Greetings from your State Capitol.

We have just ended the last full week for all House bills to be considered and referred to the Senate if approved.  It has been a very different atmosphere this session than any previous that I’ve experienced.  The degree of partisan divide has never been greater.  We have seen many non-controversial bills introduced by Republicans summarily killed with a duplicate Democrat bill then being introduced.  Also, we’ve seen many Republican bills never being put on a committee docket to allow it to be heard.  I’ve always considered a bill based on its merit, not its patron or their party.  Further, given that the vast majority of legislation is introduced to address citizen concerns or needs, I’ve always felt that every bill deserves a full hearing and the opportunity for public input.

Below are the measures that I have introduced for consideration this session and the current status of each.

• HB216 Gives the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation more flexibility in working with property owners as they ensure that privately owned dams are safe.  This measure passed out of committee and then was rereferred back to the same committee from the floor to die.
• HB217 Requires a review of the current medical informed consent form to ensure that certain gynecological procedures are adequately explained.  This measure was an effort to ensure adequate health care for women.  This bill was also referred back to  the same committee from the floor to die.
• HB218 Makes certain changes to legislation from last year to ensure that patients will continue to receive necessary medical care when their insurance carrier and the provider are in a contract dispute.  The bill was amended at the suggestion of the health care providers and insurance carriers and reported out of the Labor and Commerce Committee after which it was referred to the Appropriations Committee which reported the bill and it should pass on the floor today.
• HB219 Makes changes to the current penalty for driving on an expired vehicle registration.  The intent would be to allow a grace period with no penalty and an enhanced penalty the longer one goes without renewing their tags.  This bill will require DMV and State Police to consider how to address the issue.  At my request, the bill was carried over until next year to allow all parties the necessary time for it to be considered.
• HB220 Makes certain adjustments to requirements that will allow for remote monitoring of water and sewage treatment facilities when there are no licensed operators available for on-site supervision.  This bill has passed and been communicated to the Senate.
• HB221 Instructs the Va. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services to begin the process of developing a model guidance document to assist county governments if they choose to enact an ordinance to address the problem of free-roaming cats.  There has been considerable misinformation distributed about this bill.  However, I was never given the opportunity to address the issue as the committee chairman never allowed the bill to come up.
• HB222 Exempts church run child day care centers from state regulations except for those involving safety and health standards.  After overwhelming testimony of problems with the current regulations and with over 50 different religious facilities appearing in support the bill was killed in subcommittee without debate.
• HB223 Gives the court added discretion in banning pet ownership in egregious cases of animal abuse.  This bill has been amended to ensure it won’t affect the livestock industry and has been approved by the Agriculture Committee and the Courts subcommittee.  The Courts Committee voted it out and it should pass on the floor today.
• HB259 Allows the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation greater flexibility in awarding grant funds to assist property owners with dam maintenance costs.  This bill was never heard but an identical bill was introduced by a Democrat and passed the house.
• HB330 Allows local commonwealth attorneys to enforce federal statutes if a pet shop violates the lending disclosure requirements.  This bill has passed and is now in the senate.
• HB628 Makes it easier for a hospital to add additional beds for the treatment of patients in mental crisis.  In spite of the critical need for more treatment options, this bill was carried over with very little discussion.
• HB1306 Makes it easier for veterinary practices to administer necessary pet medications in off-site settings.  This bill has passed the committee and should pass the house on Monday.
• HB1312 Adds our State Park law enforcement officers to the same retirement system as most of our other state law enforcement officers.  This bill has passed the house and is now in the senate.
• HJR12 Requires the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to determine the long-term impact of our current solar panel mandate on our farm and forest lands.  This bill was tabled by the Rules Committee but a letter will be sent to JLARC asking that they consider the study, if their workload will allow.

As you can see, my legislative objectives have had a mixed level of consideration.  This is consistent with how most of the bills from Republicans have been heard this session.

My update next week will give a more comprehensive description of the action on many of the policies we addressed.

I welcome your emails, calls and visits.  My email is DelBorrock@virginia.house.gov, my phone is (804)698-1066 and my office is 1107 in the General Assembly Building.  You can follow all legislative action and access other information by going to VirginiaGeneralAssembly.gov.