Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, today highlighted the progress of legislation he introduced in the 2018 General Assembly session enters its final week.
“I am pleased to announce that Governor Ralph Northam has signed House Bills 761 and 776 into law and House Bills 344, 347, 760, 775, 897, 916, 1148, 1551 and 1599 have passed both bodies of the General Assembly and are before Governor Northam for his consideration,” Landes said. “The legislation I have sponsored this session has focused on my continued commitment to economic development and providing the best education for our students and is part of our larger effort to grow our economy, make K-12 educational investments and support infrastructure improvements in the Commonwealth.”
The following bills have been signed into law and become effective July 1, 2018:
- House Bill 761 Special license plates; WE ARE THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE FFA. Authorizes the issuance of revenue-sharing special license plates for members and supporters of the Virginia Future Farmers of America (FFA) Foundation bearing the legend WE ARE THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE FFA.
- House Bill 776 Regulation of parking on secondary highways; Albemarle. Adds Albemarle County to the list of counties that may, by ordinance, regulate parking on secondary highways.
The following bills have passed both legislative bodies and await Governor Ralph Northam’s approval:
- House Bill 344 Public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; campus free speech; policies, materials, and reports. Requires each public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to establish and include in its student handbook, on its website, and in its student orientation programs policies regarding free speech on campus; develop training materials and implement training programs on such policies for any employee who is responsible for the discipline or education of enrolled students; and post conspicuously on its website and annually update a report relating to free speech on campus. (Passed House 89-8; Passed Senate with substitute 40-Y 0-N)
- House Bill 347 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; longitudinal data. Requires the data that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia annually collects and publishes on the percentage of graduates of public institutions of higher education and certain nonprofit private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth who are known to be employed in the Commonwealth and the average salary and the average higher education-related debt for such graduates to be disaggregated by degree program and level. (Passed House 99-0; Passed Senate 39-Y 0-N)
- House Bill 760 Virginia Public Procurement Act; exemption for Virginia-grown food products; required documentation. Requires a public body to accomplish procurement by obtaining written informal solicitation of a minimum of three bidders or offerors if practicable and including a written statement regarding the basis for awarding the contract when purchasing Virginia-grown food products under the current exemption from the Virginia Public Procurement Act for the purchase of Virginia-grown food products for use by a public body where the annual cost of the product is not expected to exceed $100,000. (Passed House 100-0; Passed Senate 38-Y 0-N)
- House Bill 775 Removal of snow and ice; county executive form of government. Authorizes any county outside Planning District 8 that has adopted the county executive form of government (Albemarle County), to provide by ordinance reasonable criteria and requirements for the removal of accumulations of snow and ice from public sidewalks by the owner or other person in charge of any occupied property. Currently, only counties within Northern Virginia Planning District 8 may adopt such an ordinance. (Passed House 94-5; Passed Senate 25-Y 14-N)
- House Bill 897 Governing boards of public institutions of higher education; six-year plans. Specifies that the six-year plan and amendments to or affirmation of such plan that are required to be submitted no later than July 1 of each year to various executive and legislative entities and individuals by the governing board of each public institution of higher education shall be a preliminary version and prohibits any such preliminary plan, amendments, or affirmation from being posted on the General Assembly’s website. (Passed House 100-0; Passed Senate 40-Y 0-N)
- House Bill 916 Long-Term Employment Support Services and Extended Employment Services. Requires the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to administer Long-Term Employment Support Services and Extended Employment Services to assist individuals with disabilities with maintaining employment. (Passed House 98-0-1; Passed Senate 40-Y 0-N)
- House Bill 1148 Reporting on economic growth-sharing agreements. Provides that all economic growth-sharing agreements between localities shall require, at least annually, a report from each locality that is a recipient of funds pursuant to the agreement to each of the other governing bodies of the participating localities that includes the amount of money transferred among the localities pursuant to the agreement and the uses of such funds by the localities. The bill also provides that the parties to any growth-sharing agreement that has been in effect for at least 10 years and which has annual payments that exceed $5 million shall convene an annual meeting to discuss anticipated future plans for economic growth in the localities. (Passed House 100-0; Passed Senate with amendment 38-Y 0-N)
- House Bill 1551 Special Workforce Grant Fund; creation. Creates the Special Workforce Grant Fund to award grants to certain e-commerce companies that make a capital investment at a facility in Fairfax County of at least $84 million and create at least 1,500 new full-time jobs at such facility. The grants would be paid out over a period of three years on the basis of investment and job-creation progress. The total aggregate amount of grants that may be paid is $10.5 million. (Passed House 98-2; Passed Senate 38-0 0-N)
- House Bill 1599 Department of Criminal Justice Services; definitions; law-enforcement officer. Adds members of the investigations unit designated by the State Inspector General to investigate allegations of criminal behavior affecting the operations of a state or non-state agency to the definition of law-enforcement officer. (Passed House 98-0; Passed Senate with substitute 38-Y 0-N)
Landes represents the 25th House District, which includes parts of Albemarle, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties. Landes is currently serving his twelfth term in the Virginia House of Delegates. Visit SteveLandes.com for additional information.
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