Well, that’s a wrap – almost! This last Wednesday, the General Assembly converged on Richmond to act on the Governor’s vetoes and amendments. If the General Assembly accepts amendments to a bill, the bill becomes law. If amendments are rejected, the Governor has 30 days to sign or veto the bill – or if the Governor does not act, the bill becomes law without his signature.
 
We also elected a new member of the Virginia Supreme Court. Congratulations to new Justice Junius P. Fulton, III of Norfolk. Fun fact – Virginia is one of only two states where judges are appointed by the legislature. After watching nearly $100M spent in the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election, I think I like our system better.
 
EMERGENCY COMMITTEE – SEND US YOUR IDEAS
 
As mentioned in my last newsletter, House Speaker Don Scott established the Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions to help Virginia brace for the impacts of cuts at the federal level. I am honored that the Speaker asked me to serve as chair.
 
You can help! Our next meeting is on April 8 at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria. We will hear from several organizations about the impacts to the regional workforce as well as from the UVA Weldon Cooper Center on how cuts will affect the economy state-wide. This is all important data. However, at the end of the day, our most important task is to translate this data into action. 
 
That is where you come in. The public is invited and encouraged to provide written comments. Specifically, the committee is seeking suggestions for tangible actions (legislation or budget) that the General Assembly can take to assist affected workers in the short-term and make our economy more resilient in the long-term.
 
Visit the committee’s webpage where you will find a link to make comments. You can also view presentation materials from our meeting on February 22 and our upcoming meeting on April 8.
 
The challenge is not hypothetical. According to modeling by the UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, a 10% cut to the federal civilian workforce would result in a $6.1B hit to Virginia’s GDP and almost $250M in lost tax revenue. In addition, about 30% of Virginia’s budget revenue is from federal funds. The percentage is even higher in specific areas. Federal funding accounts for 59% of health and human services, 49% of veteran affairs, and 39% of commerce and trade.
 
RECONVENED SESSION AND MY INITIATIVES
 
This year’s reconvened session was one for the record books. The Governor vetoed 157 bills and made recommendations on 160 bills. The Governor signed six of my bills, which you can find here. He also proposed amendments to two of my bills:
 

• HB2036 – Street Takeover and Exhibition Driving. HB2036 addresses the very dangerous and growing problem of exhibition driving. This is the practice of purposefully taking over a public street or publicly accessible parking area and engaging in wheelies, burnouts, donuts, etc. in close proximity to people. See here for a story about the bill. The bill enhances penalties for this dangerous behavior (including the ability to impound vehicles) and provides penalties for aiding and abetting. In recognition of the seriousness of the problem, the Governor added an emergency clause (which I accepted) so that law enforcement can use this tool immediately, rather than waiting until July 1. The amendment passed the House 96Y-0N and the Senate 36Y-4N. 

 

• HB2050 – Occoquan Reservoir PFAS Reduction Program. HB2050 establishes a program to reduce PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water from the Occoquan Reservoir. The Occoquan Reservoir is one of the region’s major drinking water supplies. Recent testing shows that water from the reservoir is above U.S. EPA limits for PFAS. As a result, Fairfax Water faces a very stark choice. Either (1) find and eliminate sources of PFAS before the regulatory deadline of July 2029 or (2) spend $389M in capital upgrades to remove PFAS during treatment. The latter will have a significant impact on customer rates. I am grateful that my colleagues agreed that polluters, and not utility customers, should pay for the cost of clean-up. The Governor’s recommendation aligned the deadline to any future changes made by the U.S. EPA. I agreed and the bill passed unanimously in the House and the Senate.

 
The reconvened session was not all rainbows and sunshine for my bills! The Governor vetoed my HB2037 to give local governments the authority to require installation of solar canopies for non-residential development proposing 100 parking spaces or more. As Virginia faces increasing demand for electricity (in large part due to data centers driven by cloud storage and AI), there is increasing focus on solar energy. HB2037 is a way for urban areas to do our part by taking advantage of literally thousands of acres of flat, open asphalt. It also reduces pressure to convert farmland to utility scale solar – which resulted in strong support from both environmental groups and the Virginia Farm Bureau. Click here for a story on the bill as well as a supportive opinion letter in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. While the bill didn’t pass this year, I am looking forward to tackling the issue in the next session.
 
BUDGET AMENDMENTS – UP IN THE AIR
 
In addition to amendments to bills, the Governor made 205 recommendations to the budget. The General Assembly rejected most of these recommendations – including those related to my budget initiatives. A few key items include:
 

• K-12 School Funding. During the Great Recession, the General Assembly cut funding for school support staff as a cost saving measure. This helped the state but forced localities to make up the difference – mostly through increased real property taxes. Almost 20 years later, my amendment finally restores this funding in the amount of $222.9M. The Governor’s recommendation proposes to reduce this amount by almost two-thirds.

 

• Affordable Housing. A challenge faced by many of our cities (and even older suburbs) is the lack of developable land for affordable housing and the high cost of redevelopment. My amendment provides $4.5M to assist local governments with assembling, planning, clearing, and remediating sites for the purpose of promoting them for private redevelopment. The program has a particular focus on converting outdated and underutilized office space for other uses. The Governor’s recommendation proposes to eliminate this funding.

 

• GMU Operating Support. GMU is the largest university in Virginia and is a critical part of our economy. However, it has one of the lowest per-pupil rates of support among Virginia institutions of higher education. My amendment provides $3M in additional operating support to keep tuition down. The Governor’s recommendation proposes to reduce this amount by $1M.

 

• Stormwater Local Assistance Fund. Cleaning up polluted urban stormwater runoff is a key component to restoring local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. My amendment provided $40M for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund to help local governments implement stormwater quality projects. The Governor vetoed this line item – reducing the fund to zero.

 

• State Parks Maintenance. We are blessed to have an amazing state park system. Unfortunately, we have a huge maintenance backlog of over $270M. The resulting “maintenance by emergency” approach is not only bad for users but an inefficient use of tax dollars. My amendment provides $20M toward addressing this backlog. The Governor’s recommendation proposes to eliminate this funding.

 
The ball is now back in the Governor’s court! He can either accept the budget returned to him by the General Assembly, veto specific items, or veto the entire budget. 
 
UNSUNG BILLS
 
While some of the larger issues debated by the General Assembly are covered in the news, I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the good work in Richmond that may not get as much attention. Here are just a few of my picks for the 2025 session.
 

• HB1941 – Invasive Plant Sales. Invasive plants cause millions of dollars in damage to our ecosystems and agriculture. Once established, they are extremely hard to eradicate. Kudos to my fellow Fairfax County delegation members Delegate Holly Seibold and Senator Saddam Salim for passing a bill to require retailers to alert customers that a plant is invasive and to consider purchasing native or non-invasive plants. This bill has been signed by the Governor.

 

• HB1961 – Cell Phone Use at Schools. Fairfax County Public Schools has already moved to limit the use of cell phones during school hours. This bill directs all school boards across the state to develop and implement age-appropriate policies relating to the possession and use of cell phones on school property. The General Assembly accepted the Governor’s amendments to this bill, meaning that it will become law.

 

• HB2165 – Personal Use of Campaign Funds. Virginia has some of the weakest campaign finance laws in the nation. I have introduced numerous bills to place caps on campaign contributions (there are currently no limits). HB2165 finally prohibits an elected official or candidate for converting contributions for personal use. This is a small, but meaningful step that should have happened years ago. This bill has been signed by the Governor.

 

• HB2515 – Junk Fees. This bill prohibits advertising a price for goods or services without clearly displaying the total price, including mandatory fees and surcharges. The General Assembly rejected proposed amendments by the Governor, which means he has 30 days to decide whether the bill will become law in its enrolled form.

 

• HB1766 – Unemployment Insurance. This one is very timely as many federal workers apply for unemployment benefits. Virginia’s benefits are among the lowest in the nation – with a cap of $378 per week and a maximum duration of 26 weeks. $378 translates to less than $20K per year, which is near impossible to live on in Northern Virginia. The amount hasn’t been adjusted since 2014. HB1766 would have increased benefits by $100 per week. The Governor amended the bill to cut the increase to $52 per month. That is (barely) more than half a loaf, so the General Assembly agreed and the bill is now law.

 
Are you interested in a specific topic area that I haven’t covered? Send me an email and I will provide you with an update on anything that happened during the 2025 session.
 
Thank you for the opportunity to serve!  ​

Happy President’s Day – with specific homage to President George Washington (born February 22, 1732 or February 11, 1731, depending on whether one subscribes to the modern Gregorian calendar versus the then-used Julian calendar) and President Abraham Lincoln (born February 12, 1809).
 
The 2025 Session is moving very quickly! On Sunday, February 2, I had the honor of presenting the report of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources. The report, which outlined budget priorities for economic development, housing, and natural resources, was adopted unanimously by the full Appropriations Committee. That following Tuesday, February 4, was cross-over - the final day for the House and Senate to act on their own legislation (except for the budget). While cross-over is typically the longest day of the session, this year was not too bad as we voted on approximately 300 bills in only six and a half hours. 
 
Later that week (Thursday) we voted on the House version of the budget. Finally, this past week, we started the process of presenting surviving House bills in the Senate, and vice versa. More about the budget and my legislative initiatives below.
 
EMERGENCY COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL WORKFORCE AND FUNDING REDUCTIONS
 
In light of recent actions by the Trump administration, House Speaker Don Scott announced the establishment of the Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions. I am honored that the Speaker asked me to serve as chair.
 
My office has received hundreds of emails and calls from constituents expressing deep concern about reductions in the federal workforce and proposed cuts to federal funding. Virginia is home to nearly 145,000 civilian employees and is the top state in the nation for federal contracts – totaling $106 billion in value. In addition, Virginia relies on its partnership with the federal government to deliver critical services – including Medicaid, education, transportation, and broadband deployment, just to name a few.
 
While the Virginia General Assembly cannot control these cuts – we owe it to our fellow Virginians to soften the blow for impacted families. As noted by Speaker Scott, "This is not about politics — it’s about protecting Virginia’s workforce, economy, and essential services.” The bipartisan committee (seven Democrats and five Republicans) will collect and analyze data on the potential scope of the cuts and develop recommendations for how to keep our budget structurally sound and protect our communities from sudden economic disruptions.
 
Our first meeting will be held soon after we adjourn on February 22. In the meanwhile, I welcome any thoughts and ideas as we tackle this important work.
 
FAIRFAX CASINO
 
Among the most hotly debated topics this session is the proposal to locate a casino in the Tysons Corner area. SB982 would authorize the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to hold a referendum on the question. I appreciate the many constituents who have reached out to express their opinions – most of which fell into the “no casino” category. 
 
My feelings are summed up in a quote from me in a recent Patch article: “They are difficult investments to maintain – and while they can be revenue generators, it is important to recognize that they come with social costs, including gambling addiction. But key with SB982 is that Fairfax County has not asked for this. All the other five localities that have held a referendum have come to the General Assembly with a proposed development partner and have asked for that authority. That local buy-in is critical because ultimately the locality will need to own the consequences, both the good and bad of having a casino. To me, it is a dangerous precedent for the General Assembly to short-circuit the process without local buy-in."
 
The legislation ultimately came to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, which I chair. The bill was passed by for the day – effectively defeating the bill for 2025. That said, I would not be surprised if the measure is re-introduced for the 2026 Session.
 
HOUSE BUDGET AND BUDGET CONFERENCE
 
I am pleased to again be appointed by the Speaker as a budget conferee. This is a group of 11 legislators tasked with negotiating a budget between the House and Senate. While I know that compromise will be required, I am very proud of the House version of the budget! Here are just a few of the highlights:
 
Tax Relief
 

• Authorizes a tax rebate of $200 for individuals and $400 for joint filers to be issued by October 15, 2025.
• Reduces everyone’s tax liability by increasing the standard deduction to $8,750 for individuals and $17,500 for joint filers.
• Increases the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides targeted tax relief to lower income working families.

 
Education
 

• Provides a total of $773.8M in additional state support for public education, including $222.9M to lift recession-era caps on support funding (this was my amendment) and $52.8M for special education.
• Provides a $1,000 bonus for our hard-working teachers on top of an already planned 3% increase that will go into effect July 1.
• Eliminates the waitlist for childcare subsidy slots for low-income families. The waitlist currently sits at 8,700 children.
• Adds $145M to increase access and affordability of higher education.

 
Housing and Workers
 

• Contains significant new investments to increase the supply of new affordable housing and to help low-income families purchase their first home.
• Creates a Paid Family Medical and Leave Program to allow Virginia workers to take time off after the birth of a child or to care for a loved one.

 
Health and Human Resources
 

• Provides $687M to fully fund increases in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
• Adds funding to address brain injury services ($6.7M), services for older adults ($2.6M), and behavioral health services ($52.9M). 
• Provides $12.3M to improve maternal health outcomes and to reduce infant mortality.

 
Natural Resources
 

• Fully funds the state share of upgrading wastewater treatment plants.
• Provides $50M to help local governments clean up polluted urban stormwater runoff.
• Adds $20M for our state parks to address over $140M in deferred maintenance costs.

 
MY LEGISLATION
 
So far, six of my bills have passed the House and Senate and are on their way to the Governor. These include measures to ensure that our emergency dispatchers can get the help they need when suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues (HB1705) and to give our local governments the authority to require installation of solar canopies for any development that proposed large areas of surface parking (HB2037). The latter is important not only to help meet Virginia’s anticipated energy demands, but also to take pressure off of displacing agricultural and forested areas. 
 
I am also pleased that my bill to give our law enforcement more tools to address the very dangerous practice of street takeovers and exhibition driving (HB2036) passed a Senate committee 13-1 and is heading to the full Senate this week.
 
Thank you to everyone who attended my Town Hall meeting on February 1. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

First and foremost, our hearts grieve for the victims of the tragic plane crash at Reagan National Airport. Earlier today, Fairfax County Public Schools announced that the victims include members of our community. Keep these families in your thoughts and prayers. The General Assembly has been briefed by the Governor – and we are grateful for our first responders who are at the scene.

It is hard to believe we have reached the three-week mark of the 2025 General Assembly session. This week has been incredibly busy – but in a good way! My days are filled with committee and subcommittee meetings as well as visits from constituents advocating on behalf of many important issues. So far, I have gotten eight of my bills through the full House. Several more are awaiting final committee action later this week. More to come in my next newsletter. Our deadline for acting on all House bills is next Tuesday, which is known as “cross-over.” At that point, we all take a deep breath and start the process again by considering Senate bills. 

TOWN HALL MEETING

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at my annual Town Hall meeting this Saturday, February 1. The meeting will be held from 9-11 AM at the City of Fairfax City Hall. We will be joined by State Senator Saddam Salim. The Town Hall will include an overview of the session, our legislative initiatives, and lots of time for Q&A.

BUDGET AMENDMENTS

Last week, I highlighted my legislative initiatives. This week I wanted to provide an overview of my proposed budget amendments. Virginia is relatively unique in that it operates on a two-year budget cycle. This biennial approach helps with long-term planning and keeps the budget structurally balanced. We are now in the second year of the biennium.

At this point in the session we are all filled with hope! That may change on Sunday when the House and Senate will announce their proposed budget packages. But until then we can all dream that our budget amendments will pass muster. Below are a few of my introduced budget amendments:

• K-12 School Funding – Item 125 #2h. A recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report revealed just how much the state is underfunding K-12 education. This has a direct impact on property taxes in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. This budget item lifts Great Recession era cuts and will restore $222.9M to directly support our schools.
• Early Childhood Education – Item 125.1 #1h. Virginia has made great strides toward making early childhood care and education more affordable and accessible. Quality childcare is not only important for our littlest learners, but also a vital part of our economy. While we have made progress, we still have a waiting list of over 10,000 children from low-income families. This budget item provides $160M to significantly increase available slots.
• Virginia Housing Trust Fund – Item 102 #7h. Virginia is facing an affordable housing crisis. A recent JLARC report estimates that Virginia needs to build at least 200,000 affordable rental units to address demand. This budget item adds $160M to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, which is a flexible fund used to increase and preserve affordable housing as well as to prevent homelessness.
• Affordable Housing Development for Underutilized Land – Item 102 #3h. Related to the above, non-profit organizations, including faith-based communities, often have underutilized land that could be converted to affordable housing. We have a great example in the City of Fairfax at the Fairfax Presbyterian Church. This budget item would provide grants to help non-profit organizations navigate the zoning process and develop feasibility studies.
• PFAS Testing Capability – Item 68 #1h. PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” are a serious and growing environmental and human health concern. As we work to find and eliminate the sources of PFAS in our water, we need to increase our PFAS testing capabilities. This item adds $2.1 million for the Department of General Services Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services to increase testing capacity.
• GMU Operating Support – Item 151 #3h. This budget item provides an additional $18M for George Mason University. GMU is the largest university in Virginia and is a critical part of our economy. However, it has among the lowest per-pupil support of any Virginia institution of higher education.
• Invasive Species Management – Item 360 #2h. This budget item provides $450K each year to support invasive plant species mitigation and control in our state parks. These invasive plants cause billions of dollars a year in economic and ecological damage. 
• New Oak Hill State Park – Item 360 #3h. Virginia is the birthplace to eight Presidents of the United States (bonus points if you can name all of them!). We have a rare opportunity to bring the home of President James Monroe into our state park system. This is an incredibly well-preserved property situated on over 1,000 acres in Loudoun County. 
• Stormwater Local Assistance Fund – Item C-53 #1h. Improving the quality of stormwater runoff from urban areas (parking lots, roads, and other impervious surfaces) is a key component to restoring local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. This budget item adds $50M for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund to help local governments implement stormwater quality projects.
• Wastewater Treatment Upgrades – Item 365 #1h. This budget item increases funding by $31.1M to reduce pollution from our wastewater treatment plants – which is important both for public health and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.
• State Parks Maintenance – Item C-29.30 #2h. We are blessed to have an amazing state park system in Virginia. Unfortunately, we face a huge maintenance backlog. “Maintenance by emergency” is not only bad for users of the system, it is also an inefficient use of tax dollars. This budget item adds $45M for maintenance, which is about 10% of the total need.

Click here to see all my budget amendments and stay tuned for my next Focus on Fairfax for an overview of the proposed House budget.​

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you! I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the Town Hall meeting.

Happy New Year, and greetings from… Fairfax!

The 2025 General Assembly gaveled in this past Wednesday. Normally, I would say greetings from Richmond! But the beginning of this year’s session has been anything but normal. On Tuesday, the City of Richmond water system failed due to the winter storm – with much of the City losing water pressure and other parts under a boil water alert. The Capitol Building and General Assembly Building both had to close. As a result, we convened at noon on Wednesday to open the session and then recessed until next Monday. So, back to Fairfax I went to conduct the session’s business virtually. 

As an aside, please keep the people of Richmond in mind – it has been a rough few days. This is also a great lesson in why it is so important to invest in our capital infrastructure.

TOWN HALL MEETING - SAVE THE DATE!

I am pleased to continue a time-honored local tradition – our annual mid-session Town Hall meeting. This year’s gathering will be on Saturday, February 1 from 9-11 a.m. at the City of Fairfax City Hall. We will be joined by State Senator Saddam Salim. The Town Hall will include an overview of the session, our legislative initiatives, and lots of time for Q&A.

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

With 1,271 bills introduced so far, and more expected before next Monday’s filing deadline, we rely on our committee system to thoroughly vet bills. This year, I am pleased to serve on three committees:

• General Laws. I serve as chair of General Laws, which covers a diverse range of issues. These include alcohol, gaming, cannabis, procurement, administrative processes, Freedom of Information Act, housing (including HOAs/condo associations), consumer protection, and the regulation of professions and occupations (everything from barbers to architects and engineers).
• Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources. This committee covers most environmental issues, with the exception of energy. I serve as chair of the Chesapeake subcommittee.
• Appropriations. This committee is responsible for the Commonwealth’s $177.4 billion biennial budget. Any bill that has a fiscal impact ultimately gets referred to Appropriations. I serve as chair of the Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources subcommittee. Click here for an overview of the budget and the Governor’s proposed amendments for the 2025 session.

MY LEGISLATION

This year, I am pleased to introduce 13 bills. Many of these bills are the result of work by commissions that meet between sessions. For example, three bills are recommendations of the Housing Commission, of which I am a member. Below are highlights of my legislation. 

• HB1701 – Housing Opportunity Tax Credit. Virginia is facing a crisis in the availability of affordable housing. A recent Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report estimated a shortage of at least 200,000 affordable rental units. In 2020, Virginia enacted the Housing Opportunity Tax Credit program to leverage private investment in affordable housing. This program has been very successful and is currently oversubscribed (meaning there is more interest than the availability of credits). It is also set to expire in June 2025 without General Assembly action. HB1701 extends the program another five years and increases the amount of available tax credits.
• HB1702 – Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund. A challenge faced by many of our cities (and even older suburbs) is the lack of developable land for affordable housing and the high cost of redevelopment. HB1702 creates a grant program to help local governments assemble, plan, clear, and remediate sites for the purpose of promoting them for private redevelopment.
• HB1705 – Disability Benefits for Emergency Dispatchers. A 2023 study commissioned by the General Assembly confirmed that emergency dispatchers have one of the most mentally stressful jobs. While local dispatchers hired after 2014 have mental health benefits, those hired before that time do not have mental health benefits - including the impacts of PTSD. HB1705 makes sure that all of our dispatchers can get the help they need when suffering mental health issues.
• HB1706 – Resale Disclosure for Aircraft Noise. HB1704 is a consumer protection measure designed to give potential home buyers information about local airports and likely aircraft noise. The bill requires a disclosure statement that directs the home buyer to a website with information on noise exposure maps. While large airports like Dulles continue to grow, so too do regional airports like Manassas and Leesburg. Having the tools to assess potential noise impacts is very important when deciding to make such a huge investment.
• HB1707 – Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. Most contractors are honest and work hard. Unfortunately, there are also bad eggs who don’t complete work or otherwise engage in dishonest conduct. That is why we have a Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. All licensed contractors pay into the fund to assist victims of improper or dishonest conduct. The recovery amounts, however, have not been increased since 2010. HB1707 updates the payment levels to ensure that victims are not left holding the bag for dishonest conduct. 
• HB1711 – Mass Violence Care Fund. I still vividly remember April 16, 2007 when 32 people were killed and 17 others were injured in the Virginia Tech shooting. Sadly, many more mass violence events have occurred since then, including in Virginia. Spearheaded by the parents of Virginia Tech shooting victims, the General Assembly set aside $10M to assist survivors of mass violence and their families with unreimbursed medical expenses. HB1711 is the result of a year-long study about how to structure the fund and claims process. I am honored to play a role in making this fund a reality.
• HB2036 – Street Takeover and Exhibition Driving. HB2036 provides our law enforcement with stronger tools to deal with the recent surge in street takeovers and exhibition driving. This extremely dangerous practice was caught on video by Fairfax County Police and highlighted by several local news outlets. While police can seek enhanced penalties for racing, including vehicle impoundment, no such enhanced penalties exist for street takeovers and exhibition driving. This bill, which is a priority of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, provides for enhanced enforcement tools to make our streets safer.
• HB2037 – Parking Lot Solar Canopies. HB2037 gives local governments the authority to require installation of solar canopies for any development proposing 100 parking spaces or more. While solar energy is a vital part of Virginia’s future energy mix, there is also widespread concern about utility-scale solar replacing farmland. This bill gives our urban areas a way to be part of the solution while not impacting the number of parking spots. Plus, it keeps your care cooler in the hot weather! A great example of this approach is at the Commanders Stadium, where 8,000 panels generate two megawatts at peak power (~20% of game day power).
• HB2050 – Occoquan Reservoir PFAS Reduction Program. PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” are a growing concern for health and the environment. While the U.S. EPA recently adopted maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFAS in drinking water, they (and state regulations) lag far behind on preventing sources of PFAS. This has caused a serious problem for Fairfax Water, which has detected elevated levels of PFAS in its Occoquan Reservoir intake. Either they must spend hundreds of millions in plant upgrades or find and eliminate sources of PFAS. If forced to do the former, water customers will see a significant rise in bills. I, for one, believe in the concept of polluter pays. HB2050 establishes a PFAS monitoring program so that sources can be identified and eliminated.

You can see all my legislation by clicking here.

Next week, budget amendments! In addition to legislation, I have introduced several budget amendments. These include funding for K-12 education, early childhood education, George Mason University tuition moderation, affordable housing, invasive plant species, parks maintenance, stormwater quality, and more!​

It is an honor to serve you!

Happy New Year and warmest wishes from the Bulova family!
​
It is hard to believe that the 2025 General Assembly session is right around the corner. We will gavel in at noon on January 8, continuing a tradition started 406 years ago with the House of Burgesses in Jamestown. This year is a short-session (45 days). In addition to legislation, we will consider changes to the budget. Virginia has a two-year budget, which was adopted last session. As a result, the focus will be on amendments to reflect evolving needs as well as updated budget forecasts.

FAIRFAX DELEGATION PUBLIC FORUM

As your voice in Richmond, I want to hear from you about what priorities the legislature should focus on this year. The easiest way to reach me is by email at [email protected]. I greatly value the diversity of expertise and perspectives of my constituents.

In addition, the Fairfax Delegation to the General Assembly will hold its annual public forum on Saturday, January 4. The forum is limited to Fairfax residents (both County and City) speaking for themselves and/or a community-based organization. Speakers are allotted up to three minutes.

Date: Saturday, January 4
Time: Starts at 9:00 a.m.
Location: Fairfax County Government Center

Those wishing to speak must register online no later than noon on Thursday, January 2. Click here for more details, including how to register and watch remotely.

STUDIES AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Want a sneak peek into what we will be debating this year? Although Virginia has a part-time legislature, the process of developing legislation happens all year long. There are literally dozens of commissions and joint subcommittees that do a deep dive into issues outside the pressure cooker of session. We rely on these commissions to thoughtfully consider issues and make recommendations for potential legislative action.

I am fortunate to serve on several commissions, including the Housing Commission, Water Commission, Chesapeake Bay Commission, Major Employment and Investment (MEI) Commission, Early Childhood Care and Education Commission, the Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences, and the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding.

Many of the bills I will carry this year are recommendations from these commissions. For example, I will be carrying Housing Commission legislation to expand the Virginia Housing Opportunity Tax Credit Program, which is a critical tool to incentivize private developers to build affordable housing.

Another very important commission is the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. JLARC has professional research staff and conducts program evaluation, policy analysis, and oversight of state agencies on behalf of the General Assembly. This year JLARC has released reports on issues such as data centers and broadband deployment as well as reviews of the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Retirement System, and our higher education system.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you would like to learn more about any of these commissions.​

As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the House of Delegates!

Greetings! I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the City of Fairfax Independence Day Parade to celebrate our Nation’s 248th birthday. This year’s theme is “We Stand United.” The parade kicks off promptly at 10:00 a.m. followed by several family-friendly events. And, of course, we end the day with a bang at Fairfax High School for music and fireworks. Click here for the full schedule of activities.

We are also approaching a major milestone as the United States prepares for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. If you want to impress your friends and family, you can also refer to the Nation’s semi-quincentennial! To commemorate Virginia’s role, the General Assembly has established the American Revolution 250 Commission. Far from just fireworks and parades (although that is certainly a part of it) the Commission has developed an inspiring and thought-provoking series of events with the theme “To Form a More Perfect Union.” 

I hope you will visit the VA250 website as we learn from the past, celebrate our achievements, and draw inspiration as we continue to perfect our representative democracy.

Speaking of representative democracy, July 1st is the day when most of the bills passed during the General Assembly become law. This year, 845 bills were ultimately signed by the Governor. Below are just a few of the new laws that may be of interest to constituents. You can find an expanded version in the publication “In Due Course” from our Division of Legislative Services.

NEW LAWS

HB18 – Hate Crimes. Adds a person’s actual or perceived ethnic origin to provisions banning discrimination in employment and places of public accommodation. The bill also adds ethnic origin to Virginia’s hate crimes statute. This was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission to Combat Antisemitism.

HB22 – Auto Sears. Prohibits the manufacture, importation, and sale of automatic sears, defined as a device to convert a semi-automatic firearm to shoot automatically. Auto sears are already banned at the federal level.

HB25 – Sales Tax Holiday. Extends the sales tax holiday for school supplies, Energy Star and WaterSense products, and hurricane preparedness equipment through 2030. The holiday will take place the first full weekend in August.

HB36 – Children and Firearms. Makes it a felony for an adult to allow a child access to a firearm after having been notified that the child presents a threat of violence or physical harm to self or others.

HB48 – Higher Education Admissions. Prohibits any public institution of higher education from giving preferential admissions treatment on the basis of a student’s legacy status.

HB78 – Menstrual Health Data. Prohibits the issuance of search warrants for electronic or digital menstrual health data.

HB149 – Cannabis Use. Prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee for legal use of medical cannabis oil provided the use conforms to Virginia law. Certain exceptions, such as law-enforcement officers, apply.

HB156 – Jury Duty. Increases from 70 to 73 the age at which a person is exempt from service on a jury upon request.

HB174 – Marriage Licenses. Forbids denial of a marriage license based on the sex, gender, or race of the applicant. While denying a license was deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015, the law was never updated in Virginia.

HB223 – Animal Cruelty. Provides that a person convicted of felony animal cruelty may be prohibited by a court from possession of companion or equine animals for life.

HB234 – All Terrain Vehicles. Authorizes any city to adopt an ordinance for the seizure, impounding, and disposition of all terrain and off-road motor vehicles that are illegally operated on highways or sidewalks.

HB238 – Colorectal Cancer Screening. Requires insurers to provide coverage for examinations related to colorectal cancer screening if the individual is in a specific risk category.

HB474 – Restroom Access. Requires retail establishments to provide access to an employee toilet facility if no public restroom is available, if the customer has a medical condition as defined in the law.

HB555 – Department of Corrections. Creates a Department of Corrections Ombudsman with the authority to conduct independent inspections of correctional facilities and to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly.

HB688 – Cocktails-to-Go. Makes “cocktails-to-go” by restaurants permanent after they were temporarily authorized during COVID. The ability of third parties to deliver mixed drinks was only extended for a year pending a review of enforcement problems.

HB707 – Data Protections for Children. Prohibits processing personal data of known children for targeted advertising or profiling without parental consent.

HB719 – Hazing Education/Prevention. Requires hazing prevention instruction in grades 9 or 10 as part of physical or health education instruction.

HB759 – “Cake Pop Bill.” Expands the ability of a person to make food products at home, without an inspection, for sale at a temporary event such as a farmers market. 

HB790 – Vaping Age. Increases the age for legal purchase of vaping products from 18 to 21 and prohibits the sale of tobacco products from vending machines. The bill imposes stiff new penalties for illegal sales, including up to a $10,000 fine and revocation of licenses.

HB906 – Emergency Utilities Protection Act. Prohibits utilities from shutting off service during periods of extreme weather, during a public health state of emergency, or on Fridays, weekends, state holidays or the day before a state holiday.

HB 994 – Age of Marriage. Establishes the legal age of marriage at 18 without exception. Previously, 16- and 17-year-olds could petition a court for emancipation and marry under age 18.

HB1025 – Roadkill. Allows roadkill to be claimed by any person. Current law only allows roadkill to be claimed by the driver of the vehicle that collided with the animal.

HB 1071 – Speed Limits. Authorizes any local government to reduce the speed limit to 15 miles per hour on roads that are located in a business or residential district.

HB1354 – Declawing Cats. Makes it unlawful to declaw a cat except for therapeutic purposes. Therapeutic includes the need to address an infection, disease or injury, or to protect the owner’s health.

HB1443– Juror Harassment. Creates a new misdemeanor for any defendant who intentionally harasses, intimidates, or threatens a juror regarding such juror’s service after a jury trial.

SB454– Nuclear Power. Allows Dominion Power the ability to petition the State Corporation Commission to recover costs associated with development of small modular nuclear reactors. The Commission must still approve any cost recovery as being in the public interest.​

Do not hesitate to reach out if you want to learn more about these or other bills passed by the General Assembly. Happy Independence Day. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you!

This past session was a little bit like the epic Ratt song “Round and Round” – for those of us who grew up in/survived the 1980s. Every time I sat down to write an update on Virginia’s biennial budget process, it seemed things were about to go through another round of amendments, vetoes, and negotiations.

That changed this past Monday. Within the span of about five hours we opened special session, voted for the budget in committee and on the full House Floor, and held a bill signing ceremony with the Governor. Of course, this was the culmination of weeks of work as the framework of a compromise deal was hammered out. In the end, this is a budget I believe Virginians can be proud of. The outcome suggests the effort was worth it – with the budget passing by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 94Y-6N in the House and 39Y-1N in the Senate.

BUDGET CONTEXT

Normally, the budget would be adopted by the General Assembly, amended during the reconvened session in mid-April, and signed into law by the Governor soon thereafter. Several factors, however, contributed to this year’s extra inning.

• Over the last two years, the General Assembly has enacted more than $5 billion in tax cuts and rebates – mostly because revenue increased faster than expected. 
• In July, Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) released a long-awaited study confirming what most of us have known for a long time – Virginia significantly underfunds the state’s share of K-12 education. This translates into higher local real property taxes as localities struggle to make up the difference, especially in places like Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. 
• The Governor introduced a budget in December that didn’t do much to address K-12 education per the JLARC report but did propose a series of changes in the tax structure. This included reducing the income tax as well as modernizing the sales tax.
• While the income tax reduction was rejected, the General Assembly saw merit to the Governor’s proposal to modernize the sales tax and using the revenue to pay for much needed investments in K-12 education. 

Virginia has long struggled with modernizing its tax structure. In this case, the issue is that many of the goods that were once sold over a counter are now delivered digitally. So, when I went to buy an album or cassette tape at Sam Goody's back in the day, that was taxed. Today, that same music is digitally downloaded or streamed, which is not taxed. The same holds true for streaming video, cloud storage, software packages, and other electronic media. The sales tax is not the only thing that needs to be modernized. The transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles means we need to right-size how we pay for transportation infrastructure. Virginia’s tax brackets, last updated in the 1980s, are laughable. The highest bracket is $17K, meaning millionaires are in the same bracket as the vast majority of low-income households.

The Governor objected to the budget package and sent down 242 proposed amendments. Instead of rejecting the amendments and risking a veto of the entire budget, the General Assembly chose to re-start the process. Ultimately, conservative forecasting and a continued strong economy came to the rescue. In exchange for backing off sales tax reform, the Governor agreed to most of the General Assembly’s spending priorities. The budget is structurally balanced. That said, our six-year forecast shows the importance of addressing weaknesses in our tax structure now – rather than continuing to kick the can down the road. To that end, the Virginia Joint Subcommittee on Tax Policy has been tasked with meeting in the interim and making comprehensive recommendations for the next General Assembly session.

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS

As a budget conferee, I was pleased to be part of the negotiating team that resulted in the adopted budget. Included are several initiatives that I helped to spearhead – establishing the Office of Commonwealth Resilience, a new state-wide program to combat invasive species, a down-payment assistance pilot program for low-income families, additional funding of $25 million for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, a program to expand broadband access in hard-to-reach areas of the Commonwealth, additional funding for early childhood education, and new capital funding to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities. 

Below are some of the budget highlights! Click here for a summary by the House Appropriations staff and here for the full, searchable version of the budget.

K-12 Education

• Overall, provides $2.1 billion in general funds above the FY2024 base budget.
• Provides the state’s share of a 3% raise each year of the biennium for teachers and support positions.
• Expands funding for at-risk students, English Language Learner teachers, and reading specialists.
• Includes funding to develop and implement a modern, expanded literacy screening tool to identify student reading deficiencies more accurately.
• Expands supports for parents of special education students and instructional coaching and professional development for teachers.

Early Childhood

• Includes a $456.7 million increase over the biennium to support early childhood care and education programs.
• Ensures that families do not lose access to early childhood programs due to the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds.

Employee Compensation

• Provides for a 3% salary increase each year of the biennium for state employees, including adjunct faculty and graduate teaching assistants at higher education institutions.
• Provides $61.9 million over the biennium for targeted salary increases in areas that have struggled with recruitment and retention, including support staff at Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services facilities and public safety personnel (state police and correctional officers).

Higher Education

• Provides $205.4 million of increased funding over the biennium to increase access and affordability at public colleges and universities.
• Includes $55 million increase over biennium at community colleges for operating and financial aid.

Health and Human Resources

• Provides an additional $2.0 billion for health and human resources over the biennium.
• Add 3,440 Medicaid developmental disability (DD) waiver slots and provides a 3% rate increase for DD services each year over the biennium.
• Provides $10 million each year for Community Services Boards workforce development and staffing.
• Invests $10 million the first year for additional mobile crisis units.
• Invests $4 million each year for housing for individuals with serious mental illness and people with developmental or intellectual disabilities.

Public Safety and Veterans

• Includes $75.9 million over the biennium for community violence intervention initiatives.
• Provides $43.5 million over the biennium for the School Resource Officer Incentive Grant Program.
• Includes $19.1 million the first year for start-up costs at two new veterans care centers.
• Provides $1.6 million for additional paralegal positions in Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices.

Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Forestry

• Deposits $201.1 million in FY2025 in the Water Quality Improvement Fund.
• Substantially increases the base technical assistance funding provided to Soil and Water Conservation Districts by $3.0 million each year.
• Provides $100 million in FY2025 for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund.
• Establishes a pay-for-performance pilot program in the amount of $20 million to solicit private sector investments in nutrient reduction projects.
• Includes $20 million in FY2025 for capital improvements at historic sites and history museums in anticipation of the “American250” Semiquincentennial celebrations.
• Provides $5 million over the biennium to implement statewide coordinated invasive species management.
• Includes $400 million for improvements to wastewater treatment plants to meet Chesapeake Bay improvement targets.

Commerce and Labor

• Contains $175 million for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund to support the creation or preservation of affordable housing.
• Adds $30 million in FY2025 to help with costs related to expanding broadband access throughout Virginia.
• Invests $40 million over the biennium to support economic development through the Virginia Business Ready Sites program.

Transportation

• Includes $65 million in the first year and $84.5 million the second year for additional operating assistance for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority/METRO.
• Requires a study to explore METRO cost containment strategies.

Thank you to everyone who wrote, visited, and even testified during the 2024 General Assembly session! ​

Now that the session is over, I am happy to speak at association meetings or attend community events. My legislative assistant, Rama Van Pelt, is available during the week to help with scheduling. He can be reached at (703) 310-6752 or [email protected]. 

Thanks to the more than 100 people who attended my annual Town Hall meeting with Senator Saddam Salim last weekend. I am proud to have such an engaged community and always appreciate the thoughtful feedback and questions. 

As mentioned in a previous post, George Mason University held a meeting to engage the community on plans for a cricket stadium near the intersection of Braddock Road and Campus Drive. If you were unable to attend, you can find a recording of the meeting here. 

A BUSY WEEK

Traditionally, this past week is the busiest of the session. Crossover is next Tuesday, which is the deadline for each body to act on its own legislation. What survives is then sent to the opposite chamber for consideration. 

This week alone, the General Laws Committee, which I chair, considered 87 pieces of legislation – and that doesn’t include the dozens of bills that were debated in subcommittees but didn’t make it to the full committee. These bills range from tweaks to Virginia’s procurement laws to major bills aimed at creating a retail market for cannabis and cracking down on illegal vaping products. Illegal vaping products are a huge problem across Virginia, including our area. While liquid nicotine vapor products have been promoted as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, the market has been flooded with illegal candy and fruit flavored products designed to hook teens. These products are often manufactured in foreign countries with few, if any, quality control standards. Two bills (HB790 and HB1069) are moving forward to crack down on illegal vaping materials.

What is the most interesting bill to come through the General Laws Committee? Definitely HB248. This bill would authorize the regulation of “autonomous agents” that take on human roles regulated under the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations. For example, barbers and cosmetologists are required to be properly trained and licensed. Now imagine that your barber is a robot using artificial intelligence. Should that autonomous agent be subject to testing and licensure?  How about professional engineers, auctioneers, waterworks operators, real estate agents, and literally dozens of other regulated professions? The answer is likely yes – but the details are complicated. After much discussion, this bill went to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to study and make recommendations for next session.

BUDGET AMENDMENTS

While individual bills often get more attention, the most impactful thing we will vote on this year is the $185B biennial budget. Below are a few of the budget amendments I have submitted for consideration:

Item 44#1h – Establish the Office of Commonwealth Resilience. This would fund a new office to coordinate resilience efforts across the Commonwealth, including how to address the impacts of sea level rise, inland flooding, and other threats related to climate change. The new office is a recommendation of a bipartisan workgroup consisting of environmental groups, business, industry, and the administration. 

Item 88#1h – Statewide Coordinated Invasive Species Management. This would enhance Virginia’s ability to effectively respond to threats posed by invasive species. These include invasive plants as well as invasive animals, such as blue catfish, emerald ash borer, and spotted lanternfly.

Item 201#27h – Increase Support for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. This would significantly increase the budget for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. The fund is Virginia’s primary tool for preventing homelessness and creating new affordable housing through public-private partnerships. 

Item 103#3h – Virginia Broadband Resiliency Initiative. The pandemic illustrated just how important broadband is to economic resilience. This budget amendment is part of Virginia’s efforts to fully build out broadband over the next few years, especially in harder to reach rural areas.

Item 109#8h – Capacity Expansion for Solar and Energy Efficiency Projects. This would add additional staff capacity to the Department of Energy so that Virginia can take full advantage of millions of dollars’ worth of federal grants for solar and energy efficiency projects.

Item 117#29h and Item 124#77h – Early Childhood Care and Education Funding. Few investments pay off more than quality early childhood care and education. The Governor’s introduced budget includes funding to make up for a loss of federal funding. These amendments ensure that we can meet projected demand over the next two years.

Item 151#2h – George Mason University Increase in State Support. GMU has long struggled to get its fair share of state funding. When state and tuition funding are combined, Mason is nearly $4,000 per in-state student below the median allocation for Virginia universities. This budget amendment closes the gap on this disparity.

Item 295 #16h – Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs. This amendment provides additional funding at the request of our local hospitals to establish comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs in emergency departments. 

Item 231#2h – Support for the Arts. Virginia lags behind many other states in its support for the arts. This amendment would move Virginia closer to its long-standing goal of $1 per capita funding to support the arts through grants administered by the Virginia Commission on the Arts.

Item 365#2h, Item 365 #3h, and Item C-53.50#1h – Chesapeake Bay Restoration. While the Governor’s budget includes essential funding to reduce pollution from agriculture, it contained no money to help localities reduce pollution from urban stormwater and wastewater treatment plants. These amendments ensure that Virginia has the resources it needs to continue Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts.

You can find the entire list of my budget amendments here. The proposed House and Senate budgets will be released on “Budget Sunday,” February 18, and then the negotiations begin!

UPDATE ON MY LEGISLATION

So far, 10 of my bills have passed the House. Another five will come up for a vote next Tuesday. In addition, one of my bills (HB245) was incorporated into another bill that is moving forward. A few of these bills have been covered in the press. 

• Bills introduced by me and Delegate Holly Seibold to reduce the spread of invasive plant species were covered by NPR News. Scroll down to the January 30 podcast.  Those bills passed the House earlier this week. 
• Virginia Mercury covered my HB419, which would create a non-reverting fund to increase access to quality early childhood care and education. That bill reported out of the Appropriations Committee and will come up for a final House vote next Tuesday. 
• On the affordable housing front, my HB878 was covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. This bill would give local governments a new tool to preserve existing workforce housing. The bill passed the full House on February 1.
• The Daily Progress (Charlottesville) covered my HB420. This bill would allow Virginia to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior to keep national parks open in the case of another federal government shutdown. While I hate the idea of cleaning up after messes created across the Potomac River, our national parks are the lifeblood for hundreds of rural communities. National parks attract over 22.5 million visitors to Virginia each year and support an estimated 17,600 jobs. Utah and Arizona have already entered into similar agreements.

Finally, I was pleased that my HB316 reported from the Appropriations Committee this past Friday and will be up for a vote in the full House next Tuesday. This bill would create the Virginia Recycling Development Center. Recycling helps keep materials out of our landfills and can be a critical part of a sustainable economy. However, our recycling rates continue to languish. There are myriad reasons for this – lack of markets for recycled materials, supply chain issues, inadequate local or regional collection infrastructure, etc. The new center would serve as a catalyst to help create these markets and build Virginia’s recycling infrastructure.​

Thanks for taking the time to read my updates! It is an honor to serve you in the House of Delegates.