The Assembly witnessed many legislative successes this session. SOL reform was a top priority this year. Teachers, parents, administrators, and all other stakeholders in SOL testing agreed that significant changes were needed. HB 930, which I co-patroned, will reduce testing on younger students and create an innovation committee. SOL testing for 3-8 graders will be reduced mostly to reading and mathematics. An innovation committee will be to ensure our testing system aids us in evaluating student knowledge and the educational system's successes or failures in imparting student knowledge. SOL reform was long overdue, and we accomplished it in a bi-partisan manner.

Legislation that I sponsored and co-sponsored this year did very well with my major bills now only awaiting the Governor's signature to become law.

Among them is House Bill 885, which as originally introduced, would have made it the policy of the Commonwealth to allow the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund to extend the time for filing a claim, to innocent victims of crime, when the prosecutor submits written notice that the crime is being investigated as a result of newly discovered evidence. Think cold cases solved years later by DNA hits.

As amended, HB 885 will provide additional compensation for mental health services for survivors, reasonable moving expenses for domestic violence victims and also advance efforts to streamline sexual and domestic violence victim service grants. The amended version directs the Virginia State Crime Commission to convene a stakeholder work group to support an efficient and comprehensive streamlining of current federal and state sexual and domestic violence victim service agency funding to remove the red-tape that local agencies experience. The stakeholders group will include representatives from the sexual and domestic violence coalition; representatives from the Department of Criminal Justice Services, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Health and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund; and representatives from other relevant state or local entities and must complete its work by September 30, 2014!

  Otherwise, I am also pleased to report that my bill, HB 887, a measure to consider implementation of a Governor's school for Career and Technical Education (CTE) passed with bi-partisan support. CTE training provides good paying jobs and strengthens our workforce vocational training opportunities. We know that a highly talented and educated workforce is the lynchpin for maintaining, evaluating and enhancing Virginia's economic competitiveness. As an educated workforce is the key to a competitive workforce, one of my goals is to foster an environment where students can get the best education possible that fits their individual life goals. While some students will attend Virginia's world class public universities, there are other students who would benefit from a workforce development program that provides technical training for jobs in high paying manufacturing fields.

Additionally, HB 1045 passed unanimously. HB 1045 was introduced at the request of a New Kent constituent. The bill provides that if the Board for Contractors finds any licensed contractor to be in violation of a statute or regulation involving fraudulent or improper or dishonest conduct arising from a time of a declared state of emergency the Board shall impose a monetary penalty of up to $10,000 for each such violation. This bill further protects consumers during times of duress and natural disaster. I am glad a constituent brought this to my attention based on her tragic personal experiences.

Op-Ed: "Our duty, our children"