Please allow home grown outdoor in this bill. The lobbyist are trying to ruin for all the little mom and pop shops in Virginia. It’s so greedy and needs less regulation and less restrictions.

I want to thank you for considering HB1040 and urge you to vote yes. I was a caregiver for two family members with a rare liver disease and now have the opportunity to participate on a rare disease council. Caregivers have a unique vantage point in assessing what is needed to promote optimal care for those who suffer and are potentially underserved as a result of their disability or rare disease. In a recent study, 89% of caregivers for someone with a rare disease acknowledged the significant role they have in educating HC professionals about their family member's rare disease. They are literally the in house experts. I can say from experience that caregivers have a desire to affect change but are constrained by their unpredictable responsibilities. Voting yes on this bill will make it possible for caregivers and those with disabilities to participate remotely in meetings; remote voting. It will enable people to serve while caregiving, advocating from a place of compassion and first hand experience. This bill will also accelerate the agendas of councils who represent people with disabilities and rare disease by removing the constraints of in person quorums for the people in these select groups.

How can you threaten our democracy by quoting the revenue /business israel brings in??? There are many Jewish friends and neighbors speaking out against Israeli government policies. A foreign nation is muzzling out free speech!!!! This is unamerican and unacceptable! Why is a foreign nation allowed to dictate our local government policy????

the disAbility Law Center of Virginia supports this good bill

HB1040 is an important accommodation for the disability community that wants to participate on public boards and yet is frequently unable to attend. Many people with disabilities depend on others for transportation or other supports so that they can be physically present somewhere. There are many days they can't get those supports yet they are still able to participate remotely. There are many struggles for caregivers also- for example, I am the caregiver for my 30-year-old son however my options to attend in person are very limited yet I am able to attend meetings remotely and participate. Not being able to be present is not a sign of my lack of commitment to advocating or participating- rather it is a sign of my need to honor my commitment as a caregiver for my son. If we don't provide flexibilities (which are certainly available now and we have seen after COVID how effective these accommodations can be) then we miss having an important part of our community participate in government. Please VOTE YES for HB 1040.

Vote YES

Vote yes and follow the recommendations of the council

HB1040 Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definition of "caregiver," remote participation in meetings. The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports HB 1040. As remote participation grows we should not leave behind people with disabilities or those who care for disabled people. Remote participation protects people with disabilities who are at risk from severe outcomes from COVID-19, RSV, and other infectious diseases. Disabled people may also need to participate remotely because they cannot travel or need to be at their homes due to their disabilities. It is time to stop punishing people with disabilities and their caretakers for needing to participate remotely and to have their voices fully heard.

Accessibility for all! Virtual is only accessible option for many.

Accessibility for all, accessibility is key Virtual participation is equally valid. Vote yes "purposes of determining whether a quorum is physically assembled, an individual member of a public body who is a person with a disability or a caregiver, defined in the bill, and uses remote participation counts toward the quorum as if the individual was physically present.