NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 25, 2021
Neighbors,
The 2021 legislative session is in full swing! Below please find information about:
My virtual town hall on 1/30
Virginia’s COVID-19 response
My legislative agenda
Key bills that passed the House of Delegates
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or need assistance. You can reach me by email at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov or call my office at 804-698-1042.
Best, Kathy
Delegate, 42nd District
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ON 1/30
On Saturday, January 30 at 1pm, I will be having a Virtual Town Hall!
Join me and Senators George Barker and Scott Surovell for legislative updates. We will also be joined by Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Coordinator, who will answer questions about the state’s COVID-19 distribution plan.
Please use the following link to join the virtual town hall: https://bit.ly/SouthCountyTownHall2021
COVID-19 RESPONSE
Currently, Virginia receives about 105,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines per week from the federal government. This amount of is based on our population. The Governor’s team has indicated the pace of vaccines that Virginia receives is not expected to increase until about March.
Virginia’s primary form of vaccine distribution will be through local health departments. The state’s allocation to local health districts is determined by the health district’s population. Additionally, some Virginians are receiving vaccines through their work in certain federal agencies. Long-term care residents and staff are receiving vaccinations through federal contracts with CVS and Walgreens.
While we await an increase in the production of vaccines, it is my top priority to make sure we have a clear understanding of Virginia’s existing supply and to speed up the distribution and administration of the vaccines.
I have met multiple times with state leadership about our vaccination plans. I have requested that Virginia
increase transparency in our COVID-19 vaccine data,
clarify the factors that are used to allocate vaccines to local areas,
reduce barriers for healthcare professionals to be able to administer vaccines, and
identify how we can support the federal contract with CVS and Walgreens to speed up vaccinations to long-term care facilities.
I am also co-sponsoring emergency legislation to give all available Virginia healthcare providers the authorization needed to administer the vaccine.
And, as I mentioned previously, I am working with my colleagues to ensure the proposed $90 million in Governor Northam’s budget is approved so that Virginia can improve our vaccine distribution infrastructure.
Starting January 25, all health districts will move into Phase 1b of vaccine distribution. This means nearly 50% of Virginians will be eligible for a vaccine. As a reminder, Fairfax Health District began Phase 1b last week.
Currently, the state government is focusing on the following priorities:
Work with local health departments to ensure information remains consistent as they communicate with people eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Work closely with CVS and Walgreens to administer vaccines in long-term care facilities to close the gap between available and administered doses.
Work with all vaccine administration locations to quickly and accurately report vaccine data to the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIV) so our data more accurately represents how many people have been vaccinated in Virginia.
Connect any locations with extra vaccines with local partners to set up additional vaccine clinics to ensure all available doses are going to eligible Virginians.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
This session, I am continuing to serve on the following committees and subcommittees:
House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions
Health Subcommittee
Social Services Subcommittee
House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee
Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee
House Committee on General Laws Committee
Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee
Open Government/Procurement Subcommittee
In addition to participating in all my committee and subcommittee meetings this past week, my team and I met with constituents and organizations to discuss their priorities.
We met with the Fairfax/Burke Chapter of Moms Demand Action, PTA leaders from the 42nd District, Justice Forward Virginia, New Virginia Majority, Virginia Young Democrats, Food and Water Watch, National Federation for the Blind, Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, Virginia Conservation Network, Virginia Alzheimer's Association, the Arc of Virginia, and SEIU 512.
Additionally, I hosted my Transportation Town Hall with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. Thanks to everyone that joined to hear updates about transportation projects in the 42nd District!
As I shared previously, my team and I are happy to meet with you throughout the legislative session. Please email me to set up a meeting at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov.
Below is a highlight of bills that passed the House of Delegates so far and will now be considered by the Senate.
Expanding Equality
House Bill 1848, of which I am a chief co-sponsor, will prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in employment.
House Bill 2130, which I am a co-sponsor, will establish the first LGBTQ Advisory Board in the history of Virginia. This board will advise the Governor on issues relating to the LGBTQ community.
Housing Protections
House Bill 1900 strengthens remedies for tenants being forced out of their homes.
Safeguarding the Environment
House Bill 1902 phases out single use polystyrene (styrofoam) food containers starting in 2023. The bill provides an exemption for nonprofits and gives small businesses some flexibility to comply with the law due to economic hardships.
Expanding Access to the Ballot Box
House Bill 1888, which I am a co-sponsor, makes important reforms to Virginia absentee voting system and speeds up the counting of absentee ballots on Election Day.
Helping Small Businesses
House Bill 1845, which I am a co-sponsor, delays the alcohol beverage control license fee by one year for businesses that already have this license and also allows them to sell mixed beverages to-go during this time. This will help bring relief to small businesses given the challenges of this pandemic.
As a reminder, you can view my full legislative agenda here: https://www.kathyfordelegate.com/legislation
You can see the many ways to stay engaged during the virtual legislative session here: https://www.kathyfordelegate.com/community-resources