January 27, 2025 Newsletter
Dear friends,
On Friday, we concluded our second full week of session and have several updates to share. In this newsletter, I share updates on my legislation, as well as some highlights from the General Assembly this past week. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and for staying informed.
Legislation Update
Several of my bills received hearings in Senate Committees this past week, and I share updates about their progress here. Some of my legislation is currently waiting to be heard in Committees, and those updates will be provided next week:
SB977 - This bill focuses on restoring school funding for our Standards of Quality (SOQ) and also proposes a more fair and equitable funding formula (as recommended by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission) for our public education. This past week, this bill passed the Education and Health Committee with strong bipartisan support and now moves to the Finance and Appropriations Committee next.
SB 978 - This bill addresses the need to improve student learning outcomes in mathematics by establishing the Office of Mathematics Improvement to help incentivize, encourage, and expand opportunities for improving mathematics instruction for educators and mathematics learning outcomes for students. This legislation passed the Education and Health Committee on a bipartisan vote and is now headed to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
SB979 - This legislation calls for a one year delayed enactment of the revised public school accountability system. It also calls for a comprehensive review of the accountability model recently established by the Virginia Department of Education to ensure that the new system is transparent and better measures both student growth as well as proficiency so that parents and educators can more effectively support student learning outcomes. This bill passed the Education and Health Committee on party lines and is now headed to Senate Finance and Appropriations.
SB980 - This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is based on the research focused on healthcare access for vulnerable populations. The legislation proposes to convene a workgroup to analyze reimbursement, qualification requirements, and expansion of services under Medicaid managed care organizations for community healthcare workers. The Rules Committee reported this bill with unanimous support, and it will be next heard in the Finance and Appropriations Committee.
SB981 - Similar to SB980, this bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care, and it directs the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to submit an annual report on certified community health workers employed through VDH and local health departments. This bill reported unanimously from the Education and Health Committee and has now been referred to Finance and Appropriations.
SB1062 - This bill establishes the position of State Government Internship Coordinator within the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) to increase the opportunities for paid internship programs within state agencies. The bill reported unanimously from the General Laws and Technology Committee and will soon be heard in Senate Finance and Appropriations.
SB1063 - This legislation cleans up some of the concerns raised by the passage last year of the College and Career Ready Program. The program will go into effect if the budget keeps intact the funding necessary for deployment of dual enrollment opportunities for Virginia’s high school students.
SB1064 - This bill expedites the process for the Certificate of Public Need for the addition of psychiatric beds in facilities and clinics to meet the increasing need for mental health services. This bill reported from the Education and Health Committee on a unanimous vote and will be presented on the Senate Floor this week.
SB1065 - This legislation establishes the Virginia Access Fund within the Commonwealth Savers Plan (formerly known as VA529), to support education accessibility, affordability, and attainability. The bill is to be considered further by Senate Finance and Appropriations.
SB1081 - This bill dissolves the TPA-Formulary and the TPA-Formulary Committee which has now become obsolete as a result of the management of the profession through the Board of Optometry. It will be heard on the Senate Floor this week.
SB1098 - This bill protects medical professionals who are providing reproductive healthcare and gender affirming care that is legal within Virginia, safeguarding them from subpoena or extradition efforts of other states’ authorities. This bill reported from Education and Health on a party line vote and will be debated on the Senate Floor when it comes up for a full vote this week.
SB1099 - This legislation establishes a Solar Workforce Development Incentive Grant Program Fund by our Virginia Community College System and supports the development of a power purchase agreement (PPA) as well as internship and apprenticeship opportunities for students in the solar and battery storage industries. This bill reported from the Education and Health Committee with unanimous support and will soon be heard in Finance and Appropriations.
SB1101 - This bill establishes the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Fund, which will support clinical research for FDA-approved uses of psilocybin for post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and traumatic brain injury. These conditions disproportionally affect veterans. The bill reported from the Education Health Committee and will next be heard in Senate Finance and Appropriations.
SB1103 -This legislation requires the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt regulations that would establish standards designed to protect employees during extreme heat conditions from heat illness and also to identify those high-hazard industries to which such standards should apply. This bill reported from the Committee on Commerce and Labor and has been sent to Senate Finance and Appropriations.
SB1104 - This bill establishes key guidelines and protections for student-athletes engaged in outdoor training and sports under conditions of extreme heat. It will be heard on the Senate Floor this week.
SB1105 - This bill is The Right to Contraception Act, which protects the rights of Virginians to access FDA-approved contraception and provides legal protections from the interference of state actors. The bill successfully passed both Chambers last year; regrettably, the Governor vetoed the legislation. As it is heard on the Senate Floor this week, I hope that the Governor listens to the voices of his constituents who have overwhelmingly supported the need to protect this essential right.
SB1106 - This legislation supports the Virginia National Guard Tuition Assistance Program in order to strengthen the recruitment and retention of Guard members. With strong bipartisan support, this bill reported from the Education and Health Committee and will be heard in Senate Finance and Appropriations.
Upcoming Policy Roundtables
The weekdays are fully scheduled with the legislative work of Session. However, during the weekends, I continue to focus on the priorities that impact Virginians throughout the Commonwealth by hosting a series of Policy Roundtables that highlight key policy areas that include reproductive healthcare, education, workforce development, and the environment. Registration is available, and we look forward to robust discussions with our exceptional panelists.
This Week’s Engagements with Visitors to the General Assembly Building
The General Assembly Building is humming during Session with visitors, advocacy organizations, partners, students, and many members of the public engaged with the work of the legislature. Here are a few highlights from this week’s engagements:
On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of speaking with members of the Chesterfield County Democratic Committee (CCDC) who were visiting the General Assembly for their annual lobby day. Delegate Mike Jones, Delegate Debra Gardner, and I answered questions related to the impacts of the national election on state policy, our priorities this session, and how we can continue to collaborate through the remainder of the legislative session.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia volunteers from across the Commonwealth came to Capitol Square to witness the historic passage of the Constitutional Amendment for Reproductive Freedom on the Floor of the Senate, the first step in the lengthy process to amend Virginia’s state constitution.
Wednesday brought numerous visitors from throughout Virginia representing our rich and diverse Muslim American communities. The large collective of various organizations included local elected officials, business owners and entrepreneurs, students and civic leaders, medical professionals, attorneys, educators, and more.
On Wednesday afternoon I met with members of the Chesterfield Professional Firefighters Association Local 2803, who were advocating for increased cancer screenings for firefighters as well as workers’ compensation benefits as a part of the Fire Chief and Firefighter Advocacy Day at the General Assembly.
Also on Wednesday, I had the pleasure of connecting with members of the Alexandria City Council, including Councilmembers Canek Aguirre, Jacinta Greene, John Taylor Chapman, and Kirk McPike. Strengthening partnerships between our local and state government is crucial to addressing some of the greatest challenges facing the Commonwealth.
On Thursday morning, my Chief of Staff had the opportunity to meet with providers from the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. They visited the General Assembly to advocate for health coverage for all children, regardless of immigration status, universal free school lunches, and other essential priorities.
Later on Thursday, members of the Virginia PTA from Senate District 15 and students from Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School visited my office to advocate for an array of education funding priorities, including my legislation to implement recommendations from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s (JLARC) report on the K-12 Funding Formula (SB 977).
On Friday, members of the Virginia Dental Hygienists Association met with my staff as a part of their advocacy day. Through the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA), for which I serve as Vice Chair, we have been working to advance loan repayment programs for providers in our healthcare fields of greatest need.
After a long week of session, it was wonderful to join members of OCA-CVC for their Lunar New Year celebration. Community members from across the Central Virginia region enjoyed the rich, diverse cultural traditions of our Chinese-American communities. We also recognized the Youth Leadership awardees, who have made positive contributions to their communities.
On Saturday afternoon, I hosted the first in a series of policy roundtables highlighting key priorities for my campaign for Lieutenant Governor. This first roundtable brought together stakeholders from academia, grassroots organizing, and policymaking to discuss effective and vital environmental policies for the Commonwealth. The devastating impacts of climate change and the threats to our environment require that we have strong state leaders to take bold action in addressing the crisis.
I have been honored to receive the endorsement of women leaders and Emily’s List for my campaign for Lieutenant Governor. On Sunday afternoon, I was delighted to join the members of Virginia’s List as we gathered to highlight the issues and concerns that impact women across Virginia and the country. The energy in the room was palpable as we put a spotlight on Virginia’s path forward in 2025.
The weekend concluded with a community celebration of India’s Republic Day with the Indian Association of Virginia (IAVA). As the first Indian-American elected to the Virginia Senate, I am proud to be a part of a community that is wonderfully complex and diverse in its cultures, languages, traditions, and history.
Connecting With My Office
My office can be reached at the following:
Email: SenatorHashmi@senate.virginia.gov
Phone: 804.698.7515
If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here.
— Ghazala
