Virginia Conservation Network’s Bill Tracker is a goldmine for environmentally-inclined individuals and organizations.
Key elements of the tracker, which identifies legislation important to the collective, are twice-daily updates (gotta love technology), links to the bill summary and full bill language, VCN’s position, and and explanation of VCN’s position with contact information of the position’s authors.
Of the legislation in the tracker, these are particularly important to the Northern Neck:
- HB538 Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and Program; established: “Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and Program established. Requires the Office of Environmental Education within the Department of Conservation and Recreation (the Department), in conjunction with the Department of Education and any other stakeholder that it deems appropriate, to implement the Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Program and Fund for school districts to develop local student environmental literacy plans and, with consultation from the Department of Education, to maintain a state environmental literacy plan. The bill establishes the Program and Fund, to be administered by the Office, for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to any local school board that seeks assistance to initiate, expand, or improve teacher professional development opportunities or student environmental education programs that align with the content and objectives of the bill.” VCN support (PDF)
- HB47 Invasive plant species; requirements for retail sales: “Invasive plant species; retail sales. Requires, for the retail sale of any invasive plant species on a list established by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, such plant be accompanied by conspicuous signage that identifies the plant as invasive and includes the words "Plant with caution: invasive plant species. May cause environmental harm. Ask about alternatives."” VCN support (PDF)
- HB107 Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund; established and created: “Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in certain localities. The bill provides that a private developer is eligible to receive grants of 70 percent of such non-utility costs for electric vehicle charging stations installed in a city or county that meets the criteria of a distressed locality, as defined in the bill, and caps the total amount of grants awarded in any fiscal year at $25 million.” VCN support (PDF)
- HB208 Comprehensive plan; healthy communities strategy and SB595 Comprehensive plan; healthy communities strategy: “Comprehensive plan; healthy communities strategy. Authorizes localities, beginning July 1, 2024, to adopt a healthy communities strategy as part of its next and any subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan. The bill provides that the locality's strategy may include identifying neighborhoods with major sources of pollution or hazardous waste and identifying objectives and policies to (i) reduce health risks in such neighborhoods, (ii) promote civic engagement by residents of such neighborhoods, and (iii) prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of such neighborhoods.” VCN support (PDF)
- HB19 Atlantic menhaden; VIMS, et al., to study ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance: “Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Marine Resources Commission; study of ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of Atlantic menhaden; report. Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in collaboration with the Marine Resources Commission and certain stakeholders, as provided in the bill, to conduct a three-year study of the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the Atlantic menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth. The bill requires VIMS to provide a report on its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources no later than October 1, 2027.” VCN support (PDF)
- HB170 Trees; conservation during land development process: “Conservation of trees during land development process; authorized localities. Allows any locality to adopt an ordinance providing for the conservation of trees during the land development process. Under current law, only a locality within Planning District 8 that meets certain population density and nonattainment classification criteria is authorized to adopt such an ordinance.” VCN support (PDF)
- HB309 Forest Conservation Plan; Department of Forestry to develop: “Department of Forestry; Forest Conservation Plan required. Requires the Department of Forestry, in coordination with a stakeholder advisory group, to develop a Forest Conservation Plan no later than November 1, 2025, and update such plan every five years thereafter. The bill requires the Department to post and maintain on its website the most recent version of the Plan and submit the Plan to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than November 30, 2025, and November 30 every five years thereafter.” VCN support (PDF)
- HB528 Property Owners' Assoc. Act; managed conservation landscaping, unreasonable restrictions prohibited: “Property Owners' Association Act; managed conservation landscaping; unreasonable restrictions prohibited. Provides that no association shall prohibit an owner from installing managed conservation landscaping, defined in the bill, upon such owner's property unless such prohibition was recorded in the declaration for the association. The bill allows associations to establish reasonable restrictions concerning the management, design, and aesthetic guidelines for managed conservation landscaping features.” VCN support (PDF)
Bookmark the tracker to stay on top of these and other bills.