January 14th Newsletter
We are back! The 2022 legislative session gaveled in on Wednesday as legislators, staff, advocates, constituents, and even a few tourists filled the Capitol and General Assembly Building again. That evening, we heard the final State of the Commonwealth address from Governor Northam. He recapped the accomplishments of the past four years, hence, it took him over an hour to make his remark — I lost count of how many standing ovations the Governor received.
I have summarized below the legislation that I have introduced thus far. I am proud that one of my bills, HB 403 (see bill description below), is included in the House Caucus’s 2022 session priorities: supporting public safety, keeping Virginia families healthy, and enhancing economic security for all.
Please join Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg and me tomorrow afternoon for our town hall if you would like to learn more about our legislative agendas and overall perspective on this session.
If you have any questions or need assistance with a state agency, please contact my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or phone at 804-698-1073, and a member of my staff will be happy to assist you. I also will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please stay well and stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Rodney
New Information
January 15th Town Hall with Schuyler VanValkenburg at Libbie Mill Library
Please join me on January 15th for a Town Hall with Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg (HD-72) on Saturday, January 15th from 4:00 - 5:00 pm at Libbie Mill Library. We are looking forward to seeing you and speaking with you about our legislative priorities for the 2022 session. We will also take time to hear about the issues that matter most to you and answer any questions that you may have.
This is an in-person event and there will be no virtual component. Please join us in the Libbie Mill Meeting Room located on the first floor between the Circulation Desk and the lake-facing side of the library. The event is free and open to the public, but we ask that all participants register in advance at bit.ly/11522townhall
2022 Legislative Session Week 1 - Committee Assignments and Introduced Legislation
The General Assembly convened for the 2022 Legislative Session on Wednesday, January 12th. As a result of the November elections, the Republican party is now in the majority in the House and has elected Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15) as the new Speaker of the House, and Delegate Terry Kilgore (R-1) as their new Majority Leader. Former House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn will continue to lead the House Democrats as Minority Leader.
As part of the transition of control of the House, all members received new committee assignments. I am honored to have been re-appointed to the committees I served on in 2021: Health, Welfare, and Institutions; Finance; and Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources.
I have also released my legislative priorities for the 2022 session. You can see the full language for all of my introduced bills online here, and see below for a brief summary of each piece of legislation:
HB 353 Unaccompanied Homeless Youth; consent to medical care. Establishes a process for a minor who is 14 years of age or older and an unaccompanied homeless person to consent to medical care. This legislation is intended to support the thousands of homeless children in Virginia who are living without a parent or guardian.
HB 364 Regional planning; climate resilience to be included as part of strategic plans. Requires regional planning commissions to include strategies for climate resilience in their regional strategic plans.
HB 388 State facilities; video visitation. Requires our state psychiatric facilities to offer virtual visitation to patients.
HB 393 Water quality; consideration of economic or social development. Requires the State Water Control Board to analyze the economic or social impact on residents and communities that have historically been economically or socially disadvantaged when considering any project or development that would constitute a new or increased discharge of effluent into high-quality water.
HB 395 Carbon offset credits; Marine Habitat and Waterways Improvement Fund. Directs any revenue resulting from the sale of offset credits from submerged aquatic vegetation restoration to the Marine Habitat and Waterways Improvement Fund.
HB 400 Assessment of real property; affordable housing. Includes the Rental Assistance Demonstration program in the list of federal laws whose restrictions shall be considered in determining the fair market value of the real estate that is operated as affordable rental housing.
HB 402 Tax credit for participating landlords. Expands eligibility for the Communities of Opportunity tax credit for landlords offering affordable housing in high-income areas.
HB 403 Department of Veterans Services; Mental Health Care Coordinator; position created; report. Establishes the position of Mental Health Care Coordinator in the Department of Veterans Services to support and closely coordinate effective mental health care services for military service members and veterans and their families.
HB 410 Unemployment insurance; Virginia Employment Commission to develop and maintain a Resiliency Plan. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission, as part of its biennial strategic plan submitted to the Department of Planning and Budget, to develop and maintain an Unemployment Insurance Resiliency Plan that describes the specific actions the agency would take, depending on the level of increase in unemployment insurance (UI) claims, to address staffing, communications, and other relevant aspects of operations to ensure continued efficient and effective administration of the UI program.
HB 425 Continuing care providers; requirements for providers; complaint process; report. Directs the SCC to establish an online and phone complaint line for members of continuing care retirement communities or community-based continuing care providers. The bill also requires continuing care retirement communities to include a resident on the board of directors.
HB 428 Use of confidential informants in drug-related investigations. Directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a model policy for the use of confidential informants in drug-related investigations
I am also preparing resolutions to celebrate notable achievements of residents of the 73rd district, as well as memorial resolutions for members of our community that we lost this year. If you have a suggestion for a member of our community that you would like to be honored with, please email me at DelRWillett@house.virginia.gov.
Please reach out to my office at DelRWillett@house.virginia.gov to share your thoughts on any of the proposed legislation for the 2022 session. I truly value feedback from residents of the 73rd district and consider your comments carefully before I vote on any piece of legislation.
Governor-elect Youngkin Inauguration - Saturday, January 15th
Glenn Youngkin is set to take office in Richmond, Virginia, Saturday as the Commonwealth's 74th governor and the first Republican elected to the office since 2009. Also set to be sworn in are Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares and Lt. Gov.-elect Winsome Sears. She will be the first woman as well as the first woman of color to serve in the post in Virginia history.
Youngkin, Miyares, and Sears are to be inaugurated on the steps of the Virginia State Capitol on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. The ceremonies will begin at noon. There will be a swearing-in ceremony and then Youngkin will start his term as governor.
The Virginia Department of General Services announced that the Capitol Square will be closed this week to prepare for the inauguration. Anyone with tickets to the inauguration can enter the square starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday according to the Virginia Capitol Police. Tickets now are sold out but you can live stream the Inaugural Ceremony online at youngkininauguration.com.
Governor Northam Delivers Final State of the Commonwealth Address
Governor Ralph Northam delivered his final State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the General Assembly. In the last speech of his term, Governor Northam thanked Virginians for their support, friendship, and trust throughout his tenure as the 73rd Governor of the Commonwealth.
The Governor also highlighted the historic achievements of the last four years, including expanding access to early childhood education, his administration's work to expand Medicaid, secure record economic growth, reform our criminal justice system, close the digital divide, teach the true history of Virginia, expand access to the ballot box, and keeping Virginians safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Northam’s remarks as prepared for delivery are available online here; you can watch the address online here.
Next Wednesday, Governor Youngkin will deliver his first State of the Commonwealth, which you can stream live online here.
Winter Storm Expected this Weekend - State Police Urge Virginians to Avoid Travel
Virginia State Police are warning people to avoid travel during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend as another winter storm approaches the East Coast just days after a previous storm halted traffic on part of Interstate 95. Weather forecasts show all regions of Virginia being affected by different types of precipitation starting late Saturday and continuing through Sunday. The storm is also expected to impact much of the East Coast, especially along the I-95 corridor, affecting those either traveling out of the state or returning over the weekend.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has also issued a warning for college students who may be driving back to school this weekend. All drivers should plan accordingly and check the forecast for their route. Follow @VDEM on Twitter for updates from the agency.
State police are preparing for this latest round of winter weather and will have all available troopers on patrol to respond as quickly as possible to traffic crashes, emergencies, and disabled motorists.
Spread the Love’ to Henrico Long-Term Care Facility Residents this Valentine’s Day
The Henrico County Advocate for the Aging and EngAGE program are again hosting their “Spread the Love” Valentine’s Day card-making event, through which they hope to collect more than 1,000 cards to distribute to residents of long-term care facilities in the county.
To participate, anyone can make cards by themselves or with friends, family, schools, churches, or other social groups. Officials ask that the cards include generic but uplifting and cheerful messages inside to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Then, send your cards by Feb. 4 to Henrico EngAGE, attention Emily Atkinson, at P.O. Box 90775, Henrico VA 23273.
