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...
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February 3, 2016 – Legislative Update
2016 Virginia General Assembly February 3, 2016 Legislation relating to mental health services will be considered by both the House and the Senate this week and next. On Friday afternoon, we expect the House Courts of Justice Mental Health Subcommittee to meet, although that meeting is not yet listed on the official calendar. We expect...