The 2009 General Assembly is now in session
Week 4 Update—February 6, 2009
The 2009 General Assembly session began Wednesday, January 14. The session runs 46 days and is scheduled to end on February 28. “Cross-over day,” the last day for each house to act on its own bills, is February 10. House and Senate amendments to the current two-year budget will be released on February 8.
The House Education Committee is scheduled to meet on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in House Room C and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. in the Appropriations Room. The Senate Education and Health Committee will meet on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. in Senate Room B. Sub-committees will meet periodically throughout the session. Click here for a schedule of weekly meetings (Meetings).
Budget Issues
The House and Senate money committees are scheduled to release their respective versions of amendments to the biennial budget in meetings Sunday afternoon. Those budgets will be shaped without the benefit of revised state revenue data (from January collections) or a definitive handle on the amount of federal stimulus funds that might be headed to Virginia. Legislators, however, were advised late week by the Secretary of Finance that current trends "suggest a downward revision in the revenue forecast will likely be warranted." Governor Tim Kaine also told local government officials to expect a downward revision, but that he felt incoming stimulus funds available for use in addressing the state’s budget gap could offset that reduction.
There also was talk late week by members of both chambers and parties about delaying the budget work for a couple of weeks to allow for better revenue data to become available. Another suggestion was to propose amendments on Sunday to FY09 budget only, leaving work on the FY10 spending plan until later in the spring. However, at this writing, it appears that the budget meetings scheduled for Sunday will take place as planned.
Click here for additional information about Governor Kaine's proposed changes to the budget (State Budget).
Education Legislation
The House of Delegates has approved HB 2166 on a nearly unanimous vote. The bill delays for one year, the implementation of new requirements related to the accreditation of schools, passing rates and graduation. However, on the Senate side, the Education and Health Committee did not advance bills that would have codified some relief measures; SB 1465, which would have delayed the adoption of new textbooks by local school divisions, and SB 1466, which would have allowed some flexibility in the use of certain education funds, were left in the committee.
The House and Senate are taking different approaches on bills that would change the method of distributing a portion of state sales tax to localities for public education. Presently, sales tax dollars are distributed based on school-age population; HB 2063 and SB 1342 would change the distribution method to one based on average daily membership in a school division, while eliminating the triennial census of school population. The House version, which has been approved in committee, was amended to have a July 1, 2011 effective date, while no action was taken on the Senate version.
The House has approved HJ 723, which directs the Division of Legislative Services to collect data and information on the impact of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act on the Standards of Learning and high school graduation rates; and to monitor any proposed changes in the federal law. Meanwhile, on a tie vote, the Senate Education and Health Committee defeated SB 1040, which would have prohibited the Board of Education from complying with unfunded NCLB provisions that are not a necessary part of the state’s Standards of Quality or accountability system.
The House is expected to have a lively discussion next week about HB 2632, which directs the Department of Human Resource Management to develop a proposed statewide optional health insurance plan for all teachers, and an alternative plan covering all school board employees and retirees. The bill narrowly passed the General Laws Committee on an 11 to 10 vote.
HB 1746 and SB 827 add the benefits, challenges, responsibilities and valueof marriage to the list of topics to be covered in family life education in the public schools. HB 1746 has passed the House, while SB 827 was approved by the Senate Education and Health Committee.
The Senate is expected to give final approval next week to SB 1285, which requires local governing bodies and school divisions to publish the estimated required local match in the school budget.
Finally, the House Education Committee has defeated HB 2530, which would have required certain secondary school teachers seeking initial licensure to complete coursework about the current structure and historical development of local and state government in Virginia; and HB 2344, which would have required the Board of Education to establish benchmarks for student achievement in reading in grades six through 12, and local school boards to develop policies and action plans to implement the benchmarks.
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