After much debate and two committee appearances SB 1438 failed to report out of committee. Surprisingly, two of our previously endorsed candidates voted against our bill. Senator Ebbin and Locke both voted that the bill should not be reported; I plan to follow up with both senators. The intent of this bill was to give members a choice of affiliation with organizations when tax payer money is spent to pay their dues. Senator Wexton has already agreed to bring the measure back in a bill next year. I want to thank Loudoun Chapter President Sean Dikeman for coming to Richmond and speaking to the committee on the bill. As Chapter President, he felt strongly enough about representing  his members that he was willing to face a level of job risk in doing so. We were quite sure that certain sheriffs' phones were ringing when he appeared at the committee.
 
HB 1744, our grievance process bill, was modified after Delegate Hugo was informed that, in its present form it would not make it out of committee. The language addressing our part of the bill was removed, so as to give the bill a chance of passage to benefit the teachers, who were added into the bill. The bill was finally killed by the House Committee on Education. We will revisit the topic at our State Board meeting this summer.

SJ 280 directed JLARC to conduct a study of the possible consolidation of state law enforcement. The bill passed the Senate and went on to the house where it was promptly killed by the Committee on Rules. This was not surprising since the Committee on Rules had disposed of a similar house bill, HJ501, earlier in the session.

HB 2223 changes the punishment for intentional violations of FOIA regulations from civil to criminal. This bill has caused some concern and most law enforcement organizations have stood up to oppose this bill. This bill is assigned to sub committee on General Laws and Technology and a hearing is pending.

Our members who have boating enforcement responsibilities have been following HB 1298 and SB 1439, which deal with stopping vessels. SB 1439 has been killed, and the less offensive, HB 1298 is now assigned to Senate Agriculture. This bill was reported out of Senate committee on a vote of 15 to 0.

HJ 597 will give a tax credit to the families of fallen public safety officers. This bill has made it out of Senate and House Committees and was heard in Senate Finance today where it was reported out without opposition.
 
HB 2204 is Delegate Jones Line of Duty bill.  This bill has now passed the House and Senate.  As your representative I will be invited to meetings over the next year to work with the public safety stakeholders group to assist Delegate Jones with further changes to the act, keeping in mind the preservation of benefits for our public safety officers who have, and will earn, them during their career.

See attached list of the bills below that we have followed and lobbied on this session, the end of the session is rapidly approaching so there will be much activity on the bills that remain active.