Constituent Newsletter - February 11th, 2023





Dear Jack,


I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. We send out the Bell Bulletin to update you on all the information you need in the 13th District. Please reach out to my office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding legislation or state policy. If you are having trouble with a state agency, such as the VEC or the DMV, we are happy to assist you and be your advocate. You can call our office at 571-367-9080, or email us at [email protected].

Sincerely,


Senator John J. Bell
Senator of Virginia
13th District





2023 Session Updates

Earlier this week was Crossover, the day when the Senate has to act on all its remaining bills. I’m happy to say that thirteen of my bills have now passed the Senate, and are on their way to the House of Delegates. The thirteen bills are:

 

SB1313, ensures that construction subcontractors will finally be able to count on being paid for their work;

 

SB1072, which directs school administrators to report bullying incidents to parents within 24 hours of the incident;

 

SB891, which allows landlords additional time to assess damages to a rental property after a tenant moves out;

 

SB824, which broadens the scope of the Substance Abuse Services Council to include problem gambling and adds additional members to combat the opioid crisis and updates the title to be more inclusive to the recovery community;

 

SB825 and SB826, which ensure that the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB) is able to keep students safe and secure via hiring security and performing background checks;

 

SB1493, which reenacts my previous bill SB723, which brought the VSDB under the responsibility of the Secretary of Education;

 

SB1249, which prevents deceptive websites from mimicking official venue and ticketing websites by using copycat fonts, venue photos, and other tools to trick consumers into thinking they’ve reached an official venue website;

 

SB1014, which is a Loudoun County bill that invalidates a voluntarily conveyed park restrictive covenant so the County may purchase the park and utilize it for the public;

 

SB1024, which keeps medical and educational records confidential even after they are transferred into state archives;

 

SB1491, which removes arbitrary restrictions on the ability of construction managers to perform construction work on locality infrastructure projects;

 

SB1071, which adds military service members transitioning to civilian life and their families to the list of individuals who can receive mental health services through the Department of Veterans Services; and

 

SJ230, which directs the Virginia State Crime Commission to study hate crimes against the AAPI community.

 

In a divided government like this one, the only bills that can pass are the ones that can garner bipartisan support. I am always willing to work with anyone who has good ideas, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on. I’m proud to say that all of these bills passed the Senate with a strongly bipartisan vote.

 

You can track my remaining bills progress through the House of Delegates at my LIS page.





Commending Resolutions

My office is still on the lookout for people, businesses, and organizations in the community who are doing great work and deserve to be recognized. If you know of an individual, event, business, or organization in the community that deserves a commending resolution, or if you know of a community member who has passed away and deserves a memorial resolution, help us out and let us know by filling out my office's Commending and Memorial Resolution Request Form. Please note that any requests that come in after February 21st will not be able to be passed during the 2023 session, and may have to wait until next year's session.









Photos From Richmond

Last Thursday, I had the great honor of welcoming students from Rock Ridge Performing Arts to congratulate them for their award-winning one-act play, The Trench! I was able to give them a tour of the Capitol and introduce the cast and crew in the Senate!







It was great to meet with students from Radford University! We had a great discussion about Radford and the excellent programs they offer.
























Richmond

(804) 698-7513



District

(571) 367-9080





[email protected]





www.senatorbell.com




















Senator John Bell
900 E. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219







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| Paid for and Authorized by John Bell for State Senate |
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John Bell for State Senate
P.O. Box 4489
Broadlands VA 20148 United States

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