My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

Re: HB241 - McQuinn There are increasing numbers of children residing in the Commonwealth surviving with medical complexity. Children with Medical Complexity (CMC) are increasing due to improved outcomes for premature infants and conditions that rely on technology outside of the hospital environment. Due to the shortage of home nursing in the Commonwealth, this leaves parents with the difficult decision of deciding if they can continue in the workforce to support their family or remain home to take care of their dependent child. Daycares are not set up to care for these children and lack licensed professionals that are able to provide tube feedings, oxygen, medication treatments and developmentally appropriate play and therapy services. Other states have taken this problem on in order to provide daycares that are licensed, thereby allowing parents to continue to be employed and rely less on social supports to ensure the well-being of their family.

Comments Document

Apologies for submitting attachment which was not submitted correctly last Thursday on HB 858. Testimony Opposing Virginia “Medical Aid in Dying” Bill HB 858/SB 280 One of the most frequently repeated claims by proponents of assisted suicide laws is that there has not been “a single documented case of abuse or misuse.” To the contrary, I refer you to two resources describing problem cases. The first is from the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Oregon and Washington State Abuses and Complications. The second is a journal article by two New York medical doctors, Drs. Herbert Hendin and Kathleen Foley, Physician-Assisted Suicide in Oregon: A Medical Perspective (2008). Data from states where assisted suicide is legal show that all people who request assisted suicide have disabilities, even if some don’t think of their impairments that way, and that unmet disability related needs are their reasons for wanting to die. The top five reasons Oregon doctors give for their patients’ assisted suicide requests over all reported years are not pain or fear of future pain, but psycho-social issues that pertain to disability. Three of these (losing autonomy, losing dignity, burden on family) could be addressed by consumer-directed in-home personal care services, but the law operates as though the person’s reasons don’t matter, and nothing need be done to address them. (See attachment)

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Hi I am writing to you on behalf of The Well Connection UK, a media and publishing company. We could easily get virginia.gov featured in various publications such as magazines, online blogs and news sites. This would undoubtedly help virginia.gov with publicity, reputation, domain authority and organic search engine rankings. We have a wide range of options including completely free collaborations, sponsored posts, guest posts and banner ads. If this sounds of interest, please reach out to the senior business development manager, Anita at info@thewellconnection.co.uk and whatsapp +447395206515 (GMT) Kind regards Clifton Junior Outreach Assistant

Alexandria is a vibrant city based on history, culture, a waterfront and lots of tourism. If Virginia has money and space to build an arena then you have money and space to build new schools. Our school system is deplorable. It’s overcrowded. Think of your citizens before thinking about your quick money grab that eventually leads to an inevitable loss. We don’t want or need an arena. This is pure greed.

My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

My name is Michaela Lieberman and I’m an attorney and the interim director of Health Justice and Public Benefits at the Legal Aid Justice Center. We support HB 787 because it is an essential step in guaranteeing access to justice for individuals appealing the loss or reduction of their critical benefits like SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid. HB787 amends the Administrative Process Act to allow Circuit Court judges to review legal issues in additional to factual issues in administrative appeals of public benefits cases like SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid. Currently, the APA only allows judges to review how administrative hearing officers ruled on the facts of a case – not on how hearing officers ruled on or applied the law in a case. Here’s why this bill matters: When my client, a 21-year-old survivor of a traumatic brain injury who depended on extensive home-based personal care services to keep him living safely at home, lost more than half of his services after the State arbitrarily reduced them, he appealed the reduction because he faced the grave risk of institutionalization in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Even though my client raised this ADA argument at his Medicaid appeal hearing, the hearing officer assigned to his case ignored it. My client decided not to appeal the hearing officer’s decision to Circuit Court, in part because the APA would have prevented the Circuit Court judge from reviewing the hearing officer's legal analysis (or absence thereof); in its current form, the APA would have only allowed the judge to review whether the hearing officer got the facts right. So the APA- as it’s currently written – gives unelected, unappointed hearing officers the final say on what the law is in SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid cases. HB 787 would change that. It would allow Circuit Court judges to review administrative hearing officers’ legal findings de novo, just as judges can in all other administrative appeal cases that come before them. We urge you to vote yes on HB 787 so Virginians facing reductions in/losses of critical benefits like SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid have access to justice, too.

Hamkae Center supports HB 970 because it crucially addresses barriers to healthcare that our community members face due to immigration status. This bill matters to Asian Americans because more than 40K Asian Americans in Virginia are uninsured or underinsured, and half of them have non-citizen immigration statuses. Affordable healthcare was one of the top 3 issues Asian American voters in Virginia identified as important. This bill is a cost-saving measure that will ensure our children have the preventative care they need to live full, healthy lives for the rest of their lives.

It is important that Virginia create a welcoming space for families to flourish. Children are our communities greatest joy. Access to healthcare for children is an important step in making sure we have healthy and well cared for children in our Commonwealth. The Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights and our forty-five members urge you to vote yes on HB970, and give deserving children a healthy start in life.

It is important that Virginia create a welcoming space for families to flourish. Children are our communities greatest joy. Access to healthcare for children is an important step in making sure we have healthy and well cared for children in our Commonwealth. The Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights and our forty-five members urge you to vote yes on HB970, and give deserving children a healthy start in life.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments, the American Lung Association in Virginia is pleased to strongly support Cover all Kids, House Bill 970. The Lung Association believes that every child in Virginia should have access to affordable and comprehensive health coverage. House Bill 970 would get us closer to that reality by creating a health coverage program available to all children in Virginia, regardless of immigration status. This policy change would offer a new and affordable health coverage option to almost 1 in 10 (10.2%) uninsured children in Virginia. Virginia has approximately 88,500 children who do not have health coverage, ranking 25th in the nation for the percentage of children who do not have health insurance and 11th in the highest total number of uninsured children. In Virginia, 9,000 undocumented children from families with low income are uninsured with another 4,000 likely underinsured. House Bill 970 would provide these 13,000 children the health coverage they need. Virginia should join 11 other states and the District of Columbia who currently uses or plans to use state-only funds to cover income-eligible children in Medicaid/CHIP who are otherwise ineligible due to immigration status. This program would mirror Virginia Medicaid/FAMIS enrollment, eligibility processes, and income eligibility levels and benefits would include behavioral health, dental, and preventative care services. The Lung Association strongly supports this bill as a way of increasing access to healthcare for all Virginians. Please vote YES on HB 970 to make sure that all children, have access to affordable, accessible, adequate health coverage. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out to me. Aleks Casper aleks.casper@lung.org

My name is Dr Christine Page-Lopez, I am an associate medical director at Neighborhood Health, a community health center in Northern VA and am a practicing pediatrician. I represent the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the countless pediatric patients of mine that do not have health insurance. For the past 10 years I have been a pediatrician to a largely immigrant patient population who live in poverty. I have seen firsthand the challenges that the lack of health insurance has on my patients and their families. My uninsured patients have poorer health outcomes and unmet health care needs. Their lack of health insurance also --restricts access to well childcare and preventive health services, including routine vaccines. --and is associated with poor management of acute and chronic medical conditions, which then can lead to increased use of emergency rooms and hospitalizations. Ultimately those who are uninsured often delay or go without needed care, which can lead to worse health outcomes over the long term. This includes medical, dental and mental health problems. By providing this unique group of infants, children and adolescents with health insurance, Virginia can improve their medical, dental, mental health and educational outcomes for their childhood and adult lives.

My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

This is an important bill to help some of the most vulnerable children in Virginia.

Thank you so much for passing this bill. This bill will help take care of thousands of children, leading improvement in school performance, better careers, less loss of work time for their parents. Our country stands for Justice for all and this is basic human right. It will also keep the emergency rooms more available for true emergencies. Let’s take care of the ones who come to our country because it is not safe in their country. In addition I would like to add that though it is important to help the asylum seekers, it is more important to help not create this situation for them in the first place. US is the biggest arms and weapons manufacturer and supplier, so every conflict happening in other countries is prolonged by our arms dealers. Let’s work towards reducing conflicts rather than increasing casualties, starting with Gaza and Ukraine. Thank you delegate Tran for proposing this bill. I am all for it.

I am asking the Delegates to support HB970. It is an important Bill that if passed will help in closing the coverage gap and ensuring healthcare access for some of the most vulnerable children in Virginia. If you value human life and believe our Commonwealth should value a culture of life, please support this bill. Thanks.

As a longtime supporter of Medicare For All, I firmly believe that healthcare is a human right that should be guaranteed to *all* - regardless of income or age or immigration status. Sadly, we are not likely to see action at the federal level on universal healthcare any time soon. This is why measures like HB970 at the state level are so important in closing the coverage gap and ensuring healthcare access for some of the most vulnerable children in Virginia. If legislators believe our Commonwealth should value a culture of life, please demonstrate it by supporting this bill.

ChildSavers is a 100-year-old, Richmond-based nonprofit. Our mission is to guide our community’s children through life’s critical moments with trauma-informed youth mental health and child development services. As a behavioral health provider on the frontlines of the youth mental health crisis, we are laser-focused on ensuring children get the mental health care they need to build resilience and healing. 90% of the children we see in our clinic are Medicaid members, meaning they face some of the most difficult socioeconomic challenges. As the demographics in our region change rapidly, we are seeing more and more children without insurance coverage. Their families face the extra burden of attempting to pay for care out-of-pocket while coping with the child’s behavioral health concerns. We believe in the right of every child to access the healthcare they need to thrive. For this reason, we ask the committee to vote in favor of HB970 and extend coverage to an additional 13,000 children and youth in the Commonwealth. Cover All Kids.

Delegates: I am asking for your support of House Bill No. 1426 which establishes a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System of public assistance benefits. This system would appy to all public assistance programs which is a tremendous gesture in support of children, families and disabled individuals. I serve on the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore's Advocacy Program and I cannot think of anything better to advocate for than House Bill 1426. Please pass this bill and move it forward. Thank you. Sandra Brandt, Virginia Beach on behalf of Food Banks and STEP-UP, Incorporated who work with individuals who need food everyday.

Comments Document

Chair Train and Members of the Health and Human Service – Social Services Committee: My name is Aleks Casper, and I am the Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association in Virginia. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments, we are pleased to support House Bill 970. The Lung Association believes that every child in Virginia should have access to affordable and comprehensive health coverage. House Bill 970 would get us closer to that reality by creating a health coverage program available to all children in Virginia, regardless of immigration status. This policy change would offer a new and affordable health coverage option to almost 1 in 10 (10.2%) uninsured children in Virginia. Virginia has approximately 88,500 children who do not have health coverage, ranking 25th in the nation for the percentage of children who do not have health insurance and 11th in the highest total number of uninsured children. In Virginia, 9,000 undocumented children from families with low income are uninsured with another 4,000 likely underinsured. Federal law prohibits children with an undocumented immigration status from accessing health coverage through Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. Virginia should join 11 other states and the District of Columbia who currently uses or plans to use state-only funds to cover income-eligible children in Medicaid/CHIP who are otherwise ineligible due to immigration status. This program would mirror Virginia Medicaid/FAMIS enrollment, eligibility processes, and income eligibility levels and benefits would include behavioral health, dental, and preventative care services. The Lung Association strongly supports this bill as a way of increasing access to healthcare for all Virginians. Please vote yes on HB 970 to make sure that all children, have access to affordable, accessible, adequate health coverage. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out to me and aleks.casper@lung.org. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.

My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

Delegates: I am asking for your support of House Bill No. 1426 which establishes a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System of public assistance benefits. This system would appy to all public assistance programs which is a tremendous gesture in support of children, families and disabled individuals. I serve on the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore's Advocacy Program and I cannot think of anything better to advocate for than House Bill 1426. Please pass this bill and move it forward. Thank you. Sandra Brandt, Virginia Beach on behalf of Food Banks and STEP-UP, Incorporated who work with individuals who need food everyday.

I am in support of passing HB1313. Virginia ranks amongst the 3 worst states for outcomes for youth aging out of foster care. I work daily with youth in foster care who are both in the Fostering Futures program and those who have "aged out" of the program. Participation in the Fostering Futures Program reduces the risk of homelessness, early pregnancy, trafficking, unemployment, and food insecurity. Increasing the eligibility age to 23 will give these youth the support they need to avoid these pitfalls and learn the skills required to become productive members of our community. Expanding the age requirements will save the state money and prevent devastating outcomes for our youth.

I am the Executive Director and Founder of Connect With a Wish. We are a nonprofit organization benefitting local youth in the Hampton Roads area from birth to 25 yrs. In the past 5 years we have expanded and added programs to serve the aging out population as the need is great and increasing. 20% of these young adults are homeless at the time they age out of foster care. 18 months after their 21st bday that number jumps to 40%. While in foster care under the age of 21 the priority is often Safety and placement. This in itself is often consuming . The direction and support of Independent living skills often has to take a back seat to crisis. This in conjunction with with the fact that our youth have experienced varies levels of trauma delaying their levels of maturity. For those reasons and others our youth are not equipped to succeed at 21 yrs old. Increasing the age to 23 yrs for youth aging out of foster care will give these young adults more time to work with their social workers, organization and supports to better prepare them to live independently. This will increase their chances of becoming productive members of our community. This is why I am in full support of HB1313 Thank you to Delegate Anne Ferrell Tata for bringing this to light.

With regard to HB27, I am in full support of this program. I am a local child welfare worker in the Richmond area. I work with kinship foster parents on a daily basis. For many families, the difference between foster care placement and custody transfer is simply the financial assistance afforded to them by becoming kinship foster parents. As you all are aware, there is a workforce crisis in child welfare. More kids entering foster care when many of these families and children can be served outside of foster care services save for the financial benefits contributes to higher caseloads. Children rarely leave foster care unscathed by any type of trauma. This program would reduce the foster care workers' workload, the unnecessary delays on permanency caused by Court timelines, and the undue trauma that youth in foster care face simply by being in the foster care system EVEN if they are placed with relatives. The impact statement for HB27 only captures the number of families currently served through In-Home services who would qualify for this plan. The Impact Statement fails to mention the hundreds to thousands of children and families who are in foster care with kinship foster parents who could otherwise be served through the Parental Child Safety Placement Program to avoid foster care altogether. That said, the impact of this program is much greater than the already stated data. Regarding HB 1313, Virginia's youth who aged out of foster care should be served for as long as the Commonwealth will allow. I am supportive of the age range for Fostering Futures be raised to 23. Many youth lose their footing between the ages of 18-20. By the time they are ready to return to Fostering Futures, they are closer to their 21st birthday and losing the support Fostering Futures offers them, and sometimes these youth are worse off than when they turned 18 in terms of readiness to support themselves. To have 2 additional years between 21 to 23 when they have experienced sometimes the lowest point in their lives and are truly ready to begin their adult life would make a profound difference in the outcomes for former foster youth. Please support this age amendment!

Since the pandemic, the foster care system has been in crisis after crisis. During the pandemic the children were sitting in isolation for 14 days at a time to confirm they were not carrying the corona virus. The isolation exasperated the mental health of those living and working in the foster care system. Virginia saw 65% of the foster homes close and end their license and we have not seen foster homes replace them. The Kinship Bills will open hundreds of homes for the youth suffering in foster care, and the best part is these are homes with individuals that know and love this child. Local DSS offices and placement facilities were short staffed and experiencing high rates of burnout. Youth were (and sometimes still are) living in temporary situations (such as DSS offices, Hotel rooms, shelters, etc.) until a foster home, group home or other permanent living situation can be found. Keep in mind that this was not just a Virginia problem, it was happening nationally. Since August many class action lawsuits have been brought against Child Protection Agencies for failing to provide quality services and meet requirements. California (Los Angelus County) is being sued for individuals in extended foster care being homeless. Organ, New York and Texas have similar actions around inadequate or unsafe housing arrangements. Virginia has an opportunity to reconcile the effects of the foster care crises by extending fostering futures to the age of 23. There are many concerns about the cost of extending foster care services. There is an opportunity to define the case management and qualifying expenses in the future. But these services are needed now, these young adults do not have good credit or someone to co-sign on a car loan, rental apartments or anything else. These youth have been living in crisis the last 4 years and preparing to do it without a safety net has been the last thing on the minds of social workers and youth themselves. The proof is in the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) results reflecting only 36% of youth received independent living skills support. Many of the localities are not meeting federal and state requirements for supporting individuals between the ages of 14 and 21 in teaching and preparing them for adulthood. When you are thinking about this big cost, I would like to remind you that 80% of individuals being trafficked are from foster care, one out of 5 individuals in jail/prisons are from foster care, 50% of individuals homeless are from foster care. The foster care system teaches individuals they do not need people to help them, they need systems and often spend a majority of their lives with economic assistance supporting them. The extension of fostering futures, more homes within families and support in getting vehicles can help increase the success rates of youth leaving foster care and decrease the cost to Virginia for the youth’s lifetimes. Please improve foster care by approving the kinship bills, extending support services till 23, and approving the budget to get them behind the wheel and off to a good start in their journey to becoming happy healthy adults!

Voices for Virginia's Children Strongly supports HB27 and HB 1313

Comments Document

The attached document contains comment on HB27 and HB1313 providing support and asking the House Appropriations Committee to pass and fund both of these bills, which will invest in the lives of Virginia's most vulnerable children and youth.

I am in full support of extending the eligibility age of the fostering futures program to 23 year. I have seen many young adults in foster care fall off the proverbial cliff at 21 when support is halted, even among those who have everything going for them. The issue is that youth over 18 in foster care (or fostering futures) have no one to turn to when life's challenges approach - small bumps in the road can turn in to catastrophic events and there is no family to serve as a safety net. Expanding the eligibility age to 23 year will help disconnected youth become more stabilized before they are reliant solely on themselves, which will hopefully improve the tragic statistics for youth aging out of foster care. This extended age eligibly will also provide foster youth the time needed to finish a 4 year degree before support is ended. The reality is, that older foster youth need all the assistance they can get, because far too many of them become homeless, incarcerated, or deceased before their 24th birthdays. After severing their family connections, we owe them the extended assistance to achieve a healthy transition to productive adulthood.

We are counting on your leadership to support HB 1313. This bill gives young people participating and working hard in the fostering futures program enough time to accomplish their goals in order to reach their fullest potential! Vote yes for this common sense legislation!

My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

Please allow and increase the age to 23 to allow greater resources and opportunities for the foster youth. Take a stance to make a difference and help those who have come from difficult circumstances. This can make a huge difference.

Increasing the age of fostering futures is imperative to the youth who are involved through no fault of their own. While youth aging out of foster care face multifaceted challenges, the lack of housing is a basic survival need that is often unmet. The current housing crisis is one that impacts a wide population, but foster youth continue to face homelessness at a higher rate than most. This is likely a direct reflection of the fracture of the relationship and support of their birth family and a result of their displacement through circumstances outside of their control. It has been widely recognized and adopted into policy/practice that youth aging out of foster care are qualified for Medicaid up to that age of 26 years old due to the fact most health insurances allow guardians to keep their children on their health insurance. If we can recognize this health-related gap then it is only logical and best practice to weigh the same logic to their housing needs. We are the guardians of these youth even if they have aged out of foster care. They are deserving of safe shelter which is the exact commitment that was made on their behalf when they were removed from their birth families and guardians. This investment in them is a logical high return of investment for preventing a cycle of homelessness and more children entering the foster care system.

My name is Alison Fagan and I am the Connect to Careers Program Manager at Connect With a Wish. I assist and guide the Independent Living and Fostering Futures young adults in foster care into the workforce with the help of five support services/goals. I am in full support of this bill.

I am writing today in strong support of Delegate Anne Ferrell Tata and HB1313. At our organization we work daily with this population and see the need to expand the age of Fostering Futures to age 23. Our organization kept in budget from 2016- 2021 under $1,000 for emergency homelessness for those who have aged out of care. In 2022 we spent $15,150 in 2023 we spent $25,601. None of which we had in budget. At age 21 young adults who have various levels of trauma and have little to no supports are just not ready to Independently live. The statistics show with %20 homeless at the time of aging out. That number increases to %40 18 months after turning 21. These numbers hit home for VA as we are ranked 48th in the United States when it comes to how many young adults we have who are not adopted or have a secure support. We need to do better to provide the change needed to enable these young adults to age out and become productive members of our community. VA can be the change!

My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

The Federation of Virginia Food Banks supports HB1426. The benefits cliff creates a poverty trap where the risks and gains of working become disincentives and barriers to self-sufficiency and economic mobility. This bill is a needed step to ensure that as beneficiaries' earned income increases, the reduction in benefits is balanced and equitable, promoting self-sufficiency while avoiding abrupt and significant drops in assistance.

My name is Michael Gordon. I am a recovering addict. My clean date is 06/06/2008. I writing this letter because it my duty as a health professional to bring to the table how important it is that we change the barrier crime law. I have spent countless hours and days working with other addicts who trying to find their pathway into recovery. The frontlines are thin because the people whom society deemed unworthy because of some past mistakes cannot work in the field that they could do the greatest good. I did not know when I received my sentence in 1990 for distribution of crack cocaine. I would be serving a life time sentence. Luck for me I don’t have a barrier crime, yet today after getting my GED, going to college and graduating with honors. I still can live in certain areas or have certain jobs. I went from the crack house to the White House and still that not enough for Virginia to forgive me of my past mistakes. We need more people who has made a deep commitment to change to share their experiences with others who are suffering!!

I am writing to express my support for the proposed bill introducing a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System. This approach will benefit our community in that it would allow people to seek better opportunities without losing wages. We must incentivize families to climb out of poverty, without penalizing them. .

A single parent gets a job making minimum wage, accepts benefits to support their family. Some time later, they earn a promotion now making just enough to no longer qualify for the same beneficial programs but not enough to make ends meet without that support. Throughout my career I have encountered numerous situations where a person declines a promotion because they would no longer qualify for the much-needed assistance they and/or their family relies on for support. What message are we then sending? Certainly not the right one for humanity as a whole. Take that same scenario, look at it from the viewpoint of the child. We are teaching them that obtaining better jobs will cause their family to struggle. Dynamic support must be provided for individuals and families to encourage one's growth and end the cycle we often see in families. This bill would not only provide the support for but change the narrative as well.

I am writing to express my support for the proposed bill introducing a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System. This approach will benefit our community in that it would allow people to seek better opportunities without losing wages. Further, it will help individuals reach a state of self-sufficiency for the long haul.

On behalf of the Capital Area Food Bank, I am writing in strong support of HB1426. In FY23, the Capital Area Food Bank distributed more than 17,000,000 meals to our neighbors in need in northern Virginia and witnessed the effects the sunsetting of pandemic-era benefits programs had on our region. Because the emergency benefits were retracted all at once, rather than gradually over a period of time, many in our community were forced to skip meals or seek out free food distributions to keep food on the table. That same benefits cliff concept can apply when income fluctuates, creating a system where a small boost in income can lead to a total loss of the benefits that are relied on to make ends meet. We know from our own research that food insecure individuals in our service area rely on government benefits to cover nearly 20% of their monthly food budgets, so a sudden loss of these benefits would be devastating. HB1426 would create a nimbler benefits system that does not penalize recipients for seeking out higher-paying jobs or pursuing opportunities that could improve the economic prospects for themselves and their families. Allowing recipients to make more gradual adjustments to their budgets as their income increases will improve economic self-sufficiency and remove a significant roadblock for those seeking to advance their careers.

Delegates: I am asking for your support of House Bill No. 1426 which establishes a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System of public assistance benefits. This system would appy to all public assistance programs which is a tremendous gesture in support of children, families and disabled individuals. I serve on the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore's Advocacy Program and I cannot think of anything better to advocate for than House Bill 1426. Please pass this bill and move it forward. Thank you. Sandra Brandt, Virginia Beach on behalf of Food Banks and STEP-UP, Incorporated who work with individuals who need food everyday.

As a former social worker and current Qualified Mental Health Professional, I have seen the need for this bill firsthand. Most people don't desire to be beholden to the federal benefits programs to which they subscribe to meet their and their families' needs. They want to "get off the system," but doing so immediately jeopardizes their ability to provide for themselves and their families because of the immediate and cutting reduction in benefits seen when they begin to earn a living wage or are working toward that. Often, earning a few dollars more leads to reductions in benefits that cost them hundreds or thousands of dollars in food and healthcare expenses. In situations where choices have to be made between necessities such as rent and transportation, tough decisions must be made leaving tax-paying citizens hungry or without the medicine and medical attention vital to their survival. In the end, this costs more in exacerbated health conditions, lost wages, poor nutrition and other societal ills. Over the past two years, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore has seen an increase in food insecurity (hunger) of 400% in its service area. Please help our neighbors in this community by passing this bill. Thank you.

Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia and the Virginia Goodwill Network understand the significant negative impact of the benefits cliff on our associates and on our ability to hire, train, and promote those who may lose the entirety of their benefits as they start to make higher weekly wages. Collectively, Goodwill employs more than 3,300 Virginians. Our mission is changing lives-helping people help themselves through the power of work. The benefits cliff is a significant impediment to economic mobility and disproportionately impacts organizations like ours that employ those with barriers to traditional employment. We seek associates that are intellectually or developmentally disabled, formerly incarcerated, and those who are at great risk of homelessness. Our job training initiatives, internal promotion ability, and placement of our associates in careers outside of Goodwill supports increased economic mobility. However, those who still need some portion of state or federal benefits as they start to earn more are at a high risk of falling off the benefits cliff and having to quit employment; thereby stymying their economic mobility. We believe this initiative helps bring this issue to light and provides a solution to ameliorate the benefits cliff issue.

I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the proposed bill introducing a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System. This innovative approach to public assistance is a commendable step towards creating a more responsive and equitable system for beneficiaries. The key provision of the bill, establishing a Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System for the gradual reduction of public assistance benefits in response to increases in beneficiaries' earned income, reflects a forward-thinking approach to addressing the evolving needs of individuals and families relying on public assistance programs. This approach ensures that as beneficiaries' earned income increases, the reduction in benefits is balanced and equitable, promoting self-sufficiency while avoiding abrupt and significant drops in assistance. I particularly appreciate the section that outlines the automatic adjustment of income thresholds based on a formula considering the state's minimum wage, inflation rates, and cost of living indexes. This mechanism ensures that eligibility criteria stay relevant and responsive to economic conditions, providing a fair and dynamic framework for individuals seeking assistance. The commitment of the Department of Social Services to regularly review and adjust the formula based on empirical evidence and economic factors demonstrates a dedication to the effectiveness of the Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System. This adaptive approach is crucial in addressing the changing landscape of economic conditions and ensures that the system remains a viable and supportive resource for those in need. Moreover, the provisions for oversight and reporting to the General Assembly and safeguards to protect beneficiaries during economic downturns or unusual circumstances showcase a comprehensive and responsible approach to implementing the Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System. In conclusion, this bill represents a positive step forward in enhancing public assistance programs' efficiency, fairness, and effectiveness. I urge you to lend your support to this important initiative that aims to create a system that not only provides assistance but also encourages and supports individuals in their journey towards self-sufficiency. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to witnessing the positive impact that the Dynamic Benefit Adjustment System can have on our community.

I am writing to urge you to pass HB1426. It would be a tremendous gesture in support of children, families, and disabled individuals in our service area to increase support for benfits cliff reform. As a foodbank employee, I see people from all walks of life coming to the Foodbank because they are desperate for food to help them out until their next EBT is available. We as a society need to do better in supporting our children and disabled individuals. I have a personal friend who is not able to work due to a chronic condition, CVS. She suffers every month because she isn't able to purchase enough food on the small stipend she gets each month. Stress on very hard on CVS patients and when she stresses over meals she ends up in the emergency room which leads to additional stress. If we can eliminate hunger for people, it will help free up resources in other areas down the road. Please pass HB1476. Thank you.

The passing of this Bill will be a huge win for families working to support their families through career advancement opportunities. Individuals will no longer have to contemplate if their income gains associated with a higher-paying career outweigh the loss of public assistance. From a private sector viewpoint, we could see business grow as more individuals seek career development. Those in the public sector can effectively work with individuals and families.

In strong support of children, families, and disabled individuals, please move HB1426 forward out of committee. As a mom of two adult children with Down syndrome who wants them to have fulfilling and productive lives, their access to needed services and resources becomes more difficult every day. The eligibility systems need to be more nimble and flexible in the given economy that we now live in. Inflation and other cost increases on housing, food, transportation, and the like only favor the wealthy. In fairness, this bill will allow a more equitable approach.

On behalf of the Foodbank of Southeastern VA and the Eastern Shore, I enthusiastically endorse House Bill 1426. As an organization that delivers over 20,000,000 pounds of food to those in need, we often see the negative effects of the benefit cliff. Citizens should not be penalized financially for advancing their careers or obtaining a new job. The ability to taper benefits gradually will help our neighbors to reach greater heights without costing their personal budget. The proposed bill would allow people to continue to seek better opportunities without the possibility of lost wages. This benefit helps residents achieve self-sufficiency faster and for the long-term; further reducing dependence on the public welfare system in the future. Thank you for your consideration. Chris Tan President and CEO Foodbank of Southeastern VA and the Eastern Shore

The benefits cliff is defined as the point on the economic mobility path where those dependent on governmental benefits and entitlements increase income but not enough to cover the additional expenses associated with the loss of benefits. The benefits cliff emerged as an unanticipated consequence of implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), commonly referred to as Welfare to Work, the welfare reform legislation aimed to reduce dependency on government assistance and to increase self-sufficiency. Low income families often qualify for benefits that help to cover the cost of basic necessities, such as housing assistance, SNAP (food stamps) and subsidized childcare. The “Cliff Effect” occurs when families begin to lose benefits as their earnings increase. In most cases, the loss in benefits equates to significantly more than the increase in earnings. The result is that families earn more without improving their financial situation. Significant attention must be given to identifying the point where work pays off. The benefits cliff creates a poverty trap where the risks and gains of working become disincentives and barriers to self-sufficiency and economic mobility. The goal is to engage in revitalization efforts that index the assistance, so beneficiaries become eligible and prepared to cross the benefits cliff and become economically self-sufficient.