Bill to create a rental assistance program among those pre-filed for the 2025 Virginia General Assembly

Today voters in three legislative districts including parts of Louisa County and Fluvanna County will go to the polls in special elections for two Senate districts and one House District. Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly are held by the Democrats with very narrow majorities. Whether that changes today could determine the fate of pending legislation for a session that begins tomorrow.

Here is another look at some bills that have been pre-filed.

• SB802 from Senator Ryan McDougle (R-26) would provide that a person accused of distributing a Schedule I or Schedule II drug that leads to an overdose would be prosecuted in the jurisdiction where the person died.
• HB1573 from Delegate Chad Green (R-69) would reduce the in-person absentee voting period for the general election from 45 days to 10 days. HB1574 would do the same for primary elections.
• HB1575 from Delegate Mike Cherry (R-74) would require that allegations of campaign fundraising during the legislative session be referred to the Virginia Attorney General.
• HB1577 from Delegate Wrenn Williams (R-47) would require the Department of Planning and Budget to create a centralized location for all Virginia localities to submit required reports and would create an Unfunded Mandate Review Task Force.
• HB1588, also from Williams, would prevent utility rate increases in the months of November, December, January, and February.
• SB806 from Senator Richard Stuart (R-25) would repeal previous legislation that gave the State Air Pollution Control Board authority to implement low-emissions or no-emission standards. The Youngkin administration is also seeking to do this through executive means as I reported last June.
• SB809 from Senator Christie New Craig (R-19) would require localities who receive resources from the Fire Programs Fund to report all emergency incidents through the National Fire Response Information System as well as the Department of Fire Programs.
• SB812 from Senator Aaron Rouse (D-22) would amend the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to increase the amount of time for a waiting period between when a landlord notifies the tenant of late rent and when a notice of intent to evict will be given. The current period is five days and this bill would extend that to two weeks. SB815 would also prohibit a landlord from taking adverse action against prospective tenants due to their legal history.
• SB813, also from Rouse, would require the Department of Elections to complete any systemic process to remove ineligible voters 90 days before a primary or general election. Last year, the Youngkin administration ordered a daily purge and lawsuits to stop this practice were successful in circuit and appeals courts but allowed by the United States Supreme Court.
• Rouse is also chief patron of SB814 which would allow the governing body of a locality required by court order to have at-large districts to transition to single-member districts. There’s likely a background for this that I look forward to hearing about.
• SB816, also from Rouse, would make adjustments to state code related to the local real property tax exemptions allowed for the elderly and disabled.
• Another bill from Rouse, SB817, would require public elementary and secondary schools to develop a cardiac emergency response plan for student athletes who experience heart failure.
• SB827 from Senator Mamie Locke (D-23) would authorize Internet gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board.
• SB830, also from Locke, would make permanent the Eviction Diversion Pilot Program.
• Locke has also filed SB832 which would establish a rental housing assistance program within the Department of Housing and Community Development. This would be in addition to federal vouchers.

Before you go: This article was originally sent out as part of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter in the January 6, 2025 edition. Both are functions of Town Crier Productions. You can support the work by purchasing a paid subscription or contributing monthly through Patreon. You can also send in a check or send an email, but drop me a line first.