Fourteen hours. That is the number of hours spent in committee, on the House floor, and in various meetings over the span of one busy day during the legislative session. Regardless of whether one is an early bird or a night owl, there are certainly challenges in maintaining attention span for such a long period of time. Active listening is occurring at all times, and legislators must be prepared to ask questions, make motions, and—above all—cast the correct vote. There is no opportunity for distraction. Following is an inside look at the legislative process--from committee work to deciding whether or not to support a bill. |
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The Subcommittee & Committee Process |
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Within the House of Delegates, the bulk of legislative work occurs in subcommittees (the Senate operates differently, and casts deciding votes in full committee). Detailed testimony is taken from individuals speaking both in favor of and against the bill. Thanks to technology, testimony can also be offered by Zoom. Notably, committees operate on a motion, and there are many ways for bills to die during this process. A bill can die because:
- No motion is made
- A motion is made, but no committee member seconds the motion
- A motion is made to report (pass) the bill, but a substitute motion is made to “lay the bill on the table” (an action that effectively kills the bill if a majority of committee members vote in the affirmative)
- A motion is made to “pass by indefinitely” (another action that effectively kills the bill if a majority of committee members vote in the affirmative)
- A motion is made to report a bill, but a majority vote “no”
If a bill reports out of subcommittee, the legislation will next be heard in full committee, where it will pass or fail based on the aforementioned methods. Relatively little—if any—testimony is heard in full committee provided the bill was fully vetted in subcommittee. At this point, the bill may pass the full committee and move to the House floor for a hearing…or it can be re-referred to another committee. This happens when a bill has a financial impact on the Commonwealth (in which case it goes to Appropriations) or when another committee has the expertise needed to ensure the bill receives a thorough hearing. If this second committee passes the bill, the legislation will next be heard on the House floor. Although the process sounds time-consuming, it moves remarkably quickly—especially during a 46-day session when every hour is of the essence.
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2023 General Assembly Session Legislative Survey |
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My 2023 General Assembly legislative survey is currently available on my website at https://vahouse.checkbox.com/batten-2023-pre-session-survey. Please take a moment to share your thoughts on many of the issues facing our Commonwealth. I take seriously your feedback, and I look forward to reading your response.
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Constituents regularly ask whether or not legislators always know how they are going to vote on a particular bill prior to hearing the legislation in committee. The general answer is “sometimes.” The reason is simple: bills are available for reading prior to the meeting; however, amendments and substitutes (entirely redrafted bills) are not offered until the bill is presented in a meeting. These amendments and substitutes reflect changes made by the patron in response to concerns raised by stakeholders. Often, these changes are substantial in nature and can take a bill from bad to good (or the reverse, of course). For this reason, it is imperative to listen closely in committee and to collaborate with colleagues who can also offer their perspectives. |
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House Bill 2457: Reducing burdens on teachers |
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I am pleased to share that my House Bill 2457 passed the House unanimously today. HB2457 has two major components. Firstly, the bill reduces training burdens on teachers by changing from annually to once every five years training in areas including:
- Certain types of first aid training (seizure recognition/response, blood borne pathogens)
- Management of student conduct in violation of school board policies
- Secure mandatory test violations
HB2457 also allows on a case-by-case basis a temporarily employed teacher to fill a vacancy for up to 180 days per school year. The current allowance is for 90 days. These commonsense measures can help alleviate teacher shortages and allow teachers to focus on their core mission.
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Making headlines this week was news that the Department of Education disclosed an error in their funding calculations to school divisions. The result: a $200 million overestimation in the amount that schools expected to receive from the state. In light of this error, House Appropriations members quickly went to work, committing that no school divisions will see budgetary cuts. In fact, Virginia is in a financial situation that allows expanded investments in schools alongside the resolution of the funding error. This will occur during the budget process that is currently underway.
In the next fiscal year, schools will get an additional $77.5 million, and the Governor has proposed an additional $441.0 million in his amendments. This results in $240.3 million above the amount that was overestimated. Additionally, because no payments were made as a result of the miscalculation, school systems do not need to return a single penny back to the state.
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The halls were again busy this week as numerous groups stopped by the Capitol. Visiting Richmond (and our offices) this week were representatives of the following groups:
- Autism Society of Tidewater
- Beer Wholesalers
- Brain Injury Association of Virginia
- College of William and Mary
- Families Forward Virginia
- Homeschooler Groups
- Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Virginia Sheriffs
My district office remains closed as we work from Richmond during the legislative sesion. If you'd like to visit, I am located in Room 432 of the Pocahontas Building at 900 E. Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219. As always, we remain available to assist with constituent service. If you have a problem with a state-related matter or agency or would like to set up a virtual meeting, please contact my legislative aide, Ms. Dayle Brittain by phone at 804-698-1096 or by email at DelABatten@house.virginia.gov.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Contact Delegate Batten
Legislative Aide: Dayle Brittain
Mail: P.O. Box 194, Norge, VA 23127
Phone: 757-741-7001
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Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Amanda Batten |
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