Northam Signs Bills On Foreclosure, Health Coverage For Abortion

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed into law 80 new pieces of legislation from the 2021 General Assembly session, ranging from measures to protect homeowners from foreclosure to repeal of health restrictions on women in the state’s health exchange, the governor’s office said Friday.

The Virginia General Assembly finished up much of its work early last week after passing hundreds of pieces of legislation. Lawmakers are expected to reconvene in April to consider bills that Northam returns with recommended changes.

Lawmakers passed a budget that funds the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and the purchase of personal protective equipment for public safety workers. It also includes money to protect K-12 school systems against enrollment losses brought on by the pandemic.

“These new measures will support working Virginians, boost civic engagement, and help us continue building a stronger, more inclusive Commonwealth,” Northam said Friday in a statement. “I am grateful to the General Assembly for their hard work on these important issues, and I am proud to sign these bills into law.”

Among the more controversial bills, Northam signed into law a bill, Senate Bill 1157, that requires municipalities in the state to move their elections from May to November. Sen. Lionell Spruill Sr. (D) introduced the bill to “allow for more voter participation, cost savings to localities, efficiency with registrars and continued school safety where many precincts are housed,” he tweeted after the vote.

Towns and cities already had the option of moving their elections to November, and many Virginia localities chose to keep their elections in May, noted the Virginia Municipal League, which supported letting municipalities decide when their elections are held.

“The coincidence of local elections with those at the state and federal level inherently raises the level of partisanship of all elections, regardless of whether candidates are running without any party affiliation,” the Virginia Municipal League said. “By the same token, it introduces partisan politics to nonpartisan local issues; political parties make little difference when it comes to community projects like paving roads and keeping the streetlights on.”

Among the other notable bills that Northam has signed into law so far are:

• House Bill 2175, sponsored by Del. Luke Torian, and Senate Bill 1327, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer McClellan, strengthens protections for homeowners facing foreclosure.
• House Bill 2013, sponsored by Del. Danica Roem, prohibits school boards from suing families to collect debts on unpaid school meals.
• House Bill 2165, sponsored by Del. Patrick Hope, allows “heirs property” owners to claim property and provides additional time to pay delinquent taxes. This law is a recommendation from the Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law established by Northam in 2019.
• House Bill 1896, sponsored by Del. Sally Hudson, and Senate Bill 1276, sponsored by Sen. McClellan, remove the prohibition on abortion coverage in any qualified health insurance plan offered through the Virginia state-based exchange.
• House Bill 1940, sponsored by Del. Sam Rasoul, and Senate Bill 1439, sponsored by Sen. McClellan, direct the Virginia Department of Education to establish guidelines that permit middle and high school students to attend a civic or political event and receive an excused absence.
• House Bill 2110, sponsored by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, and Senate Bill 1391, sponsored by Sen. L. Louise Lucas, build on the work started by the Virginia State Crime Commission to collect and study pretrial data across Virginia, including bail, conviction, and sentencing information.
• House Bill 2250, sponsored by Del. Kaye Kory, and Senate Bill 1379, Sen. Jennifer Boysko, prohibit the testing of cosmetics on animals and the selling of cosmetics that have been tested on animals beginning in 2022.

A list of legislation signed by Northam from the 2021 session is available on the General Assembly’s website.