CSG has been hard at work supporting transit, bike/ped safety, and housing bills since the kickoff of Virginia’s General Assembly earlier this month. This week and next will be critical!
In this post, we are sharing news on upcoming lobby days, the bills we’re watching, and how you can track bills and contact your legislators.
Upcoming Lobby Days
Lobby days are a great opportunity to meet fellow advocates, get updates on bills, and join others in meetings with legislators. Here are a few we will be attending:
- Mon. Feb. 2nd – Commonwealth Housing Coalition Lobby Day
- Mon. Feb. 2nd – Transit + Rail Advocacy Day
- Mon. Feb. 9th – Data Center Reform Lobby Day
Bills to watch
Transit & Pedestrian/Bike Safety
Transit funding (HB 900, HB 1179, HB 978, SB 638, SB 730) – our goal is to gain $500 million more per year in state and regional funding for Metro, local bus, Virginia Railway Express, and state Amtrak service. These bills use different approaches, so our focus will be on simply making the case for transit.
Pedestrian/traffic safety – HB 994 allows for speed cameras in “safety red zones” and funds traffic safety programs, while SB 84 allows monitoring systems in certain areas for pedestrian crossing and stop sign violations. Both include privacy safeguards.
Bicyclist safety – The Omnibus Bicyclist Safety bill (HB 661) allows people biking to yield at stop signs under limited conditions, to proceed on the walk signal when traveling straight or turning right (while yielding to pedestrians), and clarifies when they may ride two abreast. HB 812 clarifies the requirement to obey bicycle traffic signals at intersections.
Housing
Affordable dwelling unit ordinances (SB 74/HB 867) – authorizes all localities to create affordable dwelling unit programs that provide optional increases in density to support inclusion of moderately-priced housing.
Right of First Refusal (HB4) – preserves affordable housing by enabling localities to establish a Right of First Refusal in order to purchase subsidized multifamily rentals whose committed affordable status is at risk of expiring. Passed out of committee and is before the full House.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) (HB 611/SB 531) – legalizes ADUs, also known as granny flats or backyard cottages, in areas zoned for single-family residential use statewide.
Parking Reform (HB 888) – establishes maximum parking minimums statewide, under certain conditions. Designated areas include those with proximity to transit, affordable housing, and revitalization zones.
Expediting Affordable Housing (HB 594) – allows localities to create an administrative process to approve rezoning applications for affordable housing developments in suitable locations.
Split Land Value Tax (HB 282) – allows Charlottesville, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, and Newport News to set different tax rates for land and for improvements (including housing), incentivizing infill development. It passed the House and is in the Senate.
Virginia Housing Trust Fund – budget amendment to increase the Virginia Housing Trust Fund to $400M over two years to expand the supply of affordable homes and support housing stability for low-income households.
Also under consideration are bills for by-right housing on land owned by faith institutions (HB 1279/SB 367/SB 388), multifamily housing in commercial zones (HB 816/SB 454), and housing targets that offer a menu of zoning and policy changes (HB 804/SB 488).
How can you get involved?
This is a great time to contact your state Senator and Delegate to voice your support for bills that will expand housing and transit options throughout Virginia. You can use the Who’s My Legislator tool to identify your representatives and their contact information.
If you would like to testify on behalf of a bill during its committee hearing, virtually or in-person, you can monitor the Virginia LIS schedule of events to identify which committees will be hearing your bills and when. Here are a few more resources to help you stay in the loop:
- Legislative Information System (LIS) – the page where you can find just about everything you need during the General Assembly, including bills, meeting schedules, committee info, and more
- General Assembly site – find legislator contact information, committee assignments and more
- Live and recorded video from the Senate and the House of Delegates – includes committee meetings and floor sessions
- Understanding the process guide – your step by step guide on how a bill goes from idea to law in Virginia.
In addition, our partners at Virginia Housing Alliance have created a bill tracker for housing measures that we encourage you to utilize.
We hope you find this information helpful and that you will take the time to email or call your legislators on the issues that matter most to you. Their aides keep careful track of every email and phone call to brief their Delegates and Senators – your voice matters!