Central VA- Virginia House of Delegates Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville) joined Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) and House Majority Caucus Chairman Samuel A. "Sam" Nixon, Jr. (R-Chesterfield) today highlighted the many legislative successes so far by members of the Republican Majority Caucus through the halfway point of the 2010 Session of the Virginia General Assembly. The announcement comes at the 2010 session's midway mark, commonly referred to as "crossover." By that date, which this year fell on February 16, each house must have acted on the bills filed by its respective members.
"As Virginians struggle in today's economy, state government must address their needs without burdening them with additional job-killing taxes and burdensome requirements," said Delegate Peace. "Since the House of Delegate's defeated Governor Kaine's $1 billion per year statewide income tax plan by a unanimous and bipartisan vote of 97-0 at the beginning of this Session, House Republicans have aggressively pursued fiscally responsible legislation to create jobs and opportunities for Virginians, reform government to deliver services more efficiently and transparently and address other challenges. I'm delighted that our strong Majority Caucus has produced real results with the support of Democrats and Independents which has enabled us to achieve House passage of scores of positive reforms."
"Offering practical solutions to Virginia's challenges is a hallmark of House Republican leadership in the General Assembly," said Chairman Nixon. "With our citizens and Commonwealth confronting the most difficult economic environment in decades, it is essential to build and expand upon our many accomplishments. The overwhelming bipartisan support for many items on our agenda underscores the ability of Republicans to govern effectively and respond appropriately to the concerns of Virginians."
Below is a partial list of measures advanced by the House Republican Majority - grouped by topic - that the House of Delegates approved by the February 16 midpoint deadline of the 2010 Session.
Jobs & Opportunity
HB16 (Cole - Spotsylvania) Passed House 98-0
Places a constitutional amendment before the voters to allow localities to offer senior citizens and disabled property owners relief from property tax
HB18 (Cole - Spotsylvania) Passed House 74-23
Asserts Virginia's authority under the 10th amendment to be free from federal regulation of goods manufactured in, sold in, and consumed in Virginia
HB21 (Kilgore - Scott) Passed House 99-0
Repeals the 2013 expiration date on space flight liability and insurance to foster the further development of a job creating industry
HB57 (Cole - Spotsylvania) Passed House 88-8
Limits the expansion of business, professional and occupational (BPOL) taxes
HB147 (O'Bannon - Henrico) Passed House 98-0
Places a constitutional amendment before the voters to increase the size of the Commonwealth's "Rainy Day Fund" to allow the state to save more money during good times for budget shortfalls
HB193 (Cosgrove - Chesapeake) Passed House 98-0
Makes permanent the Aerospace Advisory Council which promotes Virginia as a center for aerospace industry job growth
HB199 (Cox, M.K. - Colonial Heights, Peace- Co-Patron) Passed House 99-0
Expands the type of incentives that may be offered to Major Employment and Investment economic development projects to attract more job-creating employers to Virginia
HB295 (Cosgrove - Chesapeake) Passed House 98-0
Expands the Oceana/Fentress Military Advisory Council to protect jobs related to Hampton Roads military installations
HB302 (O'Bannon - Henrico) Passed House 97-0-1
Attracts data centers to Virginia by exempting purchase of data center hardware and software from sales and use tax
HB380 (Edmunds - Halifax) Passed House 98-0
Establishes criteria for economic development loans as job creation, private capital investment, and state revenue created by jobs and investment
HB384 (Cox, J.A. - Hanover, Peace- Co-Patron) Passed House 97-0
Streamlines tax procedures for Virginians paying income tax in more than one state
HB389 (Janis - Henrico) Passed House 99-0
Promotes development of off-shore wind-powered electric energy generation
HB523 (Nixon - Chesterfield, Peace- Co-Patron) Passed House 97-2
Expands investment in science and technology by exempting investment in business startups for capital gains taxes
HB529 (Nixon - Chesterfield) Passed House 93-4
Streamlines business transactions by updating Virginia's notary public process for electronic transactions
HB535 (Nixon - Chesterfield) Passed House 97-1
Postpones increase in threshold wages to qualify for unemployment benefits
HB555 (Marshall, D.W. - Danville) Passed House 99-0
Prioritizes job creation in state grant awards and expands jobs eligible for such grants
HB629 (Kilgore - Scott) Passed House 54-43
Protects jobs and promotes fairness by limiting asbestos-related liability for successor companies
HB677 (May - Loudoun) Passed House 97-0
Leverages $22 million state investment in biotech research at the Ignite Institute into $200 million in research and development funding and 415 new jobs.
HB737 (Albo - Fairfax) Passed House 82-13
Requires state agencies, localities and contractors to use E-Verify to insure that newly-hired employees are legally eligible for employment
HB755 (Janis - Henrico) Pass House 98-0
Protects Virginians wills from the uncertainty created by the renewal of the federal estate tax
HB787 (Villanueva - Virginia Beach, Peace-Co-Patron) Passed House 69-28
Expands state policy to promote oil and natural gas exploration, development and production, not just exploration for natural gas
HB806 (Poindexter - Franklin) Passed House 99-0
Promotes the use of alternative fuels through infrastructure development, such as refueling stations
HB928 (Bell, Robert B. - Albemarle) Passed House 99-0
Promotes clean energy research and development by Virginia universities
HB960 (Ingram - Hopewell) Passed House 99-0
Expands housing opportunities by providing new financing options for localities
HB1013 (Athey - Warren) Passed House 96-0
Provides loans for road and water infrastructure in urban development areas
HB1041 (Byron - Campbell) Passed House 97-1
Streamlines the Virginia Workforce Council to enhance the delivery of workforce training programs
HB1122 (Byron - Campbell) Passed House 99-0
Reforms corporate income tax for manufacturers
HB1220 (Hugo - Fairfax) Passed House 99-0
Sycnchonizes implementation of federal and state stormwater management regulations to help businesses
HB1241 (Oder - Newport News) Passed House 97-0
Allows expansion of metropolitan planning organizations to include members of the General Assembly
HB1244 (Marshall, D.W. - Danville) Passed House 99-0
Allows the Governor to waive the a cap on grants from the Governor's Development Opportunity Fund
HB1298 (Crockett-Stark - Wythe) Passed House 99-0
Attracts data centers to Virginia by expanding the exemption from sales and use tax to smaller data center projects
HB1300 (Kilgore - Scott) Passed House 59-39
Allows electric generating facilities to better and more easily comply with emissions restrictions
HB1372 (Comstock - Fairfax) Passed House 99-0
Enhances the ability of the Economic Development Partnership to bring more employers to Virginia
Government Reform
HB17 (Cole - Spotsylvania) Passed House 98-0
Reduces the statute of limitations on taxes from 20 years to 10 years
HB114 (Marshall, R.G. - Prince William) Passed House 99-0
Prohibits political campaigns from accepting contributions through anonymous credit cards that can make identifying the source of the funds difficult
HB122 (Purkey - Virginia Beach) Passed House 99-0
Extends the "Revolving Door" Lobbying ban on state lawmakers from one year to two years.
HB284 (Merricks - Pittsylvania) Passed House 98-0
Expands the range of insured investments for public funds to increase returns
HB485 (Lingamfelter - Prince William) Passed House 99-0
Directs an operational/programmatic performance review of government agencies to identify cost savings
HB524 (Nixon - Chesterfield) Passed House 98-0
Reforms the lobbyist disclosure rules to streamline disclosure and compliance
HB543 (Marshall, D.W. - Danville) Passed House 96-0
Puts prisoners to work maintaining highways and medians to save funds
HB570 (Iaquinto - Virginia Beach) Passed House 86-13
Changes the burden of proof from the taxpayer to the assessor in an assessment appeal case
HB740 (Janis - Henrico) Passed House 99-0
Increases transparency by requiring disclosure of salaries from state and local government entities paid to members of the General Assembly
HB778 (LeMunyon - Fairfax) Passed House 86-13
Promotes accountability by making General Assembly voting records more easily accessible
HB944 (Landes - Augusta) Passed House 96-0
Expands reporting on revenue collection and economic assessments to improve state budget development and execution
HB1034 (Byron - Campbell) Passed House 99-0
Reforms information technology governance for state government and agencies
HB1309 (Scott, E.T. - Madison) Passed House 96-0
Improves state contracting for transportation services
HB1349 (Byron - Campbell) Passed House 86-10-2
Allows Virginians to file income tax returns without cost through Virginia Free File
HB1387 (Jones - Suffolk) Passed House 99-0
Updates public disclosure of campaign finance information
HJ60 (Cox, M.K. - Colonial Heights) Passed House 95-0
Directs JLARC to study efficacy of allowing school boards to procure services together
Education
HB41 (Putney - Bedford) Passed House 96-0
Authorizes issuance of bonds to finance revenue-producing capital projects at Virginia colleges and universities, which will help create more jobs
HB76 (Bell, Richard P. - Staunton) Passed House 63-35
Requires local school boards to report the percentage of their budget spent on instructional spending, and, if the percentage is less than 65 percent, to develop a plan to increase instructional spending
HB111 (Lohr - Rockingham) Passed House 97-0
Delays implementation of certain accreditation requirements to allow school systems to effectively allocate limited financial resources
HB196 (Ware, R.L. - Powhatan) Passed House 96-1
Postpones implementation of any additional graduation requirements, including economics education and financial literacy requirement, until July 1, 2011
HB331 (Marshall, R.G. - Prince William) Passed House 95-4
Promotes charter school availability by expanding State Board of Education involvement in local school board charter approval process
HB566 (Tata - Virginia Beach) Passed House 99-0
Promotes workforce development by expanding school board reporting on workforce readiness
HB599 (Massie - Henrico)
Expands educational opportunity by providing future tax credits for investment in public and private education scholarships
HB623 (Orrock - Caroline) Passed House 97-1-1
Improves classroom instruction by allowing for continuity of substitute teachers when a classroom teacher is out on an extended basis
Health Care
HB116 (Purkey - Virginia Beach) Passed House 98-0
Allows health insurers to include more than one mail-order pharmacy provider to expand price competition for prescription druges
HB334 (Marshall, R.G. - Prince William) Passed House 95-2
Requires that informed consent for abortion include information on effects of abortion on future pregnancies
HB393 (Lohr - Rockingham) Passed House 72-25
Applies same licensing procedure to abortion clinics as to other facilities regulated by Board of Health
HB548 (Marshall, D.W. - Danville) Passed House 97-0
Provides for discounts on group health insurance premiums for employer's with a wellness program
HB556 (Marshall, D.W. - Danville) Passed House 97-0
Expands availability of basic health insurance by including HMOs along with insurers and corporations among offerors of such insurance
HB708 (Peace - Hanover) Passed House 98-0
Protects Virginians using home health care by requiring providers to maintain a drug-free workplace
HB726 (Peace - Hanover) Passed House 99-0
Requires review of all health insurance mandates for medical efficacy
HB733 (Albo - Fairfax) Passed House 98-0
Protects Virginia's taxpayers by cracking down on medicaid fraud
HB1039 (Byron - Campbell) Passed House 97-0
Requires notification to Virginians if medical or insurance information is breached
HB1263 (Ware, R.L. - Powhatan, Peace C-Patron) Passed House 93-5
Promotes health care choice by prohibiting dental plans from setting prices for services not covered by such plans
HB1304 (Nutter - Montgomery) Passed House 96-0
Promotes more effective healthcare by developing a statewide healthcare work force
HB1375 (Garrett - Lynchburg) Passed House 99-0
Updates diagnostic criteria for drugs to treat cancer
Transportation
HB42 (Oder - Newport News) Passed House 99-0
Directs JLARC to annually audit operational and programmatic performance of all state Transportation agencies
HB214 (Greason - Loudoun) Passed House 78-17
Extends for one year access to HOV lanes for clean special fuel vehicles, regardless of the number of occupants
HB333 (Marshall, R.G. - Prince William) Passed House 88-10
Allows Commonwealth Transportation Board to name some transportation infrastructure for a living person, group or private entity that pays the cost of the highway, bridge, interchange or facility
HB402 (Oder - Newport News) Passed House 80-16-1
Expands opportunity for increasing the capacity of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel by allowing VDOT to accept unsolicited proposals from the private sector
HB665 (May - Loudoun) Passed House 63-35
Increases the amount of a general fund surplus to be deposited in the Transportation Trust Fund
HB756 (Stolle - Virginia Beach) Passed House 71-26
Requires at least 80 percent of royalties from off-shore drilling be deposited in Transportation Trust Fund
HB856 (Carrico - Grayson) Passed House 71-26
Increases the speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on certain highways in Virginia following a traffic engineering study and analysis of accident and law-enforcement data
HB970 (Rust - Fairfax) Passed House 81-18
Increases the amount of a general fund surplus to be deposited in the Transportation Trust Fund
HB1158 (Oder - Newport News) Passed House 93-6
Creates new regional allocation system for transportation funds to be spent in the region in which it is generated
HB1275 (Cosgrove - Chesapeake) Passed House 99-0
Replaces the Virginia-North Carolina High Speed Rail Compact with a new Virginia High-Speed Rail Commission to promote state's competitive stance for high-speed passenger rail service in Virginia
HJ126 (Nutter - Montgomery) Passed House 95-0
Requests Virginia Transportation Research Council to study privatizing highway rest areas
Law Enforcement & Public Safety
HB15 (Marshall, R.G. - Prince William) Passed House 87-7
Prohibits the federal government from coopting state or local correctional facilities for suspected or convicted terrorists
HB26 (Wright - Lunenburg) Passed House 99-0
Protects concealed weapons permit applicants from additional local information collection requirements
HB83 (Knight - Virginia Beach) Passed House 99-0
Improves ability of police to recover stolen property by expanding pawn shop reporting requirements
HB166 (Pogge - James City County) Passed House 75-23
Protects additional categories of law enforcement by allowing for capital punishment for individuals convicted of murdering such law enforcement personnel
HB281 (Albo - Fairfax) Passed House 91-7
Increases penalties for animal cruelty
HB290
(Griffith - Salem) Passed House 96-0
Expands fire-fighting capacity by promoting donation of excess fire-fighting equipment to volunteer fire departments
HB502 (Gilbert - Shenandoah) Passed House 74-24
Redefines the "triggerman rule" to allow imposition of criminal liability on accomplices to murderers
HB682 (Miller, J.H. - Manassas, Peace- Co-Patron) Passed House 99-0
Protects students from gangs by expanding Gang-free zones to bus stops and other public facilities frequented by students
HB854 (Morefield - Tazewell) Passed House 75-24
Codifies the common law "castle doctrine" allowing individuals to use deadly force against intruders and attackers with no duty to retreat
HB869 (Cline - Rockbridge) Passed House 98-0
Includes public health emergencies among exemptions to law against wearing masks in public
HB885 (Athey - Warren) Passed House 74-25
Allows persons lawfully possessing a gun to transport the gun secured in a motor vehicle or boat
HB934 (Bell, Robert B. - Albemarle) Passed House 78-20
Protects additional categories of law enforcement by allowing for capital punishment for individuals convicted of murdering such law enforcement personnel
HB1033 (Byron - Campbell) Passed House 99-0
Clarifies application of homicide and child abuse laws to human infants born alive, regardless of whether the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta detached
Veterans & Military
HB128 (Cox, M.K. - Colonial Heights) Passed House 99-0
Provides free fishing licenses to disabled, active duty military personnel during their treatment at a veterans or military hospital
HB149 (O'Bannon - Henrico) Passed House 99-0
Places constitutional amendment before voters in 2010 to exempt disabled veterans from property tax
HB174 (Cox, M.K. - Colonial Heights) Passed Houe 98-0
Expands coverage of Wounded Warrior Program to all injuries sustained by military service personnel, regardless of whether the injuries were sustained in combat areas
HB262 (Sherwood - Frederick) Passed House 99-0
Waives fees for veterans starting a new business through the one-stop business permitting program
HB419 (Cox, M.K. - Colonial Heights) Passed House 98-0
Enables Virginia to lead the nation in processing veterans disability claims by upgrading systems to support electronic claimsprocessing
HB479 (Carrico - Grayson) Passed House 99-0
Provides burial vaults at cost for veterans and their family members interred at state veterans cemeteries
HB760 (Stolle - Virginia Beach) Passed House 97-0
Promotes employment of veterans by establishing a skill matching database for employers and veterans looking for jobs
HB1118 (Stolle - Virginia Beach) Passed House 99-0
Exempts from taxation payments from the Virginia Military Family Relief Fund
HB1235 (Anderson - Prince William) Passed House 99-0
Protects the right to vote for military and overseas voters by reforming the absentee ballot law
Federalism
HB10 (Marshall, R.G. - Prince William, Peace Co-Patron) Passed House 72-26
Protects Virginians from Federal government requirements or mandates to carry health insurance
HB18 (Cole - Spotsylvania) Passed House 74-23
Protects Virginians by pre-empting Federal regulation of goods and services that do not enter interstate commerce
HB69 (Carrico - Grayson) Passed House 70-29
Protects firearms, accessories and ammunition manufactured and kept in Virginina from federal regulation
HJ125 (Athey - Warren, Peace Co-Patron) Passed House 76-20
Reasserts Virginia's authority under the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution
Other Improvements to Virginia's Quality of Life
HB1 (Loupassi - Richmond City) Passed House 99-0
Updates Virginia's anti-spam law in response to Supreme Court decision
HB447 (Ware, R.L. - Powhatan) Passed House 96-3
Reforms the Virginia Land Conservation Fund to cover the processing costs of tax credits and distribute additional funds to public and private coservation interests based on their participation
HB717 (Peace - Hanover) Passed House 99-0
Preserves Virginia's hisotric resources by establishing the Civil War Site Preservation Fund
HB741 (Cleaveland - Botetourt) Passed House 99-0
Expands ban on profane, threatening or indecent language from telephones and CB radio to e-mail and text messages
HB757 (Stolle - Virginia Beach) Passed House 96-0
Allows cities and counties to use prisoners to remove graffiti on private property
HB956 (Lingamfelter - Prince William) Passed House 99-0
Protects homeowners ability to display the flag of the United States
HB1334 (Morgan - Gloucester) Passed House 87-8
Promotes a clean, healthy environment by prohibiting disposal of cigarette butts on public property
HJ150 (Howell, W.J. - Stafford) Passed House 95-0
Recognizes the Patawomeck Indian Tribe, whose members include Wayne Newton, and its contributions to Virginia
Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.
NOTE: This list of over 100 bills and resolutions is not intended to be a complete record of all legislation sponsored and passed by the 61-member strong House Republican Majority in the 2010 Session. The short summaries above are provided for convenience and are not meant to be a complete description of the highlighted legislation. For more details about a bill or resolution, contact the delegate who patroned the measure or click on the number, which is linked to the General Assembly's Legislative Information Service (LIS). LIS provides the entire legislative history and actual text of all bills and resolutions, but be advised that the online summary at the top of each page may not reflect the current content of a bill as passed by the House.
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