NEWSLETTER

MARCH 14, 2021

Neighbors,

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather. On Friday, we marked the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one and sending deep appreciation to our healthcare providers and essential workers.

Our lives have drastically changed in the last year, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Governor Northam is optimistic that all adult Virginians will be eligible for a vaccine by May 1. 

Also, my colleagues and I took decisive action this session to help us recover from the pandemic by strengthening our vaccine delivery infrastructure, expanding access to healthcare, and protecting workers who have been at the frontlines of this pandemic. And thanks to President President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the American Recovery Plan will provide much needed relief to Virginians.

On March 1, we adjourned another historic legislative session. As I mentioned previously, this was the first time that the Virginia House of Delegates met virtually in order to protect the public health of members, our staff, and the public. 

Thanks to so many of you for reaching out, whether through a virtual meeting, phone call, or email, to share your priorities for our community. 

We accomplished a lot,  and I’ve highlighted some of our work below as well as provided a reminder about my upcoming virtual Town Hall.

As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

Best, Kathy

Delegate, 42nd District 

UPCOMING VIRTUAL TOWN HALL

Tuesday, March 16 from 5:30pm-7pm

Join me for a virtual town hall with Delegates Mark Sickles, Vivian Watts, and Paul Krizek! We will give updates on the 2021 legislative session. 

We will also be joined by Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Coordinator, to talk about Virginia’s COVID-19 vaccine plan and answer questions from constituents. 

You can register for the town hall here and submit questions here. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Governor Northam is reviewing the updated budget and all bills that passed the General Assembly. He has until March 31 to either sign the bills into law, offer amendments, or veto bills. The General Assembly will reconvene on April 7 to consider the Governor’s amendments and vetoes.

I have included a highlight of the range of legislation that passed the General Assembly below. Additionally, I included my bills and budget amendments that passed this year in my previous newsletter, and you can view here.

Responding to COVID-19

  • House Bill 2333 breaks down barriers for healthcare professionals to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and strengthens our ability to quickly and equitably distribute doses to Virginians. 

  • House Bill 2206 expands eligibility for the Virginia Child Care Subsidy Program to assist families with child care needs. 

  • House Bill 2185 provides businesses with a sales tax exemption for personal protective equipment purchases.

  • House Bill 1828 gives the DMV Commissioner authority to extend deadlines, such as expirations of licenses and vehicle registrations, during a declared public health emergency. This will help address concerns raised by constituents about the need to conduct DMV transactions in person during this pandemic.  

  • House Bill 1999 grants the Virginia Tax Commissioner the authority to waive interest on taxes during a declared public health emergency. This is an issue I heard about from many constituents earlier this spring. 

  • House Bill 1845 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.

Updates to State Budget

My colleagues and I took action last year to protect Virginia’s fiscal standing during the pandemic, and this year we made the following updates to the state budget: 

Healthcare

  • $89 million in state and federal funding for mass vaccination efforts.

  • $47 million in federal funding for COVID-19 disease surveillance, testing, contact tracing, and personal protective equipment.

  • $2 million in state and federal funding to cover COVID-19 vaccine costs for adults on Medicaid. 

  • $129.9 million in state and federal funds to increase Medicaid personal, respite, and companion care rates.

Supportive Services

  • $200,000 from Virginia’s TANF Block Grant for the Lorton Community Action Center, which serves many in the 42nd District.

  • $750,000 for the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention Fund. 

  • $125 million in additional funding for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund.

  • $6.6 million to continue the Eviction Prevention and Diversion Program.

  • $10 million to maintain increased levels of customer service support for the unemployment insurance program. 

  • $2 million in additional funding for the Food Access Investment Fund.

Workforce

  • $6.9 million to fund paid sick leave for home health care workers. 

  • $3.5 million for salary raises for state employees, adjunct faculty, and state supported local employees. 

  • $2.1 million to increase salary of certain social workers and eligibility determination specialists. 

  • A one-time $1,000 bonus for correctional officers.

  • $2 million to allow healthcare workers and first responders to include COVID-19 as a presumption when filing for worker’s compensation benefits. 

Environment 

  • $5 million to establish an Electric Vehicle Rebate Program. 

  • $69.4 million for the Water Quality Improvement Fund. 

Small Businesses and Nonprofits

  • $25 million from skilled games revenue for the Rebuild Virginia program, which brings up total support for small businesses and nonprofits through this fund to $145 million. 

  • $18.9 million to forgive Virginia Employment Commission overpayments, which would protect against increasing employer unemployment insurance taxes. 

Education

  • $40 million to support local school efforts to address COVID-19 learning loss, which would be used for extending the school year, summer school, tutoring, remediation and recovery, and counseling services. 

  • $30 in additional federal funding for statewide initiatives to address the impact of COVID-19. 

  • 5% pay increase for teachers and support staff.

  • $26 million to lower the student to counselor ratio. 

  • $34 million to implement the G3 Community College initiative, which will guarantee debt-free college education for low-income students pursuing degrees in high demand fields. 

  • $30 million for need-based financial aid for in-state undergraduate students.

Expanding Access to the Polls

  • House Bill 1890 establishes a first in the South state-level Voting Rights Act to ensure voters are not disenfranchised based on race or English language abilities. 

  • House Joint Resolution 555 allows individuals convicted of a felony to regain their political rights, including the right to vote, after fully serving their sentence and/or parole.

  • House Bill 1888 reforms our absentee voting system and speeds up the counting of absentee ballots on Election Day. 

  • House Bill 1968 allows early voting on Sundays. 

  • House Bill 1921 expands curbside voting opportunities at polling locations. 

Expanding Healthcare

  • House Bill 2007 increases prescription drug transparency.

  • House Bill 1737 allows nurse practitioners to practice autonomously through July 1, 2022 if they have at least 2 years of experience.

  • House Bill 1817 allows certified nurse midwives to enter into practice agreements with other certified nurse midwives with at least two years experience, and allows nurse midwives to practice without a practice agreement if they have at least 1,000 hours of experience. 

  • House Bill 2332 continues the process to establish a Commonwealth Health Reinsurance Program that, once up and running, will lower health insurance premiums. 

  • House Bill 1987 expands access to telehealth for Virginians. 

Strengthening Public Education

  • House Bill 2013 prohibits local school boards from suing students for school meal debt.

  • Senate Bill 1303 requires local school districts to offer in person learning for the 2021-2022 academic school year following certain safety guidelines and offering families the ability to request virtual instruction.

  • House Bill 2204 establishes the Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back Fund for the Virginia Community College System. The Fund will provide financial assistance to eligible Virginians enrolled in educational programs leading to employment in a high-demand field.

Reforming Our Criminal Justice System

  • House Bill 2047 allows for the consideration of mental illness, intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities during non-insanity criminal trials.

  • House Bill 2113 establishes an expungement process for people previously convicted of certain offenses and who meet specific criteria. This bill incorporates my legislation from last year, which was studied by the Virginia Crime Commission, to expunge records of people convicted under the old larceny threshold. 

  • House Bill 2263 abolishes the death penalty in Virginia, making us the 23rd state in the county and the first in the South to stop this practice. 

  • House Bill 2312 creates a regulatory system for a recreational marijuana industry and begins the process to legalize possession of marijuana for individuals over 21.

Lifting Up Working Families

  • House Bill 2137 establishes up to five days of paid sick leave for consumer-directed home health workers.

  • House Bill 1280 expands access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to 25,000 people and updates program requirements to help people reach self-sufficiency. 

  • House Bill 1900 strengthens remedies for tenants being forced out of their homes.

  • House Bill 2174 establishes the VirginiaSaves program for eligible workers currently not offered a retirement savings program and will be administered by Virginia529. 

Gun Safety Legislation

  • House Bill 1909 prohibits guns in certain school board properties. 

  • House Bill 1992 restricts domestic abusers from purchasing firearms.

  • House Bill 2128 extends the time to complete background checks for gun purchases.

Protecting the Environment

  • House Bill 1902 bans polystyrene (styrofoam) food containers by 2025, with flexibilities for businesses that face economic hardship. 

  • House Bill 1965 directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program.

  • House Bill 1979 creates a rebate program for purchasing electric vehicles.

Advancing Equality 

  • House Bill 1848 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment. 

  • House Bill 2130 establishes the first LGBTQ Advisory Board in the history of Virginia to advise the Governor.