2020 General Assembly Session - Week 5
Week 5 Update Sponsored By:
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERTS
SB 426 , which would require employees to pay a “fair share” of union dues as a condition of employment at union shops, has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee this Sunday, February 9th. You can find our action alert by clicking here and I would strongly encourage you to contact your Senator sitting on this Committee to register your opposition.

SB 7 , a bill that would increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour, has passed from the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations to the floor of the Senate. It is imperative that you contact your Senator now to oppose this effort that would hurt businesses and their employees in our region, and you can find an action alert to do so by clicking here .
The Week in Review
In addition to your Public Policy team's efforts to fight against legislation that would negatively impact our area's business community, we were more than pleased to support bills this week that would assist in regional economic development.

Senator John Edward's SB 990 and Delegate Terry Austin's HB 1602 seek to create the Governor's New Airline Service Incentive Fund, an initiative designed to attract new passenger air service routes through advertising and promotional funding. These bills are strongly supported by our local regional airports and have passed through their respective committees to the full Senate and House. We will continue to speak in favor of these bills as they move forward in the legislative process.

Please see our bill tracker below for a selection of bills that we are continuing to monitor.
In the News
Don’t Leave HR to Luck: 2020 Employment Law Symposium
Gentry Locke’s Employment Law Attorneys will coach you on several magical tactics, strategies, and policies you need to help your company be successful.
The full event schedule can be found below:
General Assembly Bill Tracking
Economic Development

Del. Lee Carter
Right to work; repeals provisions of Code that refers to denial or abridgement.

  • 02/06/20 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations

OPPOSE

Del. Mark Levine
Establishes a procedure by which a local alternative minimum wage may be imposed in any locality.


OPPOSE
DEFEATED

Sen. Dick Saslaw
Minimum wage; increases to $10 per hour effective July 1, 2020.

  • 02/06/20 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)

OPPOSE
PASSED COMMITTEE TO SENATE FLOOR

Del. Jeion Ward
Minimum wage, increases to $10 per hour effective July 1, 2020 (as amended)

  • 02/07/20 House: Assigned App. sub: Compensation & General Government

OPPOSE

Del. Terry Kilgore
Establishes the Virginia Brownfield Renewable Energy and Coal Mine Grant Fund and Program.

  • 02/06/20 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations

SUPPORT

Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy
Paid family and medical leave program.

  • 01/30/20 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations

OPPOSE

Del. Sam Rasoul
Study; Department of Rail and Public Transportation; Commonwealth Corridor passenger rail service; report

  • 02/03/20 House: Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations

SUPPORT

Sen. Dick Saslaw

OPPOSE

Sen. Mark Obenshain
Interstate 81 Corridor; motor vehicle fuels sales tax. Limits the application of the additional motor vehicle fuels sales tax imposed under current law in all counties and cities in Planning Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to those counties or cities in Planning District 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 in which a portion of Interstate 81 is located

  • 02/04/20 Senate: Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 3-N 1-A)

OPPOSE
DEFEATED

Del. Terry Austin
Transportation bonds; I-81. Authorizes issuance of bonds in an amount up to $2 billion for revenue-producing projects in the Interstate 81 corridor.

  • 02/05/20 House: Incorporated by Appropriations (HB1414-Filler-Corn) by voice vote

SUPPORT

Sen. John Edwards
Virginia Tourism Authority; Governor's New Airline Service Incentive Fund

  • 02/06/20 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)

SUPPORT
PASSES FULL SENATE
Workforce Development & Education

Del. Hala Ayala
STEAM programs; establishes STEAM Education Fund
  • 01/29/20 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (6-Y 1-N)
SUPPORT
DEFEATED

Del. Terry Kilgore
DOE; experiential learning and workforce development opportunities in high-demand fields, report.

  • 02/03/20 House: Subcommittee recommends striking from docket (6-Y 0-N)

SUPPORT
DEFEATED

Sen. Bill DeSteph
Apprentice agreements; ratio of journeymen to apprentices

  • Senate: Failed to report (defeated) in General Laws and Technology (4-Y 10-N)

SUPPORT
DEFEATED

Sen. Bill DeSteph
Public institutions of higher education; State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; business advisory committee.

  • 01/30/20 Senate: Continued to 2021 in Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

SUPPORT
NO FURTHER ACTION THIS SESSION
Research and Technology

Del. Jay Jones
Research and development tax credits; extends sunset date, aggregate caps.

  • 02/06/20 House: Assigned App. sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

SUPPORT

Del. Mark Sickles
Commonwealth of Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority; created.

  • 02/06/20 House: Read first time

SUPPORT
PASSES FULL COMMITTEE TO HOUSE FLOOR
Healthcare

Del. Chris Hurst
Health insurance; association health plans

  • 02/04/20 Senate: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

SUPPORT
PASSES FULL HOUSE

Sen. Monty Mason
Group health benefit plans; bona fide associations; benefits consortium.

  • 01/24/20 Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (35-Y 2-N)

SUPPORT
PASSES FULL SENATE

Sen. John Edwards
Virginia Health Benefit Exchange

  • 01/27/20 Senate: Incorporated by Commerce and Labor (SB732-McClellan) (14-Y 0-N)

MONITOR

STAY CONNECTED:

Terry Durkin
Vice President of Public Policy
 Roanoke Regional Chamber 
TDurkin@RoanokeChamber.org
540.682.2111