Tomorrow, July 1, marks the start of a new fiscal year for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the day most new laws take effect (as well as the first day of the next campaign finance period). Following is a sampling of new laws. A comprehensive summary is available online in the 2023 edition of In Due Course.
One task remaining unfinished is the budget. As a reminder, Virginia is operating under the biennial budget that passed in 2022. For this reason, there is no threat of a government shutdown. Not yet finalized is the allocation of projected surplus revenues. Democrat George Barker, the Senate's lead budget conferee, is on record as refusing to work on a budget compromise until after his June 20 primary (which he lost). Why? He worried about the appearances of working in a bipartisan fashion to complete the budget. With primaries in the rearview mirror, the Senate Democrats are continuing to put politics over fiscal responsibility and have walked back from a tentative agreement made during the winter. The budget remains unfinished until they return to the table.
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Lowering Costs & Creating Jobs |
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When my colleagues and I arrived in Richmond for the 2023 legislative session, we prioritized lowering costs for families and enhancing Virginia’s competitive advantage as a job destination.
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HB1770 and HB1777 aim to immediately lower energy costs for ratepayers across the Commonwealth while adding oversight on electric utilities to ensure grid reliability and maximize future savings for ratepayers long-term.
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HB2195 will create the Department of Workforce Development & Advancement, consolidating our workforce development programs under one roof to streamline operations and promote accountability. Years in the making, this bill will ensure Virginia has the most prepared workforce in the country for decades to come.
My House colleagues and I also attempted to decouple Virginia’s emissions standards from California to ensure Virginians have the freedom to purchase a vehicle that fits their budget. Unfortunately, Senate leadership defeated the legislation in their pursuit to mandate the purchase of expensive electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are an important innovation, but one that presently lacks affordability and sufficient charging infrastructure.
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Preparing Students for Success |
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HB1526 expands the Virginia Literacy Act to include students in grades 4-8 (effective beginning in the 2024-2025 school year). The expansion requires local school boards to provide evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with science-based reading research, provide reading intervention services to students with substantial deficiencies, allow reading plans to include literacy courses, and employ reading specialists.
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HB2124 allows local school boards to hire clinical psychologists under a provisional license — issued by the Department of Education for up to five years — to fill vacant school psychologist positions so long as they progress towards obtaining full licensure as a school psychologist during their time of employment.
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My bill, HB2225, mandates each school board to provide teachers, parents, principals, and other school leaders with students’ results on any Standards of Learning assessment or Virginia Alternate Assessment Program assessment as soon as practicable. This policy ensures that, regardless of changes made on the federal level, Virginia provides test scores in a timely manner.
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Another of my bills, HB2457, prohibits any public elementary or secondary school teacher from being required to attend training sessions more frequently than once every five years for topics such as mandatory testing. The bill also allows substitute teachers on a case-by-case basis to fill vacancies for up to 180 days in any school year. This provides a valuable opportunity for teachers to focus on what matters most: providing the best educational experience for students.
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Keeping Our Communities Safe |
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The General Assembly also advanced several commonsense laws to protect our communities from violent criminal activity.
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HB1691 creates the School Resource Officer Incentive Grants Fund to provide matching grants for local law enforcement agencies and school boards for school resource officers, school security officers, and other safety personnel expenses. The grants can be used for equipment, training, and programming but cannot be used to purchase firearms, handcuffs, or stun weapons.
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HB1835 eliminates the requirement that a health care provider be in a hospital or on-site at a clinic or emergency medical center to qualify as a victim under the offense of making verbal threats to harm or kill a health care provider.
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My bill, HB1916, requires threat assessment teams at public institutions of higher education to obtain available criminal and health records for individuals posing a significant threat of violence, as well as notify local law enforcement, the campus police, and the local attorney of the Commonwealth within 24 hours. The threat assessment team may also invite representatives from campus to participate in individual cases. These measures, which include safeguards for privacy, will better protect students, faculty, and staff, and prevent violent incidents.
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HB2387 creates a non-refundable tax credit for the purchase of a gun safe, encouraging people to secure their firearms by giving them a dollar-for-dollar reduction of their state income taxes.
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My legislative agenda centers around legislative requests submitted by constituents and stakeholders in our community. I am sincerely grateful to my constituents for reaching out to my office so we can work together to solve issues facing everyday Virginians. Following is a list of bills I successfully carried during the 2023 General Assembly session:
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HB1907 requires consumer loan providers to include on every loan application a question regarding whether any individual has contacted the applicant to send money in consideration of receiving money via a government or lottery organization. This decreases the likelihood of consumer exploitation by scammers. Passed the House 91-0 and the Senate 40-0.
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HB1911 prohibits officers and employees of state and local governments from receiving a gift with a value exceeding $100 from foreign countries of concern as outlined by certain federal designations. The legislation is a step to ensure that hostile foreign nations are prohibited from giving gifts to public employees. Passed the House 89-3 and the Senate 23-17.
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HB1912 clarifies that Virginia’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 universities require Treasury Board approval before entering into specific university-related foundation financing arrangements. This oversight helps state universities to avoid undue financial risk. Passed the House 96-1 and the Senate 39-0.
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HB1916 requires threat assessment teams at public institutions of higher education to obtain available criminal and health records for individuals posing a significant threat of violence, as well as notify local law enforcement, the campus police, and the local attorney of the Commonwealth within 24 hours. The threat assessment team may also invite representatives from campus to participate in individual cases. These measures, which include safeguards for privacy, will better protect students, faculty, and staff, and prevent violent incidents. Passed the House 99-0 and the Senate 40-0.
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HB2223 requires members of the board of directors of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority to file their state and local statements of economic interest annually with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council, thereby increasing transparency and accountability. Passed the House 99-0 and the Senate 40-0.
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HB2225 mandates each school board to provide teachers, parents, principals, and other school leaders with students’ results on any Standards of Learning assessment or Virginia Alternate Assessment Program assessment as soon as practicable. This policy ensures that, regardless of changes made on the federal level, Virginia provides test scores in a timely manner. Passed the House 99-0 and the Senate 40-0.
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HB2422 amends the Home Solicitation Sales Act to clarify that it does not apply to technology services providing insurance and service agreements. Four other entities currently regulate such businesses, and this legislation reduces bureaucratic red tape. Passed the House 98-0 and the Senate 40-0.
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HB2457 prohibits any public elementary or secondary school teacher from being required to attend training sessions more frequently than once every five years for topics such as mandatory testing. The bill also allows substitute teachers on a case-by-case basis to fill vacancies for up to 180 days in any school year. This provides a valuable opportunity for teachers to focus on what matters most: providing the best educational experience for students. Passed the House 98-0 and the Senate 39-0.
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HB2471 provides for removing general registrars from office by the circuit court when a majority of the members of the State Board of Elections or a majority of the members of the local electoral board have signed a petition for removal. If a petition is received, the Virginia Division of Risk Management will assign counsel to the defense of any affected general registrar. This process adds stability to registrars’ offices and the oversight of elections. Passed the House 100-0 and the Senate 38-0.
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A less-than-fun feature of politics is the endless litany of deadlines. In addition to being the final day of Virginia's fiscal year, today, June 30, also marks a significant campaign fundraising deadline. Your contribution of $5, $10, $50, or $100—or any amount—goes a long way in ensuring my campaign has the resources required for success. We are truly grateful for the support offered by so many! |
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We want to hear from you! |
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My office remains available to offer assistance with any state-related matter or agency. We are located at 7405 Richmond Road in Williamsburg and can be reached by phone at 757-741-7001. For constituent services or legislative inquiries, please email DelABatten@house.virginia.gov. For campaign-related inquiries, please send all correspondence to info@amandabatten.com.
Have a happy Independence Day!
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Contact Delegate Batten
Legislative Aides: Dayle Brittain and Lauren Keiser
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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