Greetings from your state Capitol!  It’s been a true joy to have had so many local visitors this week.  I always welcome your visits and the opportunity to discuss the bills before us as well as the legislative process.  This is your Capitol, and I encourage you to visit this beautiful and historic site.

It’s been a slow start, complicated by the water issues in the city of Richmond last week, but we are finally getting up to speed.  Committees and Sub-committees are meeting, but very few measures have been heard.

I have introduced 14 measures this session which are as follow:

• HB1783 – To clarify that non-career and technical students may participate in the affiliated student organization consistent with organizational criteria.
• HB1784 – Increase the penalty for car owners who allow their vehicle registration to lapse for more than a year.
• HB1785 – Exempt church-run child day care programs for 3 year olds from state oversight the same as are currently exempt for 4 year olds and older programs.
• HB1786 – Make inspections of church-run day care programs be complaint driven
• Hb1787 – Require the Secretary of Health ensure the adequacy of surgical consent documents to ensure patient understanding and patient safety.
• HB1788 – Require the Dept. of Education to modify the absentee reporting requirement to accurately address the issue of chronic student absenteeism
• HB1789 – Allow local government a means to ensure that public work contracts are more in line with construction costs for the private sector.
• Hb1790 – Allow local government a means to modify existing zoning statutes to facilitate more affordable housing.
• HB1792 – Allow local government a more efficient means of disposing of tax delinquent property.
• HB1825 – Include our State Park police officers in the same retirement program as other State police officers.
• HB2031 – Remove the $1 fee for the filing of certification of a working alternative sewage system.
• HB2181 – Place a bond issue on the 2025 election ballot authorizing $80 million for our state park system to address a long list of current major maintenance needs.
• HJ442 – Require a study by our state tax department on the effect of local government tax policies on making affordable housing more difficult.

I welcome your inquiries on these or any other issues before us this session.  I will keep you updated on the status of these measures and other issues of importance as we continue through the legislative process.  All legislative work may be watched live on-line at virginiageneralassembly.gov and going to the proper link.  All committee and floor sessions are also archived and accessible.  Further, I welcome your phone calls to (804)698-1066 and your emails to delborrock@house.virginia.gov to share your views, answer questions, or schedule a visit.

Thank you again for the opportunity to represent you and I’ll continue to keep you updated.