Delegates.
• SB 272 establishes a workgroup composed of industry stakeholders, Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Department of General Servicesto develop a timeline and structure for the implementation of low carbon cement manufacturing. Cement manufacturing is one of the leading sources of destructive carbon emissions. Virginia has the potential to play a leading role in reducing the carbon footprint that results from cement manufacturing. The bill passed 22-18 in the Senate and will go to the House of Delegates. 
• SB 160 provides that energy efficient programs may include electrification, including measures that electrify space heating, water heating, cooling, drying, cooking, and other building uses that would otherwise use fossil fuels to reduce total onsite energy consumption. Although the proposed legislation did not pass out of committee, the  Chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee agreed to send a letter to the Virginia Department of Energy requesting a study of the proposal. 
• SB 667 establishes the Innovative Internship Fund and Program to expand paid or credit-bearing student internship and other work-based learning opportunities in collaboration with Virginia employers. The bill passed the full Senate Education and Health Committee 13-0 and will be heard in Senate Finance. 
• SB 265 establishes an advisory board to create language milestones, track language acquisition, and produce an annual report on language development for deaf and hard-of-hearing children ages 0-5 in Virginia. This bill passed the full Senate Education and Health Committee 12-0-1 and is now going to Senate Finance. 

General Assembly Terms
Here are some of key terms that may be helpful in understanding the legislative process:

• First Reading: A bill’s title is printed in the Senate Calendar or read by the Clerk of the Senate of Virginia.
• Second Reading: During the bill’s Second Reading, the patron asks the full Senate to approve any Committee amendments and to engross and advance the bill to its Third Reading. Senate members can also ask for clarifications and introduce Floor Amendments on the bill.
• Third Reading: On its Third Reading, the bill’s patron requests a vote on the final passage of the bill. During this period, members may ask the patron additional questions and debate the legislation. Sometimes, the debate may be brief. Other times, the debate may continue for an hour or more. 
• Pass By Indefinitely (PBI): This phrase means that the bill will no longer be considered during the Session. In essence, the proposed legislation is no longer viable. Senate Committees can vote to “PBI,” and thus the bill is not presented on the Floor of the Senate.
• Pass by for the Day: When a committee or the patron is not ready to act on a bill, consideration of the bill may be delayed until the next committee meeting or the next day of Floor Session.
• Carry Over: The bill may be continued or carried over to the next year for further study during the interim.
• Report: Bills that “report” are passed from one of the Senate Committees to the Floor of the Senate.  
• Refer: Bills can be referred to other committees for additional review. Committees frequently refer legislation to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. 
• Incorporate: When two or more bills are similar, they may be incorporated into one. 
• Sine Die: In Latin, “without day,” indicates that the Chamber has reached its final adjournment and does not have a set day for its next reconvening.

Constituent Meetings 
Between committee meetings and Floor Sessions this week, I was able to meet with constituents from across the district  to talk about the legislation I am carrying, issues affecting the Commonwealth’s youth, and more. Please continue to reach out and connect with my office in the upcoming weeks of the 2022 General Assembly Session.

Members of the Powhatan Leadership Institute met with me this week to discuss specific issues that are impacting the county and other legislation that I am carrying for the 2022 Session. A group from the Pride Liberation Project came to the Pocahontas Building to talk with my staff about legislation that addresses LGBTQIA Youth and homelessness. They are passionate about improving healthcare and housing access to homeless youth across the Commonwealth.   Trey, who has been outspoken against anti-transgender student policies, and his mom, Kelly,  stopped by my office this week to discuss transgender policies in schools.     Members of the Chesterfield County Council of PTAs (Parent Teacher Associations) met with me to discuss their priorities, which focus on supporting the academic success, health, and safety of Virginia's students.

Recovery Residences Legislation
My Senate colleague, Senator Barbara Favola, and I have worked closely with Richard “Duke” Burruss on SB 622, which would ensure there are clear standards of practices across all recovery residences, specifically for those that receive federal and state dollars. Duke Burruss lost his son, Will, to an overdose that occurred at an uncertified recovery residence. To learn more about Duke’s story, see the op-ed he recently published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and this video he made explaining the tragedy.

As a Commonwealth, we must support people with addiction issues and ensure their access to adequate recovery and mental health services. Addiction is a concern that reaches households across the United States. Almost 21 million Americans have at least one addiction and over half a million Virginians struggle with alcohol or drug use. SB 622 will help our community members have the safest and greatest opportunity to succeed in the battle against addiction.

This legislation is the first step in the process of updating the standards for recovery residences and ensuring that those in these residences are in a safe place for recovery. Today, the bill passed out of the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee on a unanimous vote (15-0) and will come before the full Senate next week. 

I thank Duke Burruss for sharing this personal story and waking up every day to fight for Will. In the wake of tragedy and loss, he has made it his mission to establish clarity in the certification in recovery residences across Virginia and to help others avoid the devastating loss his family experienced. Thank you for your dedication, resilience, and  strength,  Duke.

Richard “Duke” Burruss (left) lost his son Will Burruss (right) at age 22 from fentanyl poisoning in an uncertified recovery residence.

New Opportunity to Receive Your COVID-19 Vaccine
The Richmond City Health District is now offering at-home COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Individuals can schedule an at-home appointment by calling the Richmond-Henrico Health District at 804-205-3501. Please note that RHHD will contact you in about two weeks following your initial inquiry to create a vaccine appointment plan. 

It’s not too late to get vaccinated against COVID-19. You can also receive your vaccine at one of SD-10’s community health clinics:

• City of Richmond: Weekly vaccine clinic schedules can be accessed here. Appointments are not required, but they are encouraged. You can make an appointment online or call (804) 205-3501.
• Chesterfield and Powhatan: Vaccines are available at the Community Vaccination Center (CVC) located at the Rockwood Vaccination Clinic at 10161 Hull Street Road in Midlothian. The CVC is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 5:30pm. Pfizer vaccinations for 5 to 11 year olds are available by appointment only. 

To find out more about where you can receive your vaccine or booster, visit the Center for Disease Control vaccine portal and the Virginia Department of Health website. Remember: vaccines are safe, effective, accessible, and free.

Connecting With My Office
My staff continue to hold meetings with constituents via Zoom or by phone. You can sign up for a meeting with either of my staff members with our easy scheduling app: 

• June Laffey - Chief of Staff 
• Charles Turner - Legislative Assistant

You can also email us at [email protected]. 

— Ghazala