November 13th Newsletter

Well, the never-ending General Assembly special session finally ended earlier this week. I have summarized below the Governor’s budget and legislative amendments that we approved. Completing the special session was a significant event but, to me, the most important discussions that I have had this week have been related to behavioral health needs in the Commonwealth. COVID has exacerbated the mental health and drug addiction crises that Virginians faced prior to the pandemic. Teachers, school administrators, health professionals, and parents have shared with me statistics and stories that illustrate the growing levels of children facing mental health issues. Behavioral health, law enforcement, and addiction support service providers have shared with me statistics and stories that show the incidence of substance abuse and overdoses dramatically increasing for so many people. Military leaders, government administrators, and families have shared with me statistics and stories of veterans (who we celebrated with Veterans Day on Wednesday) succumbing to suicidal thoughts and drug overdoses.

These are troubling and complex problems without an immediate solution. We must make progress towards solving these issues, however, even during a time where people lack normal access to support providers and our state revenue outlook remains uncertain. The budget that we just passed has what I would describe as “placeholders” for partially funding some programs directed at addressing unmet behavioral health needs. My hope is that the Commonwealth’s revenue forecast will improve and that, once we return to session in January, the legislature can amend the budget to do even more.

I will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please email my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or call us at 804-698-1173 if you have any questions or need assistance.

Sincerely,
Rodney 

New Information 

General Assembly Special Session

This Monday, the General Assembly officially adjourned our special session on COVID-19 relief and criminal justice reform, having convened on August 18th. Over the past twelve weeks, the House and Senate have worked with the Governor to revise our state budget to help our Commonwealth weather the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, provide necessary relief to struggling Virginians, and invest in the economic recovery of our Commonwealth. I also am proud of the meaningful progress that we have made in policing and criminal justice reforms to help build a safer and more just Commonwealth for all Virginians.

During our final floor session on Monday evening, the House and Senate met to vote on the Governor’s proposed amendments to the biennium budget. You can see a full list of the Governor’s proposed budget amendments online here. The legislature passed the following amendments:

• Amendment 1: Calls for an update to COVID-19 Phase 3 or later guidelines for personal care or personal grooming to allow for temporary mask removal for customers receiving aesthetic services.

• Amendment 3: Amends language on priorities for COVID testing.

• Amendment 5: Authorizes and funds an independent investigation of the Virginia Military Institute.

• Amendment 7: Removes appropriated funding for the Accomack Regional Airport Hangar project.

• Amendment 8: Removes appropriated funding for Virginia Beach Access Improvement project.

• Amendment 9: Authorizes two DMV office relocations.

• Amendment 10: Includes enabling language for the newly-established Virginia Redistricting Commission and guidance for the Commission, the General Assembly, and (if necessary) the Virginia Supreme Court in the redistricting process as added to the Virginia Constitution by Amendment 1.

The Governor also issued recommendations on a number of bills passed during the special session. The following bills were amended by Governor Northam and approved by the General Assembly:

• HB5046 (Co-Patron) — Advancing innovations in telehealth. The Governor added an emergency clause, allowing this bill to take effect the moment our session adjourned.

• HB5058 (Co-Patron) — Eliminating certain vehicle equipment offenses or the odor of marijuana as pretexts for a stop or search by law enforcement. The Governor’s amendment clarified that law enforcement may stop drivers if no headlights or brake lights are in use as required by law.

• HB5109 (Co-Patron)— Standardizing and enhancing training by criminal justice academies and establishing required in-service training standards for law enforcement officers. The Governor’s amendments adjusted a language difference between the House and Senate bills and authorized (but no longer mandate) law enforcement and corrections agencies to require psychological examinations for new hires.

• HB5106 — Protecting prospective tenants whose credit is negatively impacted by COVID-19. The Governor added a clarifying amendment that cross-references relevant federal law.

• HB5115 — Protecting housing security for individuals and families negatively impacted by COVID-19. The Governor added an emergency clause.

• HB5148 — Increasing earned sentence credits. The Governor’s amendments removed one incorrectly-included section of the Code of Virginia and extended the effective date to June 1, 2023.

• SB5029 — Changing from a primary offense to a secondary offense the possession of marijuana and the traffic infractions of operating a motor vehicle. The Governor’s amendments clarified that a law enforcement officer may stop drivers if their vehicles do not display appropriate headlights or brake lights.

Now that our special session is officially adjourned, I am excited to get to work for our regular session this January. The legislative session may look a little different this year as we work to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, whether this session is virtual, in-person, or a hybrid, connecting with my constituents is of the utmost importance to me as a Delegate. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office via email at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov to talk to me about the challenges that you may be facing and how our General Assembly can better support you through this difficult time and beyond.

Health Care Open Enrollment

The federal health insurance open enrollment period began on Sunday, November 1st, and will be open until Tuesday, December 15th. You can preview 2021 plans and prices online here, and see all other information online at healthcare.gov. If you do not enroll by December 15th, you will not be able to access 2021 health care coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

If you still need health care coverage for 2020 after the enrollment deadline, you still can obtain insurance in two ways:

• If you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period due to a life event like losing other coverage, getting married, or having a baby.

• If you qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you can apply anytime.

COVID-19 Stimulus Scam

The IRS has issued a warning about a text-message scam related to the economic stimulus payments authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  Please ignore any text message or email about the stimulus payment, and do not click on any links sent to you in this format.

If you receive a text message that reads “You have received a direct deposit of $1,200 from covid-19 TREAS FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment into your account. Continue here to accept this payment,” please take a screenshot of the message and email it to phishing@irs.gov.

The federal government is still working to distribute stimulus checks to eligible Americans. Stimulus payments were automatically sent by the IRS based on tax returns from 2018 and 2019, however many individuals did not receive an automatic payment. If you are eligible to receive the CARES act stimulus funding, you can use the IRS’ non-filers tool to claim your stimulus payment. The deadline to request your economic impact payment through the non-filers tool is November 21st at 3:00 pm EST. See online here for all information.

Free COVID-19 Testing

The Henrico County Health Department will offer free drive-through COVID-19 testing at three community events in the county next week. To register for any event, call the department’s COVID-19 hotline at 205-3501 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.

• November 16th 2:00pm - 4:00pm
  Parham Road Baptist Church
  2101 North Parham Road

• November 17th 10:00am - 12:00 pm
  Eastern Henrico Health Department
  1400 North Laburnum Avenue
  Only 50 tests are available, and registration is required for this event

• November 19th 9:00am - 11:00am
  Regency Square Mall Parking Deck
  1420 North Parham Road

James River Freshwater Mussels Released

The James River Association in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Wildlife Resources has released more than 5,500 freshwater mussels into the James River in downtown Richmond. The conservation effort is intended to restore the population of mussels in their native habitat and improve the river’s water quality. Each mussel will filter between 10 and 20 gallons of water per day, helping to remove algae bacteria and other small particles. 

You can read more information on the James River Association conservation programs online here.