As we wrap up week four of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly session, here’s what driving the week for Virginia REALTORS^®.

Health Insurance

Moving Week: BOTH of our REALTOR^® health insurance bills have now passed their houses of origin. Senate Bill 335 passed the full Senate on a 39-0 vote last Friday and House Bill 768 passed the House of Delegates, 97-2, just two days ago.

Keep Calm and Carry On: Passing the bills are one thing, getting the Governor to sign the bills is another thing, but getting the insurance regulators to allow us to offer insurance is all together a different question. We will be working with senior administration aides, the Office of the Attorney General, and insurance companies to navigate those waters. More to come…

Feel Good Friday Moment:  Sometimes in the midst of the bickering in Richmond, we forget that the men and women who serve do it (for the most part) to help all Virginians and that issues don’t always have to be Republican or Democrat. This week, your government relations team helped a new Democrat legislator (Delegate Candi Mundon King) with a bill (House Bill 160) that started out as one we opposed. Working with several Republicans who trusted us enough to allow us to rework the bill, we not only got the support from EVERY member of the committee in which the bill was presented, it got us accolades from Governor Youngkin and most importantly, it cemented relationships and our credibility as a group who can push partisanship aside and work for the common good.

Legislative Agenda Round Up

To date, we have amassed 299 “yes” votes and only 2 “no” votes.

Welcome to My House

We enjoyed having REALTORS^® from the Prince William Association of REALTORS^® visit the Capitol for meetings with legislators on Wednesday. We also welcomed our Public Policy Committee Chair, Linda Buskey (ESAR) and our Vice Chair Libby Gatewood (RAR) to our offices this week to watch the action.

We PROMISE to show you and your colleagues a great day (or half-day) in Richmond if you come and see us during the General Assembly Session. Every visit we have had this year included members who have never been to Richmond to see the legislative process. They all are leaving with a smile on their faces and a commitment to return.

If you would like to schedule a day for you or your group to come and see us, let us know.

Finally, if you would like a member of our team to join your association or firm meeting virtually during Session, email us at advocacy@virginiarealtors.org or reach out to one of our team members directly.