This week many good policy ideas were rejected by House and Senate committees, including a bill to allow K-12 students to attend a school outside of their zone, a bill to repeal certificate of public need, a bill that would require parental notification for children who desire to be treated as transgender at school, a bill to allow education dollars to follow the student, and a bill to lower the cost for purchase of voter registration roll data. Despite the highly positive impact these reforms would have had on the Commonwealth, the majority of the legislators who voted on these ideas chose to keep more kids in failing schools, more patients with unmet medical needs, and more voters without confidence in elections.
However, one highlight of the week was a rejected legislative proposal to allow electronic ballot return under certain circumstances. Robust testimony from technology experts convinced legislators on both sides of the aisle that this was not a good path for Virginia, preserving the integrity of our elections.
A new cutting edge website tool was announced this week by the Governor to facilitate easier permit processing at the state level. It is called Virginia Permit Transparency and the establishment of this tool has been spearheaded by the Office of Regulatory Management. Although currently only permits from a few departments are available through the new website, more agencies will be beginning to utilize it soon.
2024 Session Overview Numbers
(Total # of bills and resolutions)
- Introduced: 2520
- Passed the House: 76
- Passed the Senate: 134
- Continued to next session: 20
- Failed: 99
- Vetoed: 0
Here’s a reminder of the key dates during the 2024 General Assembly session:
- First day: Wednesday, January 10th
- Last day for a legislator to submit a bill: 3pm Friday, January 19th
- Crossover deadline: Tuesday, February 13th
- Last day of session (also known as Sine Die): Saturday, March 9th
- Reconvene Session: Wednesday, April 17
The report below includes bills that fall into alignment with Virginia Institute’s policy recommendations, either for good policy or bad policy, and received a vote in a committee or on the House or Senate Floor last week. See the bottom of the page for a full list of bills we are following.
EDUCATION
HB 1180: Parental Tax Credit
This bill establishes the Virginia Parental Tax Credit (PTC). The tax credit would provide families more educational flexibility and choice. If parents decide to provide their student’s education through in-home instruction or private school, it allows them to receive a tax credit for qualifying educational expenses. This would include curriculum, tuition, and tutoring. – KILLED
- Status: Monday, 1/29, this bill died through the motion to lay the bill on the table in House Finance Subcommittee #1.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
HB 1164: Education Excellence for All Program
This bill would establish the Education Excellence for All program, to allow education dollars to follow a student if a student leaves the public education system to utilize alternatives like private school or homeschool. Parents would then receive education dollars to cover costs like tuition or curriculum. Students would be eligible for this program if their parents’ income was at or below 300% of the poverty level. – KILLED
- Status: Tuesday, 1/30, the K-12 subcommittee voted to lay the bill on the table (6-Y 2-N)
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
SB 552: Open Enrollment
This bill would allow open enrollment for public schools in Virginia. The proposed legislation would allow a student the option to attend a different public school in the county they live in, other than the one assigned to them based on their address. – KILLED
- Status: Thursday, 2/1, this bill died in the Senate Public Education Subcommittee.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
ELECTIONS
SB 364: Protection of Election Officials
This bill proposes to create higher criminal penalties for intimidation, harassment, and other offenses against election officials and election office staff, continuing a debunked narrative that election officials frequently experience harassment and threats. Recently, some election officials have stated that they feel harassed or intimidated by polite citizens who simply asked questions or were exercising their right to participate in an election as a poll observer. To protect citizens from inaccurate or subjective allegations, we oppose this bill. – VOTE DELAYED
- Status: Monday, 1/29, this bill was scheduled for a vote in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. The committee voted to pass by the bill for the day, delaying the vote until the next time this committee meets.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
- Radio interview discussing this bill
HB 1171: Absentee Voting
This bill would require more timely processing of returned mail absentee ballots than the law currently requires. This protects voters, ensuring they have enough time to correct any written errors on their ballot before it is time for ballots to be counted.
- Status: Thursday, 2/1, HB 1171 was on the House uncontested third reading calendar and was passed on the House Floor in a bloc. Next, it will be sent to the Senate to await an assignment to a Senate committee.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
SB 315: Voter Registration
Although the intent of this bill is to provide the Department of Elections with current information for registered voters who visit the DMV by updating their information automatically, passing this bill would create errors in the registered voter information. Visitors to the DMV often register vehicles that are not housed at their primary residence, but at a secondary residence. There is already a known problem where voters accidentally become registered at the location where they house a vehicle (instead of their primary residence) after getting the vehicle registered at the DMV. This bill would exacerbate that problem.
- Status: Tuesday, 1/30. SB 315 was referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
SB 428 & SB 270: Ranked Choice Voting
The first bill, SB 428, expands the option for elections to be conducted by ranked choice voting to any race for local or constitutional office. Currently, ranked choice voting is only an option for City Council and Board of Supervisors races. The second bill, SB 270, would allow ranked choice voting for presidential primary elections. Ranked choice voting creates unnecessary barriers for voters by making voting confusing and prone to errors, making vote counting extremely complicated and ensuring audits for these elections are difficult (if not impossible) to conduct.
- Status: Tuesday, 1/30, both bills were passed in the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee and were sent to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
- To see SB 428 text and info: Click HERE
- To see SB 270 text and info: Click HERE
HB 1532: Voter Registration
Virginia is one of the most expensive states in the nation to acquire the voter roll. This bill would reduce the cost to purchase the voter roll file from the Virginia Department of Elections. – KILLED
- Status: Wednesday, 1/31, this bill was recommended to lay on the table in the Privileges and Elections subcommittee (5-Y 3-N).
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
SB 606: Voter Registration and Data Sharing
This bill would require Virginia to re-join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Although ERIC claims to be a service to help states keep accurate voter rolls, Virginia left ERIC last year after serious concerns over data privacy breaches and partisanship influence within the organization.
- Status: Tuesday, 1/30, this bill was referred to the Finance and Appropriations committee
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
HB 502: Nonbinary Registration
This bill would allow individuals to register to vote with their gender listed as nonbinary instead of male or female, along with various other law changes that allow a person to change their legally recognized gender to nonbinary.
- Status: Thursday, 2/1, this bill was passed in the House Professions, Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee. Next, it will be sent to the full House General Laws Committee for a vote.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
HB 796: Electronic Ballot Return
This bill allows ballots to be returned electronically, in cases where the voter is overseas, military, or has a physical impairment. Electronic ballot return raises security concerns. Additionally, once started it could open the floodgate for expanding electronic ballot voting for all voters. – KILLED
- Status: Friday, 2/2, this bill died in the House Privileges and Elections Committee.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
HEALTHCARE
HB 628: Certificate of Public Need
This bill removes certain hospitals from the Certificate of Public Need requirement. – KILLED
- Status: Thursday, 2/1, this bill died in the House Health Subcommittee through the motion to continue the bill to 2025.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
HB 1188: Certificate of Public Need
This bill would create a three-phase process to eliminate the Certificate of Public Need requirements for many categories of medical care facilities and projects. – KILLED
- Status: Thursday, 2/1, this bill died in the House Health Subcommittee through the motion to lay the bill on the table.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
LICENSING
SB 22: Dentists and Dental Hygienists
This bill would enter Virginia into an interstate licensing compact for dentists and dental hygienists. Any dentist or dental hygienist licensed in any state participating in the compact would be able to practice in any compact state, increasing access to dental services.
- Status: Friday, 2/2, this bill was read for the second time on the Senate floor. It is expected to be on the third reading calendar on Monday, 2/5, and receive a floor vote.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
SB 239: Social Work
This bill would enter Virginia into an interstate licensing compact for fully licensed social workers. Social workers licensed in any state participating in the compact would be able to practice in any compact state, filling a need for more social workers.
- Status: Friday, 2/2, this bill was read for the second time on the Senate floor. It is expected to be on the third reading calendar on Monday, 2/5, and receive a floor vote.
- To see bill text and info: Click HERE
All Bills Virginia Institute is Following
| ISSUE | DESCRIPTION | BILL LINK | Good Policy or Bad Policy |
| EDUCATION | Education Savings Account (ESA) | SB 533 | Good Policy |
| EDUCATION | Education Savings Account | HB1164 | Good Policy |
| EDUCATION | Education Tax Credit | HB1180 | Good Policy |
| EDUCATION | Open Enrollment for Public Schools | HB 659 | Good Policy |
| EDUCATION | Local Authority for ESA | SB 380 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Donor Disclosure | HB 276 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | 14 days of Early Voting | HB 932 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | 14 days of Early Voting | HB 1200 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Ranked Choice Voting expansion | HB 658 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Election Reform | HB 393 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Pulic Higher Ed Campus Precincts | HB 941 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Deadline for Reviewing AB returns | HB 1171 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | FOIA Bill | SB 324 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Non Binary Voter Registration | HB 502 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Re-enter ERIC | HB 1177 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Re-enter ERIC | SB 606 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | National Popular Vote | HB 375 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Ranked Choice Voting Expansion | SB 270 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Ranked Choice Voting Expansion | SB 428 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Electronic Ballot Return | HB 796 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Ranked Choice Voting Expansion | HB 841 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Extend License/Driver Privilege Cards | SB 246 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Insurrection, Rebellion, Riot | SB280 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Insurrection, Rebellion, Riot | HB363 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Counting AB Before Close of Polls | HB694 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | EO Intimidation & Harassment Penalties | SB 364 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Removal of Same Day Registration | SB 92 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | SSN Administration Verification for Voters | SB32 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | 21 Days of Early Voting | SB42 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Photo ID Required for Voting | SB45 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Photo ID Required for Voting | SB81 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Voter Roll Cost Reduction | HB 1532 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | 30 days of early voting | HB44 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Omnibus | HB 1176 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | ID Type Noted for Provisional Ballot | HB 1170 | Good Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Automatic DMV update for Voter Info | HB 565 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Automatic DMV update for Voter Info | SB 315 | Bad Policy |
| ELECTIONS | Printed Receipt for Voter | SB 303 | Good Policy |
| ENERGY | California Car Repeal | HB3 | Good Policy |
| HEALTHCARE | COPN – Psychiatric Beds | HB 628 | Good Policy |
| HEALTHCARE | COPN Repeal | HB 1188 | Good Policy |
| LICENSING | Social Work Compact | SB 239 | Good Policy |
| LICENSING | Dentist & Dental Hygienist Compact | SB 22 | Good Policy |
| LICENSING | Teacher Compact | SB 407 | Good Policy |
| REG REFORM | Reg Budget Bill | HB 722 | Good Policy |
| LABOR | Portable Benefits Related | HB 734 | Good Policy |
| TAXES | Reinstate the Death Tax | HB 1414 | Bad Policy |
| TAXES | Flatten the Tax Rate | HB 89 | Good Policy |
