The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

Comments Document

To Whom It May Concern, Please see attached letter from the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) on HB143. Thank you, Tia Sutton Sysounthorn tsutton@emamail.org

Comments Document

Please see the attached letter expressing AEM's opposition to HB 143. We request the bill be withdrawn to give us the opportunity to bring all stakeholders to the table to negotiate a compromise that benefits everyone. Thank you.

HB 1201 Unemployment benefits should be carefully controlled. We must avoid providing disincentives to work.

HB 118 Yes, include solar!

HB 1243 Mammography must be optional, based on the woman's choice. For a lot of thinking women it is wrong (does not make sense) to invade breasts with radiation in an effort to "detect" breast cancer.

HB 126 Yes, by all means.....Proton therapy works, I think.

HB 1288 Yes, by all means.....And rate reviews must allow for the power of solar to help us save the environment.

HB 153 Yes, by all means.....no state funds should be paid to workers illegally impaired.

HB 1160 I am in favor of this----a necessity nowadays to keep our communities healthy.

HB 263 If this bill will help to ensure that banks will be able to help people save money in virtual currency and add that to FDIC-like assurances for saving consumers......it has my blessing.

HB 225 -- It is a good idea to carefully define this disorder in the bill. Make sure NOT to simply repeat psychiatric jargon in the wording of the law, or it will be uninterpretable by the public that is being served. At a minimum, provide a clear definition of autism in plain English in the bill.

I am writing in opposition to HB237. This bill will roll back important consumer protections on Short-Term Limited-Duration (STLD) plans passed by the General Assembly in 2020. These plans are intended to fill short coverage gaps, not provide full-year coverage. They can exclude coverage for prescription drugs, maternity benefits, mental health, substance use disorders, or pre-existing health conditions; deny coverage, deny a renewal, or exclude services because of a pre-existing condition; charge more based on gender or a pre-existing condition; and have daily, annual, or lifetime limits on benefits. Further, they spend less on enrollee benefits, about $.39 per premium dollar, than qualified health plans, which are required to spend $.80-$.85 of every premium dollar on benefits. Numerous studies have shown that STLD plans are often misrepresented to consumers, and many purchase them without knowing their limitations. I urge you to vote no on this bill.

My name is Freddy Mejia with The Commonwealth Institute and the Healthcare for All Virginians Coalition. Investing in behavioral health has been identified as a priority for the legislature. However, I firmly believe that expanding access to short-term limited-duration health plans that often do not provide mental health and substance use disorder services is counterproductive to those efforts. We are concerned that these plans, which lack many consumer protections, will leave more families in Virginia underinsured and at risk of medical debt. We are opposed to this bill and ask you to please vote no on HB237.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN) opposes HB237. Short-term limited duration (STLD) insurance plans do not provide the kind of comprehensive insurance coverage cancer patients need. These plans were designed only as temporary coverage and are not subject to the same Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements as other health insurance products on the market. For instance, STLD plans are not required to provide a robust benefit package. As a result, an enrollee who was attracted to the plan’s lower premiums may find – if they are diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer – that the plan does not cover all of their necessary cancer treatments. In these cases, the consumer can be left with catastrophic costs. STLD plans fail to provide the kind of comprehensive coverage an individual would need if they were diagnosed with a serious and unplanned disease such as cancer. STLD plans can (and most do): - Engage in medical underwriting: issuers can deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, charge more based on a person’s health status, or refuse to cover services related to an individual’s pre-existing conditions; - Impose lifetime and annual limits on coverage; - Exclude coverage of essential health benefits; - Engage in post-claims underwriting – once a person is enrolled in coverage if they submit claims for an expensive service, the issuer investigates to determine whether the enrollee’s condition was a ‘pre-existing condition’ – and deny coverage for the condition; - End coverage at the policy’s term, even if the policyholder has gotten sick and needs coverage to continue; and - Negatively impact the risk pool and availability and affordability of ACA-compliant plans by syphoning off younger, healthier consumers who will be more likely to purchase cheaper, bare bones plans. For these reasons we urge the committee to leave the STLD restrictions in place and vote down HB37

Comments Document

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society respectfully submits this written testimony in opposition to HB 237 concerning short-term limited duration plans. LLS's concern is that the proliferation of these plans will leave many patients underinsured.

Short-Term Limited Duration Plans (HB237) Short-term limited duration (STLD) health plans were originally intended to fill a temporary gap in health coverage. This type of plan was not meant to replace traditional long-term health care coverage options. They lack many consumer protections. This is why AARP Virginia supported 2020 legislation to impose limitations on the sale of STLD health plans in Virginia, which HB237 would repeal. Short-term limited duration health plans are not required to cover prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorders, and pre-existing health conditions. A February 2020 Milliman Research Report found that 58 percent of plans didn’t cover mental health services and 67 percent of plans didn’t cover prescription drug benefits. Unlike ACA compliant plans, STLD plans can charge higher premiums to people based on their gender. They can charge older people far higher premiums than currently allowed by the ACA. Short-term plans also can charge high deductibles and cost-sharing for the benefits they do cover (e.g., a $5,000 deductible for a policy that lasts three or six months). And, the plans can include dollar limits and caps on how much they will pay out for a given service or in total for benefits over the life of the policy, or during the life of the enrollee. The applicable Medical Loss Ratio permits up to 40% of premiums collected to cover administrative costs and profits (vs. only 15% in the individual market.) Additionally, increased marketplace subsidies make this sort of legislation to expand access to these types of plans really unnecessary. Overall, short-term health plans are a bad deal for consumers, and Virginia should not broaden their availability. As such, AARP Virginia asks that you vote “no” on HB237.

The American Lung Association believes everyone should have quality and affordable healthcare coverage. While the federal government has expanded the use of short-term, limited duration insurance plans (known as short-term plans), these plans can deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions like lung disease and do not provide the comprehensive coverage that individuals need to stay healthy. The current COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the critical nature of access to comprehensive, quality coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions. The American Lung Association in Virginia urges members to oppose House Bill 237, legislation that would rollback safeguards for consumers purchasing short-term plans in Virginia. Protections for Virginians were passed in 2020 in Senate Bill 404. Repealing these protections will harm patients with asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other lung diseases. Under federal regulations, short-term plans almost always refuse coverage to patients with pre-existing health conditions. Current lung disease patients, like patients with COPD or lung cancer survivors, could be denied coverage because of these health conditions. Individuals who buy a short-term plan and then receive a new lung disease diagnosis in the middle of a plan year could find the coverage for their disease rescinded, leaving them without any coverage options until the open enrollment period for Virginia’s individual marketplace comes around. Short-term plans are not required to provide coverage for basic treatments and services that individuals need – even if they are healthy now. For example, these plans do not have to cover preventive services like lung cancer screening or tobacco cessation treatment, nor do they have to cover essential health benefits like hospitalizations and prescription drug coverage. This will create confusion for consumers trying to purchase comprehensive coverage and could leave patients with massive medical bills or force them to forgo needed treatment if they get sick. Short-term plans also often require consumers to spend enormous sums during the deductible portion of their benefit design, which can quickly eclipse any premium savings consumers may accrue while covered by one of these plans.1 Additionally, short-term plans will likely attract younger and healthier individuals, dividing the individual marketplace risk pool in Virginia. That will result in a spike in premiums for comprehensive plans sold in the marketplace, the only ones that will cover the treatments and services that lung disease patients need. Patients with lung disease should not have to pay higher premiums because they need coverage for a pre-existing condition. Even those consumers who seek a comprehensive ACA plan may be diverted to a Short-term plan through deceptive marketing and misleading websites.1 The American Lung Association in Virginia urges lawmakers to support the safeguards for consumers purchasing short-term plans that were passed in 2020 through Senate Bill 404 and Oppose House Bill 237 which would roll back these protections and harm Virginians. 1 Under-Covered: How “Insurance Like” Products Are Leaving Patients Exposed. 2021 https://www.lung.org/getmedia/5b240c9a-72ec-4217-bc75-d416e6f69f51/undercovered_report.pdf

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society writes to express strong opposition to the removal of limitations on the duration, renewal, and availability of short term limited duration health plans. We respectfully urge the Committee to vote NO on HB 237. The Society has a unique perspective on what people with multiple sclerosis (MS) require to manage their disease and live their best lives. MS is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Virginians impacted by MS should not have to worry whether their health insurance will cover their doctor visits, care for COVID-19, or treatment for complex, chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis. All Virginians deserve health insurance that is comprehensive and includes patient protections, covers an expansive network of providers and plan features, and provides simple and clear information regarding plan costs and coverage. Short term limited duration plans fail to meet these standards, and place people living with MS at great risk for medical debt and high out-of-pocket costs. Given the risk these plans pose to Virginians living with MS, the Society was supportive of efforts in 2020 to place common-sense limitations on STLD plans. We strongly oppose any effort to remove these limitations, as called for in HB 237.

The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF) opposes HB 237, which repeals prohibitions on the duration, renewal and extension, and availability of short-term limited-duration medical plans (STLDPs). These health insurance plans can serve as a stop-gap measure for some consumers, but should be kept “short-term” as currently available. VBCF's concern is that STLDPs are not required to adhere to a vast range of important patient protections and are a poor coverage option for consumers who may encounter a serious diagnosis - such as breast cancer - while holding such limited coverage. Among other things, they can refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions and choose not to cover essential health care services, including cancer screenings. Many individuals with STLDPs who become sick will be unable to afford the care needed to respond to a life-threatening or life-changing diagnosis and will be forced to delay treatment for the months it may take to secure adequate coverage. At VBCF we know that early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer leads to better outcomes for patients. Limited health plans that do not cover essential health care services such as cancer screenings are not a good choice for many consumers. Expanding the duration, renewal, and extension of STLDPs is moving in the wrong direction for Virginia. We oppose HB 237.

Thank you for letting me express my support for HB 460 and its importance to our restaurants. I run a small group of 4 restaurants in northern virginia. We all know how difficult the past couple of years have been for restaurants across the commonwealth. One way that we have been able to bring in revenue has been partnering with third party vendors to help deliver our food. We do offer our own delivery service, but in todays on demand world, many people opt for third party suppliers. One issue this has caused has been third party vendors who appear as our restaurants when searching for food online. In many cases, this means our customers may not even be aware they can order directly from us. When customers order on another platform, there are many fees associated. Not only do we have to pay up to 30% of the food cost to the third party vendor, but they also charge service fees and other charges. These fees are not clear when you order as to who they are going to. Is it the restaurant or the platform? Customers are left not knowing. We have even had issues in the past with third party platforms taking orders for our locations without a contract in place. To be clear, I do not want to see these platforms go away. I think we could all be valuable partners in feeding our community and maintaining profitability. What I am asking is to make the whole process more transparent. House Bill 460 would set parameters for doing just that. This is why I support HB 460 and hope that you will as well. Please help to make this aspect of business more easily understood by consumers and businesses alike to level the playing field for our restaurants.

Please prayerfully consider this legislation and what it could mean to the families that find themselves wishing and hoping much harder than others to bring life into this world. Unless we’ve been in their shoes we can’t possibly understand the pain and heartache each unsuccessful attempt brings. To know too that insurance won’t cover a medical condition inflicted upon them to no fault of their own makes the pain of infertility so much more unbearable…even insulting, in a way. It’s not often we have opportunities to possibly help steer a course to a lifetime of happiness and contentment for one individual, let alone many. But if that’s an outcome that the passing of this legislation could bring, why not jump at the chance, right?

Comments Document

I've attached a letter with some concerns regarding HB 460. I also understand that there may be some amendment being drafted to the bill. TechNet remains concerned with the bill as outlined in our letter. Happy to answer any questions from members. Servando Esparza TechNet

Before the pandemic, 20% of our sales came from deliver and catering and most of that was from guests calling our business to place orders. When the pandemic started, we saw and increase in delivery and take-out from the app platforms. We lost our regular corporate partners that knew us by name and called to order- and instead, found companies like door dash showing up to deliver food when we never signed up to have our menu on their sites. After a while, we slowly moved to the platforms but continued to use our own drivers. These predatory companies bully you into signing up- and then take 15-30% of the sales. I think guests should know that we raise our prices on their platforms to compensate for the outrageous fees they charge. If labor costs me 32% of every dollar, rent at 5%, utilities, etc, we barely make 2-5% on delivery after the paper products and fees to these companies. Its barely worth it. Guests should understand they can call us and have our people deliver the food, or use our own website to order for way cheaper. Its predatory to not disclose what their company keeps and how little we keep. Its also predatory to put our menus on their sites without our permission or have their drivers show up without asking us. We're just asking for the same transparency as taxes or any other charges on itemized bills. Thanks you, Liz Kincaid, owner of four restaurants.

Comments Document

Dear Chair and Committee Members, I write on behalf of TechNet to express our opposition to HB 460. HB 460 would require food delivery platforms to publicly disclose on their platforms privately negotiated fees charged to restaurants. This forced disclosure would divulge private and business-sensitive contractual agreements between the food delivery platforms and their partners. Food delivery platforms have become crucial to restaurant and local businesses remaining open and continuing to generate much-needed revenue, provide safe earning opportunities for workers, and food for homebound and vulnerable residents in the community. These are valuable and ongoing partnerships that have enabled restaurants to reach new customers and compete in an e-commerce world. Attached is a letter further outlining TechNet's concerns with HB 460. Please reach out if you have any questions. Respectfully, Servando Esparza

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 675. VPLC supports the elimination of the tobacco surcharge, as recommended in the Joint Commission on Health Care's Health Insurance Affordability in the Individual Market report and unanimously supported by JCHC committee members. The smoking surcharge was originally intended to encourage tobacco users to take advantage of tobacco cessation programs offered by insurers. Studies have since shown that the surcharge does not encourage smoking cessation. It creates a cost barrier that keeps individuals out of coverage and prevents them from accessing health care. Many of those who are uninsured are younger, healthier, low income individuals. They are extremely price sensitive and may not see the value in a high cost plan. Removing the tobacco surcharge will reduce premiums for these individuals and is estimated to increase enrollment in the individual market by up to 13,000 individuals. This increased enrollment would improve the risk pool and lower overall premiums by an estimated 3%.

Comments Document

Chair Byron and Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on House Bill 675 which prohibits insurance companies from using an individual’s tobacco use in setting premium rates. The American Lung Association strongly supports this bill as an integral way to support tobacco users who want to quit. The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education and advocacy. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to improve the air we breathe; to reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families; and to eliminate tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases. The American Lung Association is committed to making it as easy as possible for smokers to get evidence-based assistance to help them quit and end their addiction to nicotine. Data shows seven in ten smokers want to quit but only one in ten quit successfully in a year. This bill makes it easier for smokers to access quality and affordable healthcare, including treatments to quit smoking. Under current Virginia law, a health carrier may charge premium rates up to 1.5 times higher for a tobacco user than for a non-tobacco user. Punitive measures like tobacco surcharges have not been proven effective in encouraging smokers to quit and reducing tobacco use. Research suggests that even low surcharges can cause tobacco users to opt out of coverage. 1 Tobacco surcharges can result in tobacco users paying thousands of dollars more in health insurance premiums as demonstrated by a study in California which showed that an average tobacco user could end up paying 18.7 percent of their annual income in premiums because of the surcharge.2 High costs deter tobacco users from purchasing insurance which can leave tobacco users without coverage for treatments that will help them quit and treatments for potential tobacco-caused illnesses.3 Their families may also remain uninsured. There are other policies that are proven to reduce tobacco use, such as: increasing tobacco taxes, enacting smoke free laws, funding tobacco control programs and making tobacco cessation treatment accessible through health insurance coverage and quitlines. The American Lung Association thanks the Virginia General Assembly for their continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of the residents of the Commonwealth. The American Lung Association strongly supports House Bill 675 which would eliminate the current tobacco surcharge and encourages swift action to move the bill out of committee and passage by the General Assembly. 1Babb S, Malarcher A, Schauer G, Asman K, Jamal A. Quitting Smoking Among Adults — United States, 2000–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;65:1457–1464. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6552a1external icon 2Kaplan CM, Graetz I, and Waters, TM. Most Exchange Plans Charge Lower Tobacco Surcharges than Allowed, but Many Tobacco Users Lack Affordable Coverage. August 2014. Health Affairs. Available at: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1338 3Curtis, Rick and Ed Neuschler, Institute for Health Policy Solutions. “Tobacco Rating Issues and Options for California under the ACA.” June 2012. Available at: http://www.ihps.org/pubs/Tobacco_Rating_Issue_Brief_21June2012.pdf

Please report this bill out in support of those with disabilities.

As a retired lt from Prince William County Fire and Rescue , and a life member of IAFF Local 2599 I support this bill and ask you to support it also. Research shows PTSD, depression and anxiety rates for firefighters are 5 times higher than the civilian population. Just last year, more than twice as many firefighters died by suicide than died while on duty. It is imperative there are avenues for firefighters and law enforcement officers to get the behavioral health treatment and support they deserve. Help protect those who protect the citizens of the commonwealth of Va. Pass this bill. Thanks. Lt Richard Cayer - Retired PWCDFR

Comments Document

The VACP highly supports HB 742, which adds anxiety and depression to the workman's compensation bill for first responders. This is not a presumption bill, but a qualifying bill with conditions that must be met for workman's compensation coverage to attach. We have a significant problem throughout our profession due to the repeated traumatic exposures our profession must cope with and a lack of dedicated mental health resources to treat us. This bill would be a start and also help compel departments to better document these exposures and direct their officers to mental health treatment. Right now , in many cases officers are seeing general practitioners and being medicated instead of seeing mental health professionals to treat the root of the problem. We must address this issue now and help stem the increasing percentage of officer suicides. By helping to keep our officers mentally well, we increase their ability to make good judgements in the field, and keep our interactions with our community effective. The attached report is a just released summary of VA first responders who participated in a mental health survey over the past year. It demonstrates a real problem that can no longer be ignored. The survey is the first of its kind to collect validated clinical data on the mental health of first responders by using embedded diagnostic assessment tools similar to what is used to assess our combat veterans. It clearly demonstrates the need for access to mental health resources when the trauma can be associated with a work-related exposure to a qualifying event, as the code outlines. The survey shows that for LEOs who took the survey: 19% received scores indicating clinical depression 20% received scores indicating clinical anxiety 12% received scores indicating PTSD 8% received scores of passive suicide ideation (thoughts of suicide or self harm with no plan) 4% received scores of active suicide ideation (thoughts of suicide or self harm with a plan to carry out) 21% indicated problems with alcohol This bill would provide a critical first step in addressing these issues moving forward. We have to provide help to those who help others. Please share this survey with as many as are interested in it.

HB922 seeks to remove barriers to innovation in Virginia by creating the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Program. Participants that have been accepted into the program may conduct testing of a financial product or service for 2-3 years without the normal licensure or authorization the state requires.

My nephew was critically injured in a car accident when he was 26. He lost his arm and then his shoulder. The insurance company (BC/BS) has denied him a prosthetic 4 x so far, calling it experimental and unnecessary, although the independent review determined that he met all the criteria for a prosthetic. Because his was a shoulder disarticulation amputation, a prosthetic would, even if it did not replace his fingers, need to provide movement for his wrist, elbow and shoulder. It is estimated by two different prosthetic companies to cost approximately $175,000 if he had to pay out of pocket. There is no possible way for him to afford this. B/c the insurance company is not required to cover it, he is unable to obtain a prosthetic that would allow him to work and re-enter society fully. Please pass this legislation so young people like him, full of promise but rendered victims of unforeseen and random, momentary events, are not saddled with entirely unmanageable burdens that could be transcended for this one requirement.

Please move to support Del. Roem's HB925. Thank you from prosthetic device wearers.

Mr. Chairman, The Virginia Association of Regional Jails thanks Delegate Kory for proposing to add regional jail officers to the hypertension / heart disease presumption in HB 995. (Regional jail officers are included in the current Covid presumption.) Heretofore, the Association has not sought to add their officers to the presumption. However, with the possible inclusion of state correctional officers, as well as the present inclusion of local correctional officers (deputies), the Association respectfully suggests it is time for their inclusion. The regional jails buy workers compensation polices, and the local government members and jails assume these costs. (Virginia Compensation Board funding for regional jail officers includes the state recognized salary level as well as the associated retirement and health care costs, but not workers’ compensation. ) Mr. Chairman, thank you for considering this written testimony, Mike Edwards Kemper Consulting for the Virginia Association of Regional Jails

Those solar farms are nothing but a waste of land as they don't provide enough electricity to the electricity grid for the cost that is incurred for the building and maintenance. They are also a eye sore in public view.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

Since the time the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) was enacted in 2020, the premises underlying this ill-conceived, poorly crafted legislation have been suspect. The VCEA was founded upon highly questionable scientific claims. It was rammed through the Virginia legislature without adequate consideration of its economic costs and demonstrable harm to Virginia’s forests and farmland. Right now there are 440 solar projects in 70 counties pending governmental and regulatory approval. If all these projects are constructed to help meet Green energy pledges, they would cover an area of 778 square miles, equal to 330,00 football fields, 35 times the size of New York City, larger than Albemarle County, and 1.5 times the size of Loudoun County. They are not being constructed on land zoned for industrial or commercial use. Rather, in most cases the developers have chosen to seek special use permits from counties to site them on land zoned and master planned for agricultural and forest use. The reason why is simple. Rural forest and farmland are abundant and cheap. But this kind of land is zoned that way for a reason -- to preserve the rural atmosphere of the counties for the benefit of their citizens. Industrial facilities should be placed in or near other industrial and commercial zones. Solar factories require the clear cutting and topsoil removal of most of the acres of the proposed factory. And each acre will be covered with approximately 300 solar panels, weighing a total of over 5 tons. Most of these solar panels are made in China. At the end of their useful life, they must be removed -- another extensive undertaking being that they contain toxic chemicals, such as cancer-causing cadmium. We have seen from recently constructed solar factories, like the massive, 6,000-acre Fawn Lake facility in Spotsylvania County, that it is unclear whether the developers have provided an adequate escrow fund to finance the removal of the panels at the end of their useful life. If not, Spotsylvania County and Virginia are facing a potential superfund cleanup site. The VCEA also removes the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) from effective oversight of solar facilities. The law contains the so-called “permit by rule,” which exempts from DEQ regulation solar projects less than 100 megawatts in size, approximately 90% of the total. This means that the DEQ is effectively neutered from regulating the stream siltation and soil erosion which have been documented in many of the solar projects constructed to date. For these and other reasons, this record clearly establishes that the VCEA is bad for consumers, bad for the environment, and based on fundamentally flawed public policy. -- The above comment is on behalf of CFACT (www.cfact.org), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., and founded in 1985 with the purpose of promoting safe, free market technological solutions to address environmental and energy concerns. CFACT has an extensive scientific and policy advisory board, a recognized NGO to the United Nations climate change summit (COP), sponsors a national college student outreach program (Collegians For a Constructive Tomorrow), and participates in the public policy world on multiple fronts. CFACT also has several thousands of citizen supporters in the state of Virginia.

Comments Document

Since the time the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) was enacted in 2020, the premises underlying this ill-conceived, poorly crafted legislation have been suspect. The VCEA was founded upon highly questionable scientific claims. It was rammed through the Virginia legislature without adequate consideration of its economic costs and demonstrable harm to Virginia’s forests and farmland. Right now there are 440 solar projects in 70 counties pending governmental and regulatory approval. If all these projects are constructed to help meet Green energy pledges, they would cover an area of 778 square miles, equal to 330,00 football fields, 35 times the size of New York City, larger than Albemarle County, and 1.5 times the size of Loudoun County. They are not being constructed on land zoned for industrial or commercial use. Rather, in most cases the developers have chosen to seek special use permits from counties to site them on land zoned and master planned for agricultural and forest use. The reason why is simple. Rural forest and farmland are abundant and cheap. But this kind of land is zoned that way for a reason -- to preserve the rural atmosphere of the counties for the benefit of their citizens. Industrial facilities should be placed in or near other industrial and commercial zones. Solar factories require the clear cutting and topsoil removal of most of the acres of the proposed factory. And each acre will be covered with approximately 300 solar panels, weighing a total of over 5 tons. Most of these solar panels are made in China. At the end of their useful life, they must be removed -- another extensive undertaking being that they contain toxic chemicals, such as cancer-causing cadmium. We have seen from recently constructed solar factories, like the massive, 6,000-acre Fawn Lake facility in Spotsylvania County, that it is unclear whether the developers have provided an adequate escrow fund to finance the removal of the panels at the end of their useful life. If not, Spotsylvania County and Virginia are facing a potential superfund cleanup site. The VCEA also removes the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) from effective oversight of solar facilities. The law contains the so-called “permit by rule,” which exempts from DEQ regulation solar projects less than 100 megawatts in size, approximately 90% of the total. This means that the DEQ is effectively neutered from regulating the stream siltation and soil erosion which have been documented in many of the solar projects constructed to date. For these and other reasons, this record clearly establishes that the VCEA is bad for consumers, bad for the environment, and based on fundamentally flawed public policy. -- The above comment is on behalf of CFACT (www.cfact.org), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., and founded in 1985 with the purpose of promoting safe, free market technological solutions to address environmental and energy concerns. CFACT has an extensive scientific and policy advisory board, a recognized NGO to the United Nations climate change summit (COP), sponsors a national college student outreach program (Collegians For a Constructive Tomorrow), and participates in the public policy world on multiple fronts. CFACT also has several thousands of citizen supporters in the state of Virginia.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

Virginia Loggers Association represents businesses across the Commonwealth of VA. Most are small family owned businesses engaged in forest harvesting and mills, but many are also larger well known supporting businesses. Our businesses do not need additional layers of governmental mandates for overtime and compensation policies. Business owners understand we have a workers' shortage now and many are doing everything possible to retain good employees. The companies already follow the legal guidelines on overtime and compensation and any further burdens will make it more difficult for businesses to remain in business! DO NOT MOVE THIS BILL FORWARD! Thank you, Ron Jenkins, Executive Director, VLA

Comments Document

ETA supports disclosures that promote transparency and accountability for small businesses and is committed to working with the Committee to help shape a disclosure regime that allows small businesses to accurately compare the cost of small business financing amongst providers. In addition, ETA supports increasing, not decreasing, choices in small business financing, thus allowing small businesses to select the best product that suits their needs to secure the capital they need to be successful and a competitive marketplace for small business financing with fair, transparent, and readily understandable financing options. Further, transparency in small business financing disclosures, including providing businesses with the best information to compare costs across products and make informed decisions, is integral to ETA’s mission. However, as drafted, H.B. 1027 could be confusing for both online small business funders and the small business community and does not properly address the needs of small businesses in the state. Therefore, ETA asks the Committee to reject H.B. 1027 as currently drafted.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

Good day Leaders! The link to sign up to speak in favor of this Bill was closed so I am writing this in hopes that it gets to you in time. I represent 40 plus small and minority owned restaurants, 25 plus food truck owners and 30 plus catering companies in the Richmond Region that as you can imagine have suffered tremendously throughout the Pandemic. It’s been reported that much of the emergency funding through various Federal and State grant and loan programs just simply did not reach many minority owned establishments. As a result, predatory business loan companies used this opportunity to enter into loans with harmful terms at a very vulnerable time. Please support Delegate Trans Bill that will lesson the harmful impact of these loans on our small business community. So thankful for your time.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.