2017 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Highlights January 4, 2017 The 2017 legislative session in Virginia will begin on January 11th at noon. This is a “short” session meaning that the legislature plans to be in session for 45 days, rather than the 60 days of the “long” session that meets on even-numbered years. During the...
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March 11, 2016 – Legislative Highlights
2016 Virginia General Assembly March 11, 2016 The end of the 2016 General Assembly session is almost in sight. “Sine die” is Saturday, March 12th. By the close of the session, the House of Delegates and the Senate will jointly agree to a set of amendments to the Governor’s proposed budget. That package of amendments...
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March 4, 2016 – Legislative Highlights
2016 Virginia General Assembly March 4, 2016 Most committees have completed their work for the 2016 session. Bills that have been approved by committee must then be “read” in that house on three different days. Where there is a disagreement between the house and the senate, a committee of conference is established to resolve the...
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March 01, 2016 – Legislative Highlights
2016 Virginia General Assembly March 1, 2016 As the session enters its final days, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia continues to monitor bills in the legislature that may be of interest to people with disabilities. We are available to educate policy makers about the potential impact of legislative proposals. Please let us know of...
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February 29, 2016 Legislative Highlights
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 29, 2016 The Virginia General Assembly is now working to complete bills in advance of the end of the session. “Sine die,” the end of the 2016 regular session, comes on March 12th. Here are some of the remaining bills we have been watching: Mental Health HB 616 (Bell) requires...
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February 24, 2016 – Legislative Update
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 24, 2016 Both the Senate and the House money committees have offered amendments to the Governor’s proposed budget. Both houses will debate those amendments on Thursday, and then send their proposed changes to the other house for review. We expect each side will reject the proposal of the other side,...
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February 19, 2016 – Legislative Update
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 19, 2016 The State budget process will soon be front and center in the legislature. On Sunday, the money committees of both houses will release their proposed amendments to the Governor’s budget. Those committee reports are not easy to decipher until they release what is known as the “half sheets,”...
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February 16, 2016 – Legislative Update
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 16, 2016 Today is “crossover.” All the bills that began in one house must be complete in that house by the end of the day today. If a bill is not approved by its house of origin by the end of the session today, it is dead. The exception is...
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February 10, 2016 – Legislative Update
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 10, 2016 The mission of the disAbility Law Center of Virginia is to protect and advance the legal, human and civil rights of people with disabilities, to combat and prevent abuse, neglect and discrimination, and to promote independence, choice and self-determination by persons with disabilities. There are two bills in...
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February 8, 2016 – Legislative Update
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 8, 2016 The mental health subcommittee of the House Courts of Justice committee met for a long afternoon last Friday. The committee struggled with two bills in particular, which they ultimately agreed to “report” – to bring to full committee — but with the understanding that the patron would meet...