2019 General Assembly Session Begins January 9th

Check out the VPLC 2019 Legislative Agenda!

Housing | Consumer | Utility Fairness

• Evictions Suite of Legislation:
• Reciprocity of Attorney’s fees
• Increase the time tenants have to “pay to stay”
• Limit to filing only one case at a time against a tenant who is behind on rent
• Prohibit evictions based solely on unpaid late fees
• Requiring landlords to offer written leases
• Funding for pilot eviction prevention program
• Eviction Diversion Pilot Program in three courts

• Eliminating Discrimination in Housing based on Source of Income
• Supporting a Refundable State Earned Income Tax Credit
• Supporting Consumer Finance Act Changes that help regulate Internet lending
• Supporting Regulation of Open-End Credit in the Same Manner as Other Similar Forms of Lending
• Supporting a Borrower’s Bill of Rights with respect to Student Loans Servicing in Virginia
• Giving Utility Customers more protection of their data with an opt-in provision over non-utility service use.

 Domestic and Sexual Violence | Elder Law | Family Law and Child Welfare

• Supporting a Longer Term Protective Order When there is a Conviction
• Supporting In-Camera Interviews with Children in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts
• Supporting Long-term Care Ombudsmen – Funding
• Supporting Guardian Reporting Requirements
• Supporting the Creation of Temporary Conservatorships
• Supporting the initial steps to implement the federal Family First Prevention Services Act
• Supporting streamlining the no-fault divorce process, to make it easier for self-represented litigants to file uncontested divorces.
• Supporting making changes in Virginia’s anti-SLAPP laws to protect statements made by victims of intimate partner violence to police, magistrates, and in court.
• Supporting increased protections for victims of interpersonal violence.
• Supporting reducing barriers for youth in foster care to obtain driver’s licenses.
• Supporting bringing additional supports to the kinship caregivers.
• Supporting a requirement to track data on children diverted from foster care.
• Supporting a freeze on credit for children who are in foster care for more than 90 days to prevent fraudulent activity.
• Supporting clarifying Virginia’s laws relating to mothers with substance abuse disorders and their infants, to encourage prenatal care and support the mother/child dyad.
• Increase accountability of Child Protective Services and Foster Care by clarifying and strengthening the authority of the Virginia Department of Social Services.
• Supporting increased DSS staff capacity at the regional level and better pay for frontline workers.
• Supporting creation of a children’s ombudsman as an independent investigative office.

Health Law | Public Benefits Law | Reducing Hunger

•  Ensure successful implementation of Medicaid Expansion and oppose work requirements and cost-sharing that would jeopardize coverage.
• Protect consumers from surprise medical bills and balance billing.
• Improve the stability of the health insurance marketplace and reduce premiums and out-of-pocket insurance costs.
• Protect immigrants’ access to health care and other public benefits programs.
• Improve access to SNAP benefits (food stamps) through “Categorical” eligibility.
• Eliminate the drug felony ban that limits access to TANF benefits and SNAP.
• Increase TANF cash assistance levels.
• Protect SNAP and TANF from harmful changes such as drug testing and mandatory E&T programs.

VPLC Access to Justice Legislative Issues

• Reinstating Suspended Drivers Licenses for Lack of Payment on non-driving related Issues (Repeal 46.2-395)
• Supporting efforts to clean up code language and standardize court practices pertaining to waivers of court fees for indigent litigants.