On Monday, March 1, the 2021 Special Session of the General Assembly (GA) formally adjourned “sine die,” a Latin term meaning it has adjourned “without a day” to reconvene.
The bills that concern people with brain injury are now nearly complete. Please know that, after a bill is approved by both houses of the legislature, it goes to the Governor for review. The Governor can sign the bill, can veto the bill or can amend the bill. If the bill is sent to the Governor with seven days or more left in the session, he must act on it within seven days.
As part of dLCV’s mission is to advocate for individuals with disabilities to receive services in the least restrictive environment, we’ve been closely monitoring legislation throughout the 2021 sessions that seek to modify Children’s Services Act (CSA) funding.
Of the many bills we are watching relating to mental illness that the General Assembly is working on, most are near completion and but at least one issue is headed to conference.
The General Assembly is now in its final week. The legislature is scheduled to end its session a week from today, March 1, 2021. Committees must conclude their work early this week in order for any remaining bills to make their way through the rest of the process. Significant bills expanding voting protections for people with disabilities are nearing final days of work.
As we near the end of this session, what has happened in the world of special education so far? It’s been an incredible year looking at the impacts of Covid-19 in our schools, the funding mechanisms of the Children’s Services Act, regulatory definitions of traumatic-brain injury, and so much more!
The 2021 session of the General Assembly continues as lawmakers vote on hundreds of bills and consider amendments to the Virginia state budget, which was presented to the public by Governor Ralph Northam in December.
