Good morning Chair Bulova and members of the Appropriations Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Subcommittee. I am here today on behalf of the members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 400. We represent over 10,000 members in Virginia who work in retail food, food service, food processing and healthcare. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this afternoon. UFCW Local 400 strongly supports HB 2016, which would protect the safety and health of Virginia workers and consumers. Paid family and medical leave policies are not only good for working families, but for the customers they serve. I served on a work group on this issue over the summer that took an in depth look at other states and jurisdictions that have adopted similar programs and their impact on budgets, employers, and employees. We also represent thousands of workers in the District of Columbia, which has a Paid Family Medical Leave Program in place. These programs work. They increase retention for employers, allow employees to take care of themselves and their families when needed, and have minimal or no long term impact on budgets because costs are covered by a tax on employers and employees. The study we did over the summer was comprehensive, and we thank Delegate Ayala for putting a bill together that reflects that work. Virginia's working families should not have to wait any longer for Paid Family and Medical Leave, something that is already the law in most of the rest of the world, and a growing majority of the country. We strongly support this bill and urge you to pass it and support it on the floor. Thank you.

American Airlines is opposed to the bill. Air carriers, given the unique nature of their workforce, as well as the FAA rules to which they must comply, negotiate CBAs on a national, 50-state basis. We seek, in all state benefits legislation and exemption for air carriers covered by the Railway Labor Act. Without that exemption, we are opposed to the bill.

Mr Chair and members of the Subcommittee, a paycheck is essential, but time to care for yourself and your family is irreplaceable. Paid Family and Medical Leave would mean Virginian's won’t have to choose between the two, and employers won’t have to lose workers when life happens. On behalf of our diverse coalition’s 80 grassroots partner organizations, and their members from across the commonwealth we ask that you SUPPORT HB 2016.

HB2016 is critical to the health and safety of Virginian and their children. As the child of a broken home, I know first hand what it’s like to be left at an activity without a ride and walk across town the few miles because my mother was to frazzled, working through illness, just to make ends meet.

HB2016 - Businesses will sink under this. Stop screwing up the economy because of your political agenda. HB2330 - The PIPP never ever should have been created. I am asked to pay tons of taxes after working a couple of decades, and then told there will be no money left for me in the system that is supposed to take care of me. That does not build up a nation.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on behalf of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association I want to share our thoughts and concerns related to HB2016. At VRLTA we maintain that it is in the best interest of every business to provide the best benefits to their employees that they can afford. This flexibility allows our members to offer benefits that they are financially able to provide. For example: • Almost 98 percent of hotels offer full time employees medical, dental, and vision insurance • Approximately 70 percent of hotels offer tuition reimbursement • Restaurants provide flexible work arrangements that allows individuals to set their own hours, and pick up additional time when they need it • Restaurants provide opportunity—8 in 10 restaurant owners say their first job in the restaurant industry was an entry level position • According to the USDOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, 94 percent of full-time civilian workers in the U.S. have access to some form of paid time off from work whether it's through vacation days, personal leave, sick leave, or family leave. It just isn’t specifically categorized as a “family leave” benefit. Imposing a new payroll tax or mandates on small businesses and those in the hospitality and tourism industries will cause these employers to reduce benefits and wages to offset the costs of this new mandatory paid leave program. It will stifle employment growth and it creates a disincentive to expand as a business. Many hotels and restaurants are small businesses, and according to Pew Research a majority of Americans recognize that forcing small businesses to provide paid leave would be harmful to these employers. According to Pew Research, when asked which benefit or work arrangement is or would be most helpful to them personally, respondents indicated flexibility with scheduling their work hours as the most preferred option. In addition, according to a survey conducted by the Cato Institute: • A majority of Americans (52%) oppose paid leave if it increases their taxes $450 or more a year. • 68% of Americans are opposed to paid leave if employers reduce other benefits (such as reduced health care benefits or fewer vacation days) • 60% of American’s oppose paid leave if they get smaller pay raises. • 62% of Americans oppose paid leave if workers who don’t use it still must pay for it. The Cato Institute survey also found that new mothers say flexible work schedules (22%) are more important than paid parental leave (12%). For these reasons, we are asking you to oppose HB2016 and other proposals mandating employers provide paid leave to employees.

Nearly all workers will need to take time away to deal with a serious personal or family illness, or to care for a new child or an aging parent. These life stages shouldn’t mean economic insecurity for Virginia’s workforce. Providing access to paid medical and family leave for Virginia’s workers would allow them to maintain economic security and ensure a healthier, more productive workforce in the Commonwealth. Just 44.7% of working adults in Virginia are estimated to be eligible for and able to afford to take unpaid leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). HB 2016 addresses this issue. The number of available family caregivers are projected to decline dramatically – which makes paid leave for those who can provide care an even more important priority. Paid family and medical leave would help keep family caregivers from having to make impossible choices between their families’ financial security and their health. Providing benefits though a state-administered fund for Virginia’s entire workforce would protect hard working families and level the playing field for small companies. What HB 2016 does: • Requires VEC to establish a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2024 • Funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning in 2023. • Cover 80% of a worker’s average weekly wages with an annually adjusted cap • Provide up to 12 weeks of funded benefits • Allows self-employed individuals to participate in the program Thank you for supporting HB 2016

Dear Members of the Virginia General Assembly: On behalf of the Coalition for a Strong Virginia Economy, our 31 business associations wish to express our position that it is crucial that the General Assembly avoid mandates and increased taxes on small businesses and instead looks for ways to help businesses recover. We respectively ask the committee not to move these bills forward. HB 1785 Ward HB 1977 Askew HB 2037 Tran HB 2040 Hudson HB 2015 Ayala HB 2016 Ayala HB 2103 Reid HB 2137 Guzman HB 2228 Guzman Best Regards, Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia Associated General Contractors of Virginia Delmarva Chicken Association Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Harrisonburg – Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Heavy Construction Contractors Association National Federation of Independent Business Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Northern Virginia Transportation Business Coalition Precast Concrete Association of Virginia Richmond Area Municipal Contractors Association Shellfish Growers of Virginia Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Virginia Agribusiness Council Virginia Association of Roofing Professionals Virginia Association for Home Care and Hospice Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association Virginia Contractor Procurement Alliance Virginia Forestry Association Virginia Forest Products Association Virginia Loggers Association Virginia Manufactured Association and Modular Housing Association Virginia Manufacturers Association Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Virginia Poultry Federation Virginia Retail Federation Virginia Seafood Council Virginia Trucking Association Virginia Veterinary Medical Association Virginia Wholesalers and Distributors Association Virginia Wineries Association

I am in support of bill HB 2016 Paid Family and Medical Leave. There are many benefits for both employers and families. In addition to economic security to families during life changing events; it helps increases employee morale, productivity, and labor force attachment. Studies show there are positive effects on infant and maternal health, reducing rates of infant mortality and stress and depression for mothers. Paid family leave can also promote gender equality if takes into account the importance of both parents’ time with children. Please pass HB 2016!

The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation supports HB2016 to create a paid family and medical leave program in Virginia so that workers do not have to struggle with financial stability when receiving treatment for cancer or other serious illnesses. Without access to paid medical leave, patients are faced with impossible choices during a time when they are at their most stressed and vulnerable. Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Board member, Renu Brennan is Bar Counsel at the Virginia State Bar. As a state employee, Renu was fortunate to have paid medical leave and the support of her employer during the almost 9 months of her treatment for breast cancer in 2019. Her employer was flexible and compassionate. She knew she had sick days she could use as necessary during the more punishing chemotherapy when she felt too sick to work: “I have no idea how someone going through breast cancer could function without the ability to take paid time off from work. Managing everything in your life during treatment is a precarious balancing act. The mental stress can be overwhelming. If I were faced with the additional stress of possibly losing my job or not getting paid, I’m not sure how I would have coped. All Virginians should be able to take the time off from their job when facing a disease like breast cancer or other serious illness and not have to worry about their financial situation.”

Businesses can't afford it. The Gov. bankrupted them, they can't afford it and you'll only put more folks out of work. Pity the ones in power have zero clue on how things affect the regular working folks.

I am writing to urge you to support the passing of House Bill 2016 Paid family and medical leave program; Virginia Employment Commission required to establish. As a community member and as a health sciences librarian, I see this bill as extremely important to our communities' health and well being. HB2016 would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave, having a significant impact on Virginia families. The Virginia NAACP stands firm in our long-held belief that paid family medical leave should be the rule and not the exception for Virginia’s working families. Especially during this global pandemic, Virginia workers should not be faced with the choice of keeping their jobs or quarantining at home to keep themselves and their communities safe. Virginians shouldn’t have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job, which is why I’m joining the Virginia State Conference NAACP in asking you to support this crucial legislation. Thank you for considering my views.

I represent the NAACP, which supports HB 2016 because of its beneficial impact on workers without private paid medical leave, mothers after childbirth, and persons who come to work ill with potential spread to others because they cannot afford to stay home without paid medical leave.

oppose all marked bills

I am writing in support of this bill because the economic well being of families is at stake. I know of several families who have lost half or all of their income due to the loss of personal days due to their having covid-19. One family lost both jobs because it was contracted at different times. The mother contracted it first, then the Dad, then a child and finally the mother again. No provisions were made for leave the second time around and the Dad lost his job also as a result. That family has no income, no public assistance and community organizations are their only hope. Please help your constituents during this trying time.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on behalf of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association I would like to take a moment to impart our concerns with HB2016, HB2103, and HB2137 that would require businesses provide paid sick leave, and family and medical leave. We believe the mandates in these measures and payroll tax requirements would create significant hardship for the hospitality and tourism industry. Rather, we are supportive of SB1219 from Senator Favola which would not mandate small businesses like restaurants, campgrounds, and hotels provide paid sick leave and family and medical leave. Instead, it would examine how to create a private market for the sale of family and medical leave insurance plans.

As a survivor of violent sexual assault, I was fortunate enough to have paid family and medical leave through my private employer. Not only did I require counseling but I needed 3 surgeries over time (with more to come in the future), and lots of physical therapy. It has been trying to say the least just to maintain my job, but were it not for these benefits, I would have been physically disabled and lost my home and my job. This was long before COVID-19, a virus which is only underscoring inequities and the need and demand for paid family and medical leave. One way we can thank our frontline and essential workers is to make certain they and every family in Virginia has access to paid family and medical leave. There has been a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about this bill with regard to small business, retailers, restaurant association, and by the Chamber of Commerce as to expense. And there needs to be much more education and knowledge sharing. E.g., for those making $70,000 annually, employees and employers would pay into a fund at a rate of $3 each/month. This is a negligible amount well worth the investment in Virginia families. Please think of the long-term costs associated with the negative consequences of NOT having such a program and let this bill go forward! I highly recommend this committee and all lawmakers view the documentary "Zero Weeks" which highlights the experiences of small business owners and citizens alike. This is the right thing to do and an act of humanity. Please, please vote yes on Delegate Ayala's HB 2016. We need paid family and medical leave now more than ever! Thank you for your consideration! -Lisa

On behalf of the frontline, essential Home Care and Public Service workers of SEIU Virginia 512, I write in support of HB 2015 and HB 2016. Working people -- home care providers, grocery employees, nurses, trash collectors, and more -- have been on the front lines of the pandemic, keeping our communites healthy, safe and moving forward. In order to serve the community while keeping themselves and their families safe, all working people need a living wage, paid leave, PPE and more. Delegate Ayala's bills are critical to protecting working families, building a resilient economy, and ensuring that Virginia can come out of the pandemic stronger than before. Thank you.

Regarding HB 2016 - I stand with the VA NAACP in urging your fully support for this bill HB2016 would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave, having a significant impact on Virginia families. Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

HB2016 / HB 2137: We appreciate the generous intent of the patrons, but the question here is not "Is this intent noble?" Rather, it's this: "Do we think Virginians should lose their decision rights on what they can afford to offer employees? Our problem with this legislation, and others like it, is that it assumes that businesses who don't offer paid-sick leave do so because they haven't been told to. In many cases, it's because they can't afford to, especially during the pandemic. For a business who is barely making ends meet, this unfunded mandate on them could literally put them out of business. I know countless business owners who didn't take a paycheck during the pandemic and barely kept their employees jobs alive. And many have told me personally that they pay their employees with the revenue from the day - and sometimes it's not even enough to cover the rate they agreed to and the business loses money trying to save these jobs. Our elected officials should trust Virginians. Virginians are doing the best they can with the best they have. Instead of empathizing with them, this legislation would rob them of their decision rights. For businesses like Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target with millions in daily profit margins, they won't notice the mandate because they can afford to do it or they can afford the political levers to get exempted. Small-businesses are struggling even more to compete with these major online retailers. This doesn't help them. It puts the weight of government mandates on their shoulder while many are already collapsing under the weight of the pandemic. And I urge you to consider whose opportunity to save their business will be taken away? These mandates disproportionately harm businesses with lower profit margins, lower revenue streams, and lower amounts of customers in lower income areas. In short, business owners who earn the least will be the first victims of trying to comply with a mandate that they can't afford. Small business owners who have survived thus far have completely repackaged their stores to comply with COVID-19 mandates, sought out new ways of getting their services to their customers, and suffered unprecedented lockdowns and managed to keep their business alive and their employees with a job. But wealthier businesses in suburbs have been proven to be doing better than businesses and restaurants in more impoverished areas that have managed to make it - in spite of the odds. So instead of trusting them to do what they can and think is best for the business to survive and protect their employees' jobs, this legislation would say "If you can't afford to do everything we have asked and now this - you should not be in business." You won't be telling this to wealthy businesses. You will be telling that to small businesses trying to serve communities where there are the least services and foot traffic. This is not the way. Lawmakers should find a way to work with the decision rights of small business owners - not take them. While the outcome is noble, the means will hurt poor business owners the most. We encourage you to rethink this approach. Thank you.

The economic challenges on small businesses are immense. Adding another financial obligation, no matter how well intended, is not sustainable today. Further, why are the dependents of employees an employers' responsibility? How do employers verify their employees' dependents' conditions? Why aren't employees asked to use all their other PTO before creating a new benefit?

I am writing to you on behalf of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI). We support sustainable PFML proposals that allow employers to provide benefits through self-funding, private disability income insurance or other insurance plans, or through other private means. We believe that the financial security of working Americans will be enhanced through the expansion of private-market paid leave to cover individuals during periods of short-term leave. Short-term Disability Provides Affordable and Effective Income Replacement The short-term disability industry provides employers and employees with an affordable and effective way to replace employees’ income if they are unable to work due to a serious medical condition and for a period following childbirth to enable new mothers to care for and bond with newborn children. Additionally, the disability industry currently manages other family and medical leave, such as non-birth parental leave. We believe that expanding coverage via incentives to enable more employers to offer paid leave or to expand the scope of existing paid leave is a better approach than a mandatory, state-run program that would significantly increase taxes, increase administrative costs and reduce tax revenues. We also believe that private market solutions – whether via insurance coverage, self-funded benefits by employers or some combination of the two, would protect more working Virginians, and would leverage the existing system that is already working well for many Virginia employers and employees. An Incentive-based Private Market Works An incentive-based, private market approach would also avoid the additional cost of creating new agencies to tax Virginians and to administer and pay covered leave. In two states that have recently considered state-run programs, Minnesota and Colorado, they estimated these costs would approach $900 million annually. Additionally, a state-run program would likely undermine the current private short-term disability marketplace in Virginia – resulting in a loss of premium tax revenue to the state, not to mention the adverse impact on several significant Virginia employers and other carriers who are national leaders in the disability industry. The ACLI and its members are committed to working with lawmakers and employers to expand private market solutions to provide more working Virginians with paid family and medical leave. We believe that policymaker action to enhance the availability of PFML is best done via proposals that strengthen employers’ ability to voluntarily implement a private a program by offering appropriate incentives rather than seeking the imposition of a state-run, employer-mandated proposal that does not allow employers to meet those coverage mandates with a private benefit plan. This will leverage the benefits already being provided by many Virginia employers through insurance and self-funded benefits and will expand that coverage to efficiently and effectively expand financial protection to working Virginians. For the foregoing reasons we oppose HB 2016 as it is currently drafted, but look forward to working with you on sustainable, private-market options to expand paid family and medical leave benefits to working Virginians.

The economic challenges on small businesses are immense. Adding another financial obligation, no matter how well intended, is not sustainable today. Studying the costs and benefits of this proposal is more appropriate. As such, the VMA opposes this legislation.

The reason this a needed & overdue provision to Virginia families is to secure the Virginia economy & welfare of its citizens. Working families are one $400 - $1000 sudden moment away from ruin. That can certainly look like a child with a disability that has to suddenly have crisis intervention services & be admitted into care. An adolescent that has an eating disorder then attempted suicide that now requires someone to be with them 24/7. Your grandchild that was in an auto accident that now requires hours of physical, occupational, & speech therapy to regain skills & needs a parent present, your child. Is it personal yet? It only seems to matter when it becomes personal. I am thrilled most of you have the resources to not need this. Real people, working families NEED this. Real-life happens to us & we need flexibility & security! I do not wish any of this upon any of you. I have seen parents lose jobs, make the choice to have to go to section 8 housing because they had to chose full-time caregiving over a career. Some have a misconception we chose to be in certain circumstances. We chose our children & their well being & mental health & safety above ourselves. I left a career personally as a pharmacy technician to care for my children full time. I would have just been fired otherwise for the amount of care they required & FMLA would have left us homeless. When you are on assistance you are assumed to be less than everyone. I can't tell you how condescending professionals & office staff are to Medicaid recipients. I've seen staff scream at ESL patients. Increased volume does not equal understanding. My point, This is necessary. We shouldn't have to continue to beg & justify. It is necessary, human decency that should be common sense. Stop making Virginians chose to afford, to live or die, or care for a loved one.

Universal paid family and medical leave is a business-boosting, but more importantly a small business boosting policy. A universal paid leave program is a tool that we can provide to help small businesses navigate the certain but sometimes unpredictable occasions when employees or business owners themselves need to take time away from work. If 2020 has shown us anything, it is: number one: we all—all of us—will need to take time away from work, whether that’s to recover from illness or care for a loved one, and this time is essential to our health and wellbeing; and number two: we are all best served—business owners, frontline workers, and the public at large—when we have a plan in place that allows people to step away from work without compounding the challenges that have called us away in the first place. Small businesses support this policy by a wide margin across party lines. When is the last time you could say that about a policy? 70% percent of Virginia small business owners—Republican and Democrat—think this bill should be a priority for lawmakers. Virginia will only keep its number one business-friendly ranking by listening to its business owners and creating smart policies that help small businesses compete with large ones, and helps all Virginia businesses compete with those in other localities, some of whom, like Washington, DC, have enacted paid leave programs already, while others, like Maryland, are considering doing so in this legislative session. Small businesses across the Commonwealth are desperate for lawmakers to show bold leadership to build our economy back stronger than before. Main Street Alliance members from across Virginia, from Roanoke to Alexandria, were eager to testify before the Committee today. But because of time limits on public comment, they will instead submit written testimony sharing how a paid leave program will help their businesses. Virginia small businesses need your support. And there is not a more small business-boosting bill this Committee will debate in 2021. Thank you.

My name is Natasha Crosby. I am a Richmond resident, a licensed realtor in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a small business owner and President of the Richmond LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. I am a sole proprietor. One of over 350,000 self-employed Virginians. Small businesses like mine drive the Virginia economy and we do it with no net below us, constantly at risk of a devastating freefall. Because of the lack of paid leave, my real estate business is one medical emergency from extinction, one sick spouse or sick parent away from losing revenue that could set me back years. I may be a sole-proprietor now, but like many others I am working tirelessly to grow my business, to expand, to hire, and to become a job-creator for more than just myself. I know that when my business has grown, attracting and keeping a talented staff of agents will be absolutely crucial to my success. Real estate is a person-to-person business, so I’ll be looking for the best people I can find. When I do hire staff, I want to make sure they are well-compensated, with access to a competitive benefits package. As a small business starting to grow, I won’t have the revenue to offer paid leave to my staff, giving larger competitors a leg up on me from the start. Private plans on the market like supplemental disability insurance, if they’re available at all—and they’re not available in all areas—are prohibitively costly and don’t provide the necessary benefits for the broad range of paid leave needs people can face. Simply put, they’re a poor substitute for a universal program, which is what Virginia needs if we truly want to level the playing field for business owners like me. A strong paid leave program will benefit my business. It will also benefit the 200+ members of the Richmond LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. Chamber members include businesses operating in all sectors of the Richmond economy, from law firms to retail shops to restaurants. Our members are devoted spouses, children and grandchildren, parents and grandparents, with caregiving responsibilities like those of all working Virginians. We need a strong paid leave program that allows our members to take the time they need to care for themselves and their loved ones. The Chamber is first and foremost a business organization that supports ideas that are good for business. Paid family and medical leave will help our members meet the leave challenges they face every day, challenges they are currently facing without the necessary support. The Chamber is also an organization that values the strength of community, one whose members have worked hard to build unity and support one another. Paid family and medical leave builds on that work and speaks to the importance that community plays in our organization, our businesses and our lives. I urge the Committee to support HB 2016 and help Virginia small businesses continue to thrive.

My name is Mike Hamlar and I own Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home in Roanoke. For three generations, my family’s business has served our neighbors in Roanoke during some of the most difficult times in their lives. We’re motivated every day to provide the care and comfort each one of us deserves during these trying moments. We’ve also done our best to extend that care to those who have chosen to work at our business. My uncle Lawrence was fond of saying, “Take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.” In the fifteen years since I’ve run our family business, I’ve tried to live by his advice every day. Which is why we strive to provide the best benefits we can for our employees, including medical, dental and vision insurance, and, importantly, paid leave for family and medical needs. If someone needs to take time away from work to recover or care for a loved one, we want them to take that time. We also want them to keep their bills paid and their families fed, so they earn their salary even while they’re out. We couldn’t ask our staff to care for our neighbors in their times of need and then abandon them when they themselves need support. Providing paid leave to our staff speaks to the values we’ve grown up with. But it’s also an investment in our business. Finding the right people to work in funeral services can be difficult. We need employees with strong interpersonal and emotional intelligence, staff members who can relate to people from all walks of life during some of the most trying moments in their lives. It’s not easy work, and it can be draining. Providing paid leave is one way we make sure we keep our great staff intact. We have employees who have been with us since just about the beginning. One has more than 50 years with the company, another more than 30. A third recently celebrated their 25th anniversary with us. And while I’m glad to provide paid leave to my employees, it’s a significant cost for us to bear as a small business. That's why I support House Bill 2016, a paid leave policy that would cover all working Virginians, those at small businesses and large ones. It would help lower costs for businesses like mine, allowing us to expand our services, hire more employees and increase wages and benefits. And while our family has made it a priority to provide paid leave, for many businesses, especially new and smaller ones, offering paid leave isn’t financially viable. As things stand, many businesses are forced to scramble when an employee needs to take time away from work. Most can’t afford to find thousands of dollars unexpectedly when an employee needs leave. A universal system puts this important benefit in reach for these businesses and their employees.

My name is Kay McCarthy and I own the Phoenix and Ruby, two retail clothing stores in the Carytown neighborhood of Richmond. I’ve been in the retail business for over 40 years and currently have four employees. After forty-two years in the retail clothing business, I know that my employees give 110% to our store. Having staff that shows that dedication, it’s important to me to support them in return. Giving my employees the chance to take time away from work and still be paid lets me show them that their hard work is appreciated. I wouldn’t run my business any other way. Over the years I’ve run my two stores, I’ve had a handful of employees need time away—for family reasons or to take care of their own health issues. I’ve always done everything I can to make sure they take the time they need without sacrificing their income. Not long ago, one employee needed to take two weeks to recover from a potentially serious health issue. They’d been with me for over five years and I knew that it wasn’t that they didn’t want to work—they couldn’t, with good reason. I didn’t think twice about giving them the time off with pay. Of course, it makes things more challenging. It’s difficult to juggle staffing and it’s a considerable cost to cover someone’s absence, even for two weeks. But I try to put myself in their position. If I’d been working for a business for several years and needed time off to recover from an illness, I hope I’d be able to do so without losing my income. As a small business, there are limits to what I can provide. Not long ago, another longtime employee underwent surgery. Complications from the procedure meant they were forced to miss three months of work. Of course I wanted to be able to provide their pay for the duration of their absence, but I simply couldn’t afford three months. In the end, I could provide a month of paid leave and two months of unpaid leave, making sure they had their position back when they were ready to return. It’s situations like these that make it so important we put a system in place to help small business owners and our employees meet these challenges. An affordable paid leave program would mean I could offer the leave my staff needs from time to time, rather than the partial leave I can afford on my own.

My name is Donna Welch and I own Let’s Meat on the Avenue, a butcher shop and specialty foods store in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. I’ve owned the business for over five years and we have three employees. Part of treating my employees right is making sure they f can take the time off they need—for vacation or to recover from illness. We offer employees with a year’s experience one week of paid time off they can use how they see fit. After two years, employees earn two weeks of paid time off. It’s what we can make work at our size, and I know it’s more than some of our competitors provide. But there have been times where it hasn’t been enough. Recently, an experienced staff member required surgery for a chronic neck condition that was causing him pain and limiting his ability to work. Doctors replaced several vertebrae in his neck, and, after a successful surgery, they ordered him to rest completely to fully recuperate. He’d been responsible and saved his paid time off—about two or three weeks—and was able to follow his doctors’ orders for that time. But when the time he’d saved had been used, he returned to work, not wanting to lose out on income. I’m sure he’d have taken more time if he’d had it, and I’m equally sure he wouldn’t disobey his doctors’ advice without a strong reason. But reality meant he was back at work only a short time after this major surgery, doing the type of intensive, physical work that I imagine his doctors would have preferred that he avoided for a while longer. We’re a small enough shop that when someone takes time off it affects all of us. When a key staff member takes time away, it can be a challenge to keep the business running smoothly, but we all pitch in to make it work. That said, the solutions we’ve come up with have their drawbacks. Other staff members pick up shifts, which I’m very thankful for. But that can mean paying overtime on top of the salary being paid to the employee on leave. At a business the size of mine, that can be an uncomfortably large increase in payroll expenses When it comes to paid leave, what we have now is an imperfect system cobbled together by individual businesses that doesn’t provide people sufficient leave, costs too much and leaves us small business owners working ourselves to the bone when an employee has a family obligation or health situation—common life events that everyone experiences. For businesses the size of mine, the math only adds up when we use the power of numbers that a universal system provides. Right now, the lack of a paid leave system holds small businesses back and leaves people choosing between their well being and their paycheck. An affordable, universal paid leave system will let employers like me give our employees the benefits we want to be able to provide and free us to keep looking for new opportunities to create jobs and serve our communities.

My name is Aaron Seyedian and I am the owner of Well-Paid Maids, a home cleaning company that operates in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. All of our employees earn at least $17 per hour and receive a full benefits package on their first day of employment. Until recently, we offered paid leave through 100% employer-paid short-term disability insurance and the benefits to our business are obvious. Our employees are happy, hardworking, and dependable in part because by offering paid leave we acknowledge the reality of everyday life – people fall ill, get injured, and have babies. By accommodating these facts of life with a benefit that recognizes them, our employees know that we have their backs. In turn, they offer better service to our customers and stay with the firm longer than I believe they otherwise would. This is not surprising - multiple studies of corporate and state paid leave programs show benefits such as increased employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity , as well as higher profits. In July 2019 I was able to cancel our private short-term disability insurance policy – I was really excited about that. These public programs offer broader coverage than what can be obtained in the private market but at nearly one-third of the cost of what I am paying now. It’s obvious why; by running this type of insurance as a public good, without profits to extract, the costs of providing it go down. In addition to the reduced cost, these state and local programs provide for family leave, something that I am unable to obtain for my employees through private insurance. At .5% of payroll, the cost of paid family and medical leave in Virginia is negligible compared to its enormous benefits and I would be skeptical of any business or business group that claims this is unduly burdensome on employers. What’s burdensome, not just for employers, but employees and the community, is not having a state program. The sky is not going to fall on small business owners if Virginia passes paid family and medical leave. In fact, as a business owner who pays $17 per hour, offers 22 paid days off per year, and provides paid leave I can tell you that the sky will not fall if Virginia is bold enough to not only pass paid family and medical leave but paid sick days and a higher minimum wage as well.

I support HB2016 on behalf of the NAACP, VSC and Branch 7058 in Culpeper.VA because: HB2016 would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave, having a significant impact on Virginia families. Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

Paid sick leave is good for business and the larger community. It incentivizes workers to remain with a business in loyalty to a business that cares about employee well-being. it can be more important than a raise. Indirectly, it is good for teachers who know first hand that parents with no sick leave often send a sick child to school after loading them with aspirin or other drug to lower their temperature temporarily and then manifest their fever at school where the school has to tend to them. Parents do this because they can't afford the luxury of staying home with the child while being unpaid at their job. My son is a teacher; I know this is true. Finally, my spouse worked i health care for more than 30 years. For many years, she worked at a local hospital that did not provide sick leave for the first three days; missing three days of pay was potentially devastating financially for our family, and we were both professionals. How much more so for someone on the lower rungs of salary. Paid sick leave supports not only the marginalized; it protects and supports the larger community when such workers don't have to make such terrible decisions. I hope you will support this bill; it is good for all of us.

Virginians should not have to decide between a pay check/not losing job and staying home while sick. The current pandemic has overwhelmingly proven the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation. Please vote yes!

• HB2016 would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave, having a significant impact on Virginia families. • Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation

Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

There has never been a more important moment to support each other than right now. This is our moment to do the right thing in supporting families and each other. I know that there is valid concern about the cost and it will have a substantial price tag. We are hesitant to pay an upfront cost that sounds daunting without considering the hidden costs that costs all of much more over time. We pay for sick people going to work sick and missing work in real hard costs - higher costs in emergency room visits and unnecessary unemployment, not to mention those mire subtle indirect costs like lost productivity, lost and/or delayed employmement opportunities and advancement, people falling out of the employment market. All are happening right now and we have a collective responsibility to act. Please act and support HB2016,

Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

Why we are supporting HB2016 - Paid Family & Medical Leave HB2016 would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave, having a significant impact on Virginia families. Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

Vir.jginia State Conference of NAACP as you to support HB2016 Why we are supporting HB2016 - Paid Family & Medical Leave HB2016 would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave program with benefits beginning January 1, 2024. Under the program, benefits are paid to eligible employees for family and medical leave, having a significant impact on Virginia families. Virginians shouldn't have to decide whether to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. The current pandemic has exacerbated the need for paid sick days and paid family leave, which is why we support this crucial legislation.

Virginians shouldn’t have to adhere to public health guidelines or prioritize their job. There is a dire need for paid sick days and paid family leave. This is crucial legislation that if passed can significantly impact Virginia families in a positive manner.

Virginia NOW - a 50+ year old organization in Virginia, with 3,000 women and men members throughout the Commonwealth - supports both a sick leave program (HB2137) and a paid family and medical leave program (HB2016). The COVID-19 pandemic has made it very clear that families and individuals must have the short-term sick leave and long-term medical leave they need to return to work safely when they are healthy. We harm entire communities by making it difficult for persons who are ill to recover before returning to a job. The program proposed in HB2016 is not a giveaway; funding for the program is provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning in 2023. The amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage. The measure caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year. The bill provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program. This is the right thing to d o and now is the right time to do it!

I support this bill to make our lives better!

Paid medical and family leave is the single most important thing that can be done for gender equity in this country. The US is the only advanced economy that does not value families enough to provide for time to care for newborns and ill family members. As a physician, I took off 6 weeks without pay for each of my 3 newborns to establish my milk supply and recover from pregnancy before seeing patients again. I was privileged enough to still be able to pay my mortgage and my practice overhead. Repeatedly I saw my patients have to make difficult decisions about whether to nurse their newborns, to quit a job they enjoyed to stay home, or to go back too soon to pay their rent and feed their kids. US policy is an embarrassment amongst nations. It is wrong for parents, it is wrong for our children and families. Support HB 2016.

The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce opposes this bill. A 12 week paid medical leave program would be extraordinarily difficult for many employers to plan for and deal with. Many employers already offer paid time off benefits that work for employees and employers, and this proposed framework will drastically change those existing programs.

We are writing on behalf of the more than 1,000 members of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Virginia in 24 branches in the Commonwealth of Virginia, to urge your support for HB 2016 that will provide for the establishment of a paid family and medical leave program in Virginia. Unlike most developed countries worldwide, the U.S. does not guarantee extended paid time off (weeks, not days) for illness, family care, or parental leave. The situation has become more acute for people in the “sandwich” generation, i.e., caring for aging parents and for children. Without these policies, balancing the responsibilities of work and family can be difficult for employees, negatively impacting productivity, making recovery from major illnesses or injuries difficult, and in some cases, inhibiting the healthy development of children. The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) made it possible for some, but not all, employees to take time away from work, up to 12 weeks, without pay to deal with serious personal or family illness or to care for a new child, with protection for their position. Many workers cannot afford to take unpaid leave, however, without endangering their economic security. As women already face a real pay gap, many are forced to return to work before they are ready. At some point, most workers will need time away from work to deal with a serious personal or family illness of to care for a new child. This is not a situation that affects only women. The situation becomes more acute for those individuals in the “sandwich” generation, i.e., caring for aging parents and for children. Why HB 2016 is Important for All Virginians: • A paid family and medical leave program will make it possible for women to stay home with newborns and young children, increasing parents’ ability to attend medical visits and decrease infant and post-neonatal mortality rates. • It allows ill or injured adults time to recover and gives family members (men and women) time to care for sick relatives, including older family members with health problems. • This, in turn, helps those individuals recover from illness and avoid complications, reducing hospital readmissions and health costs. • Racial health and economic disparities are compounded by the lack of access to paid family and medical leave. Women of color suffer most from the continuation of these disparities and challenges. • A well-designed paid family and medical leave program provided through public policies has the potential to strengthen economic security for Virginia’s families, especially its families of color We hope we can count on the Committee’s support for HB 2016. It is good for Virginia’s workers and families, and it will help businesses retain their workers. Susan Burk Denise Murden Co-Vice Presidents for Public Policy AAUW-VA

Voices for Virginia's Children supports HB2016 offering paid family medical leave. Parents and caregivers deserve to have a choice between caring for their family and earning a paycheck. Parents and caregivers who need to care for sick children, new mothers without maternity leave coverage and parents experiencing their own health emergencies need to have access to paid time off to ensure their families don't experience additional economic hardship when they experience illness or health emergencies. Please help families in Virginia balance their health and economic security by offering paid leave programs for parents and caregivers.

As a mother and grandmother who worked from age 16 to 71, supporting two children, caring for an aging mother, I know from personal experience that paid family and medical leave is essential for the health and well-being of women and children, and it is absolutely critical for low-income families during this pandemic! Parents must work to support their families and many do not get paid if they stay home when they or their family members are sick. Being forced by economic necessity to work while sick exposes others to infection at a time when a deadly virus is rapidly infecting our communities. Urgency has recently increased with the need to protect against an even more infectious variant of the original COVID19 virus. Please pass this essential help for essential workers and their families in the Commonwealth. Let's make Virginia the shining beacon of the South, saving lives, providing basic human rights and dignity for all, and lifting families up out of poverty.

On behalf of the more than 1,000 members of the American Association of University Women of Virginia in 24 branches around the Commonwealth, we urge the Committee on Labor and Commerce to support HB 2016 that will provide for the establishment of a paid family and medical leave program in Virginia. AAUW of Virginia is committed to achieving equity for women and girls and creating a secure economic future for all Virginians. At some point, most workers will need time away from work to deal with a serious personal or family illness or to care for a new child. The situation becomes more acute for those individuals in the “sandwich” generation, i.e., those caring for aging parents and children simultaneously. The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was an important step to protect an employee’s position during an extended leave without pay. Many workers, especially women who are already disadvantaged by the gender pay gap, cannot afford to lose pay while caring for a new baby or an aging parent and are forced to return to work prematurely. Racial and economic disparities in health are compounded by the lack of access to paid family and medical leave. Women of color suffer most from the continuation of these disparities and challenges. A well-designed paid family and medical leave program provided through public policies has the potential to strengthen economic security for Virginia’s families, especially families of color. Strong, economically secure families strengthen our communities and our economy • Mothers and fathers can stay home with newborns and young children, increasing parents’ ability to attend medical visits and thus decreasing infant and post-neonatal mortality rates. • Injured adults have time to recuperate and successfully return to their jobs, helping businesses to retain valued employees and maintain peak productivity. • Family members have time to care for sick relatives of all ages, helping them recover from illness and avoid complications, thus reducing hospital readmissions and health costs. We urge the House of Delegates to support this important bill. Susan Burk and Denise Murden Co-Vice Presidents for Public Policy AAUW-VA

Legal Aid Justice Center supports this bill, because each of its four provisions makes Virginia’s unemployment insurance system work better for workers. Codifying that Virginia won’t stop benefits to people when a question of eligibility comes up just makes sense. That’s what the VEC recently implemented, and what the constitution and federal law requires. Virginia should also join the 42 jurisdictions that already allow waiver of overpayments in some circumstances. When folks are facing crushing debts, they should have a chance at relief. In the current pandemic, this is more important than ever. Also, we should strengthen the incentives for employers who want to participate in unemployment claims, to do that timely and adequately. Nebraska tells employers that if they delay on a claim, without a good reason for that delay, they lose the opportunity to appeal it. That’s fair and reasonable. And we should make sure that Virginians actually owe an overpayment, before they are told they do. Telling Virginians that they owe overpayments, even if an underlying issue is under appeal or within the appeal period, is premature. It causes confusion for claimants, violates due process, and creates additional work for the VEC. We hope the committee will support this bill, because it makes important steps forward. Thank you for your consideration.

Dear Members of the Virginia General Assembly: On behalf of the Coalition for a Strong Virginia Economy, our 31 business associations wish to express our position that it is crucial that the General Assembly avoid mandates and increased taxes on small businesses and instead looks for ways to help businesses recover. We respectively ask the committee not to move these bills forward. HB 1785 Ward HB 1977 Askew HB 2037 Tran HB 2040 Hudson HB 2015 Ayala HB 2016 Ayala HB 2103 Reid HB 2137 Guzman HB 2228 Guzman Best Regards, Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia Associated General Contractors of Virginia Delmarva Chicken Association Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Harrisonburg – Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Heavy Construction Contractors Association National Federation of Independent Business Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Northern Virginia Transportation Business Coalition Precast Concrete Association of Virginia Richmond Area Municipal Contractors Association Shellfish Growers of Virginia Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Virginia Agribusiness Council Virginia Association of Roofing Professionals Virginia Association for Home Care and Hospice Virginia Automatic Merchandising Association Virginia Contractor Procurement Alliance Virginia Forestry Association Virginia Forest Products Association Virginia Loggers Association Virginia Manufactured Association and Modular Housing Association Virginia Manufacturers Association Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Virginia Poultry Federation Virginia Retail Federation Virginia Seafood Council Virginia Trucking Association Virginia Veterinary Medical Association Virginia Wholesalers and Distributors Association Virginia Wineries Association

HB1977 - If someone gets something they've not earned, it should be returned. HB2037- remove (iii) and I'd support. "Belief" is not fact. HB2040 - support HB2103 - if we had the economy before Virginia's rulers ruined our economy, maybe, but this is NOT something to put in when our economy is trashed, the G A is raising minimum wage. Stop killing small business and making our taxes go sky high with legislation that has failed Commieformia to having 1/2 the homeless USA population, and sent people moving out of the state to live.

Chairman Torian and Members of the Committee, AARP Virginia supports HB2053 introduced by Del. Samirah. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are a common-sense solution that allows homeowners more freedom concerning their property and diversifies neighborhoods in terms of housing stock and households. ADUs help address issues relating to helping older homeowners, single parents, young home buyers, and renters seeking a wider range of home, prices, rents, and locations. Furthermore, they provide a convenient living arrangement for family members or other persons to provide care and support for someone in a semi-independent living arrangement while remaining in their community, which is particularly important during health emergencies like the current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to assess the construction of internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units as a strategy to address the Commonwealth’s growing demand for affordable and market-rate housing. House Bill 2053 brings expert stakeholders, community leaders, and pertinent governmental organizations together to report to the State a clear understanding of the ADU stock in Virginia and how localities could implement ADU ordinances. AARP Virginia urges you to pass HB2053 and looks forward to being named as a member of the advisory group. Respectfully submitted, Natalie Snider AARP Virginia State Advocacy Director

HB2053 – Samirah – ADU study – Support (CSG+PSG+SELC) We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. Recently, the City Council of Alexandria Virginia voted 6 to 1 to adopt an ADU ordinance making it easier for homeowners to build backyard cottages and in-home apartments. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. One mid-size U.S. city is producing 500 ADUs per year. The information gathered in this study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs.

VCN is fully in support of HB 2053.

We at VCN are in full support of HB 2053.

We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. At CSG we have produced a how-to guide for ADUs in DC and are supporting them in Northern Virginia. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. One mid-size U.S. city is producing 500 ADUs per year. The information gathered in this study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs.

Mr Chair and members of the Subcommittee, GNDVA hopes you will support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. Flexibility in housing makes sense for environmental, lifestyle, and financial reasons. Though many people buy houses and live in them for decades, their actual needs change over time.  But the way that houses are currently built doesn’t reflect those changes, especially the way households may spend decades with just 1 or 2 members.  Many houses are too big for 1- or 2-person households, and size is probably the biggest single factor in the environmental impact of a house. If you have a reasonably sized house, and an even more reasonably sized ADU, you’ve likely got a pretty green combination with some social benefits as well.  You could have your best friend, your mother, or your grown child live with you. This kind of flexibility and informal support could really help as Virginia’s population ages.  Most people want to stay in their homes as they age, but finances and design can be problematic. ADU’s could help aging people meet their needs without moving. Thank you for your consideration.

Chair Bulova and Members of the Committee, AARP Virginia supports House Bill 2053 introduced by Del. Samirah. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are a common-sense solution that allows homeowners more freedom concerning their property and diversifies neighborhoods in terms of housing stock and households. ADUs help address issues relating to helping older homeowners, single parents, young home buyers, and renters seeking a wider range of home, prices, rents, and locations. Furthermore, they provide a convenient living arrangement for family members or other persons to provide care and support for someone in a semi-independent living arrangement while remaining in their community, which is particularly important during health emergencies like the current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to assess the construction of internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units as a strategy to address the Commonwealth’s growing demand for affordable and market-rate housing. House Bill 2053 brings expert stakeholders, community leaders, and pertinent governmental organizations together to report to the State a clear understanding of the ADU stock in Virginia and how localities could implement ADU ordinances. AARP Virginia urges you to pass HB2053 and looks forward to being named as a member of the advisory group. Respectfully submitted, Natalie Snider AARP Virginia State Advocacy Director

Home Builders Association of Virginia Supports HB 2053

We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. The City of Alexandria Council recently voted 6 to 1 to approve ADUs throughout the city, and some other jurisdictions are studying ADUs. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. One mid-size U.S. city is producing 500 ADUs per year, contributing to meeting urgent housing needs, The information gathered from this state ADU study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs. Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth; Sonya Breehey, CSG Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager (resident of Fairfax County).

VCN would like to offer its full support of HB 2053 from Delegate Samirah. Accessory dwelling units are a critical housing option for many Virginians, especially seniors who would like to age in place. A study to investigate how to expand their usage in Virginia in an environmentally conscious way would be a good addition to our state's housing strategy.

The Virginia Conservation Network is in full support of both bills being brought forward today by Delegate Samirah. One of the biggest culprits of climate change is buildings. They create about 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Today, the global building floor area is about 2.4 trillion square feet; and this number is expected to double by 2060. This means that for the next 40 years, we’ll be adding the equivalent of another New York City to the planet every 34 days. To stop climate change, the way of building and city planning have to change. Both HB 2052 & HB 2053 can help Virginia begin to change the way it builds to be both more sustainable and affordable. By considering the impacts of climate change in their normal land conservation activities, land trusts can provide strategic investments and effective land management to help reduce the vulnerability of natural areas, working lands, and the human communities that depend on them. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) provide Virginians with more housing options that are typically smaller, more affordable, and closer to family. Launching a statewide stakeholder study is the first step to figuring out how we can better incorporate ADUs into our statewide housing stock to fill in the housing gaps for young couples, seniors who would like to age in place, and many more Virginians in need of safe, accessible shelter.

HB2052 -- Please withdraw our testimony in support. Late breaking information from a local Richmond land trust indicates that not all legal issues have been worked out. HB2053 -- We maintain our support via the comments we submitted a few minutes ago.

HB2052 – Samirah – Land Banks – Support. (CSG + PSG) We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2052 as a critical tool in the effort to revitalize towns, cities, and older suburbs, while increasing the supply of critically needed affordable housing. We support the amendment ensuring that the bill is only applied to tax-delinquent properties if the tax lien on the property exceeds the assessed value of the property. This bill will enable non-profit organizations to acquire for land needed to rehabilitate homes or build new affordable homes for our essential workforce. By removing the cost of land it will help ensure homes are affordable at lower income levels. This bill will also ensure that land and buildings are returned to the tax rolls. This bill is pro-economic development, pro-housing, pro-equity, and pro-smart growth. Thank you. HB2053 – Samirah – ADU study – Support (CSG+PSG+SELC) We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. At CSG we have produced a how-to guide for ADUs in DC and are supporting them in Northern Virginia. Alexandria City Council recently voted 6 to 1 to permit ADUs. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They are pro-property rights and they provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. One mid-size U.S. city is producing 500 ADUs per year. The information gathered in this study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs. Thank you.

Chair Heretick and Members of the Committee, AARP Virginia supports both HB2052 and HB2053 introduced by Del. Samirah. Land Banks are growing in popularity around the country and here in Virginia. House Bill 2052 provides localities with the option to set up or interact with an established community land bank under the Land Bank Entities Act (§ 8 15.2-7500 et seq.). This measure gives these land trusts the first right of refusal on all tax delinquent properties going to auction and is amended to ensure that the bill is only applied to tax-delinquent properties if the tax lien exceeds the property's assessed value. AARP Virginia urges you to pass HB2052 as it is a good step towards addressing housing needs. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are a common-sense solution that allows homeowners more freedom concerning their property and diversifies neighborhoods in terms of housing stock and households. ADUs help address issues relating to helping older homeowners, single parents, young home buyers, and renters seeking a wider range of home, prices, rents, and locations. Furthermore, they provide a convenient living arrangement for family members or other persons to provide care and support for someone in a semi-independent living arrangement while remaining in their community, which is particularly important during health emergencies like the current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to assess the construction of internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units as a strategy to address the Commonwealth’s growing demand for affordable and market-rate housing. House Bill 2053 brings expert stakeholders, community leaders, and pertinent governmental organizations together to report to the State a clear understanding of the ADU stock in Virginia and how localities could implement ADU ordinances. AARP Virginia urges you to pass HB2053 and looks forward to being named as a member of the advisory group. Respectfully submitted, Natalie Snider AARP Virginia State Advocacy Director 804-344-3063 nsnider@aarp.org

AARP Virginia supports HB2052, HB2053, and HB2054, presented by Del. Samirah. Land Banks are growing in popularity around the country and here in Virginia. HB2052 provides localities with the option to set up or interact with an established community land bank under the Land Bank Entities Act (§ 8 15.2-7500 et seq.). This measure gives these land trusts the first right of refusal on all tax delinquent properties going to auction. It is a good step towards addressing housing needs. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are a common-sense solution that allows homeowners more freedom concerning their property and diversifies neighborhoods in terms of housing stock and households. ADUs help address issues relating to helping older homeowners, single parents, young home buyers, and renters seeking a wider range of home, prices, rents, and locations. Furthermore, they provide a convenient living arrangement for family members or other persons to provide care and support for someone in a semi-independent living arrangement while remaining in their community, which is particularly important during health emergencies like the current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to assess the construction of internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units as a strategy to address the Commonwealth’s growing demand for affordable and market-rate housing. HB2053 brings expert stakeholders, community leaders, and pertinent governmental organizations together to report to the State a clear understanding of the ADU stock in Virginia and how localities could implement ADU ordinances. AARP Virginia looks forward to being named as a member of this work group. HB2054 addresses increased city and county planning for transit-oriented development to include limiting parking requirements to encourage public transit use and increased density around our metropolitan areas. It is important to revise parking policies to create walkable, mixed-use communities that support public transportation use, generate revenue, and reduce the cost of housing. These are common-sense options to explore as a state, and we believe that support of these bills would be in the best interest of our Commonwealth's working families. We have shared these comments previously with Del. Kory, Del. Heretick, and Speaker Filler-Corn. Thank you for your consideration of our recommendations. I can be reached at 804-344-3063 or nsnider@aarp.org should you have questions or concerns. Respectfully submitted, Natalie Snider State Advocacy Director AARP Virginia

The Southern Environmental Law Center supports Delegate Samirah’s HB2053, which calls for a study of the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the Commonwealth. ADUs offer multiple benefits, including providing much-needed diversity of housing stock and households (such as helping to meet the pressing needs of housing for aging parents and providing more affordable places for adult children or other community members to live) and helping to slow the spread of sprawl and the destruction of farmland and natural resources by allowing more housing units within existing neighborhoods. HB2053 provides a path to assessing the value of greater adoption of provisions to allow ADUs, bringing key stakeholders together to develop information on the status and barriers to ADUs in Virginia, as well as potential steps to encourage or require creating more of this housing stock. This is a process well worth pursuing, and SELC urges you to support this bill. Thank you.

HB2052 – Samirah – Land Banks -- Support We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2052 as a critical tool in the effort to revitalize towns, cities, and older suburbs, while increasing the supply of critically needed affordable housing. This bill will enable non-profit organizations to acquire for $1 land needed to rehabilitate homes or build new affordable homes for our essential workforce. By removing the cost of land it will help ensure homes are affordable at lower income levels. This bill will also ensure that land and buildings are returned to the tax rolls. This bill is pro-economic development, pro-housing, pro-equity, and pro-smart growth. Thank you. HB2053 – Samirah – ADU study -- Support We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. At CSG we have produced a how-to guide for ADUs in DC and are supporting them in Northern Virginia. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. One mid-size U.S. city is producing 500 ADUs per year. The information gathered in this study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs. HB2054 – Samirah – TOD -- Support We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2054 – Transit-oriented development (TOD) – amendments. TOD is one of the most effective local economic development strategies we have. Think Amazon. Amazon selected the most transit rich location it could find – with 3 Metro stations, Amtrak, commuter rail, and bus. But it’s also the case that TOD locations are much in demand in Norfolk, Richmond, Fairfax, and North Carolina and other parts of the U.S. by the next generation workforce and companies. Marriott moved from an office park to a Metro station. VW is moving from an office park to Reston Metro Station. TOD communities are also great locations for new housing – where transportation costs are minimized. Because of the ease of using transit, walking and biking, and the access to jobs and services, parking can and should be reduced in TODs. Doing so also increases the affordability of housing because a structured parking space can cost $30,000 to $50,000. Not surprisingly builders are looking for flexibility to reduce parking and building costs. Therefore, we support the amendment to the TOD statute passed last year: reducing, modifying, or waiving local parking requirements or ratios. We also support removing the requirement that density be reduced elsewhere. The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way to grow and provide opportunities for all. We are 23-years-old and also work in many other areas of Virginia assisting local groups and officials with sustainable land use, transportation and housing policies.

The Southern Environmental Law Center supports Delegate Samirah’s HB2053, which calls for a study of the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the Commonwealth. ADUs offer multiple benefits, including providing much-needed diversity of housing stock and households (such as helping to meet the pressing needs of housing for aging parents and providing more affordable places for adult children or other community members to live) and helping to slow the spread of sprawl and the destruction of farmland and natural resources by allowing more housing units within existing neighborhoods. HB2053 provides a path to assessing the value of greater adoption of provisions to allow ADUs, bringing key stakeholders together to develop information on the status and barriers to ADUs in Virginia, as well as potential steps to encourage or require creating more of this housing stock. This is a process well worth pursuing, and SELC urges you to support this bill. Thank you.

HB2052 We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2052 as a critical tool in the effort to revitalize towns, cities, and older suburbs, while increasing the supply of critically needed affordable housing. This bill will enable non-profit organizations to acquire for $1 land needed to rehabilitate homes or build new affordable homes for our essential workforce. By removing the cost of land it will help ensure homes are affordable at lower income levels. This bill will also ensure that land and buildings are returned to the tax rolls. This bill is pro-economic development, pro-housing, pro-equity, and pro-smart growth. HB2053 We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. ADUs are an affordable housing solution that strengthens the private market for housing and allows people who may not otherwise be able to afford homes the opportunity to build equity. The information gathered in this study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs. HB2054 We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2054 – Transit-oriented development (TOD) – amendments. TOD is one of the most effective local economic development strategies we have. Amazon, for example, selected the most transit rich location it could find – with 3 Metro stations, Amtrak, commuter rail, and bus. But it’s also the case that TOD locations are much in demand in Norfolk, Richmond, Fairfax, and North Carolina and other parts of the U.S. by the next generation workforce and companies. TOD communities are also great locations for new housing – where transportation costs are minimized. Because of the ease of using transit, walking and biking, and the access to jobs and services, parking can and should be reduced in TODs. Doing so also increases the affordability of housing because a structured parking space can cost $30,000 to $50,000. Not surprisingly builders are looking for flexibility to reduce parking and building costs. Therefore, we support the amendment to the TOD statute passed last year: reducing, modifying, or waiving local parking requirements or ratios. We also support removing the requirement that density be reduced elsewhere.

HB2052 – Samirah – Land Banks -- Support We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2052 as a critical tool in the effort to revitalize towns, cities, and older suburbs, while increasing the supply of critically needed affordable housing. This bill will enable non-profit organizations to acquire for $1 land needed to rehabilitate homes or build new affordable homes for our essential workforce. By removing the cost of land it will help ensure homes are affordable at lower income levels. This bill will also ensure that land and buildings are returned to the tax rolls. This bill is pro-economic development, pro-housing, pro-equity, and pro-smart growth. Thank you. HB2053 – Samirah – ADU study -- Support We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2053 to study the status and potential for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Virginia. At CSG we have produced a how-to guide for ADUs in DC and are supporting them in Northern Virginia. ADUs have many benefits including providing homes for an aging parent (which is of increased interest given the health challenges in nursing homes), a returning college graduate starting out, or a member of the community looking for a more affordable place to live. ADUs can provide a stream of income to allow a family to afford their home or a retiree to supplement their income. They provide greater diversity and affordability to our housing supply. One mid-size U.S. city is producing 500 ADUs per year. The information gathered in this study will help local governments to develop and improve their ADU ordinances and address growing housing needs. HB2054 – Samirah – TOD -- Support We strongly support Delegate Samirah’s bill HB2054 – Transit-oriented development (TOD) – amendments. TOD is one of the most effective local economic development strategies we have. Think Amazon. Amazon selected the most transit rich location it could find – with 3 Metro stations, Amtrak, commuter rail, and bus. But it’s also the case that TOD locations are much in demand in Norfolk, Richmond, Fairfax, and North Carolina and other parts of the U.S. by the next generation workforce and companies. Marriott moved from an office park to a Metro station. VW is moving from an office park to Reston Metro Station. TOD communities are also great locations for new housing – where transportation costs are minimized. Because of the ease of using transit, walking and biking, and the access to jobs and services, parking can and should be reduced in TODs. Doing so also increases the affordability of housing because a structured parking space can cost $30,000 to $50,000. Not surprisingly builders are looking for flexibility to reduce parking and building costs. Therefore, we support the amendment to the TOD statute passed last year: reducing, modifying, or waiving local parking requirements or ratios. We also support removing the requirement that density be reduced elsewhere. About CSG: The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way to grow and provide opportunities for all. We are 23-years-old and also work in many other areas of Virginia assisting local groups and officials with sustainable land use, transportation and housing policies.

I urge you to pass HB 2074. VEJA’s EJ policy declaration alone and current public participation requirements do not provide for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of Virginians in agencies' environmental decisions and actions. This is demonstrated by the persistent environmental injustices related to the siting of fossil fuel infrastructure, landfills, and other environmentally hazardous activities in environmental justice communities. Thank you!

On behalf of our nearly 10,000 paying members all across the Commonwealth, NRDC supports this important equity reform.

Mr Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, SUPPORT Delegate Simond’s HB 2074 Omnibus Environmental Justice Bill. HB 2074 strengthens the Virginia Environmental Justice Act of 2020 which established the promotion of environmental justice as the official policy of the Commonwealth. Although Virginia now has a basic EJ policy, DEQ still needs the guidance, regulations, trainings, and tools necessary to ensure EJ is carried out and to close historic structural gaps in their public engagement, program administration, permitting, regulation development, and regulatory enforcement. This Bill authorizes agencies when making environmental-related decisions to adopt policies designed to mitigate disproportionately adverse and cumulative environmental impacts on environmental justice communities at the state and local level over the next two years. HB 2074’s local government requirements support DEQ Director David Paylor's commitment, after the completion of VDEQ’s 18-month study in October, “to coordinate with local and state government agencies to ensure alignment with environmental justice policies”. On behalf of our diverse coalition’s 80 grassroots partner organizations, and their members from across the commonwealth, we hope you will support this Bill and vote to give the Department of Environmental Quality the tools necessary and clear authority to deny permits, based on environmental justice impacts and cumulative impacts. This authority is critical to any effort to improve DEQ's consideration of environmental justice in their environmental permitting processes. Thank you for your consideration.

Strengthen Environmental Justice this year! Support HB 2074 which embed environmental justice strategies in state agencies. It's time for the state of Virginia to consider EJ when making decisions that impact us!

The Omnibus Environmental Justice Bill builds on the Virginia Environmental Justice Act of 2020 which established the promotion of environmental justice as the official policy of the Commonwealth. The Bill authorizes agencies when making environmental-related decisions to adopt policies designed to mitigate disproportionately adverse and cumulative environmental impacts on environmental justice communities at the state and local level over the next two years. In short, this legislation helps operationalize environmental justice as the policy and practice of the Commonwealth. CCAN Action Fund supports this legislation.

As the Northern Virginia Conservation Advocate for the Audubon Naturalist Society, I’m emailing you to ask for your SUPPORT of HB2074, a bill to amend the Virginia Environmental Justice Act and make the EJ Interagency Working Group a permanent body. For Virginia to be truly equitable, it is critical that state agencies adopt and implement specific environmental justice policies and regulations that consider not only disproportionate, but also cumulative impacts to thoroughly evaluate their historic and anticipated effects. This is particularly significant for environmental activities near low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities that are impacted by several environmental risks and harms simultaneously. This bill contains a slew of important recommendations to help ensure Virginia is more environmentally just. One important part if this bill is giving the Department of Environmental Quality clear authority to deny permits, based on environmental justice impacts and cumulative impacts. Please ensure this aspect is retained. This authority is critical to any effort to improve DEQ's consideration of environmental justice in the environmental permitting processes. I ask you to once again SUPPORT HB2074. Thank you for your consideration!

Please support HB 2074 (Del. Simonds), which seeks to address environmental justice (EJ) concerns that are present in Virginia. An important component of HB 2074 is the requirement that certain state secretariats develop an EJ policy that agencies within that secretariat must adhere to. These EJ policies will require the covered agencies to consider where agency actions might have an adverse impact on an EJ community in the Commonwealth, and also to improve public outreach processes for agency actions that carry EJ concerns. HB 2074 also prompts localities to develop a similar understanding of where EJ communities are located, and asks these localities to strategize around reducing harms to those EJ communities. Ultimately, this bill seeks to embed EJ-thinking into the very framework of community planning at the local level, in the work of state agencies and within the executive branch of government, through the Interagency WG on EJ (which is currently only a temporary body). HB 2074 makes reasonable and prudent demands upon state and local government by ensuring that EJ concerns are more fully understood -- and addressed -- by a range of state agencies.

Adding a citizen member from the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice and the state Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the state’s EJ Interagency Working Group in leadership positions is critical to help and hold agencies accountable for implementing ground-truthed, equitable, best practices for furthering environmental justice in the Commonwealth.

Mr. Chairman and committee, I speak to the importance of passing the EJ Act amendments bill from the perspective of the cost benefits of doing so. Put another way, as the anthropologist and Buckingham resident since 1979 who worked with the African American community leaders of Union Hill to uncover robust evidence on race, population, existing health conditions, and Freedpeople historic significance, I have had a front row seat on the costs to taxpayers and EJ communities when DEQ does not do their statutory requirements for EJ "site suitability" and BACT review of alternate energy sources as pre-screening first steps for permits. Their legal requirement to do so was adjudicated by the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in our lawsuit based on site-specific research argued by SELC and CBF using existing Virginia laws. I witnessed firsthand the consequences of no DEQ site community outreach yet thousands of DEQ staff hours dedicated to rewriting Dominion's ACP Union Hill air permit. We learned this fact from the Air Division's Mike Dowd at the only 2-hr "community outreach" meeting -- on closing day of permit comments, before the public hearing. Who proudly described how DEQ staff had "fixed two failed tries by Dominion to write the air permit." I asked then, and I ask this committee now: what if in Fall of 2015 DEQ had chosen to answer and not ignore our 70 letters asking DEQ to come to Union for a site visit? Not spent hundreds of staff hours to invent easily refutable means to deny each and every type of our community evidence with alternate, for Dominion benefit, facts? After DEQ lost our lawsuit, it has ignored the legal findings related to these EJ site review responsibilities. Under Covid, in rural EJ and internet desert communities, proceeded with permit processes without doing the pre-screening of sites they are required to do. We have heard from DEQ that implementing true and comprehensively inclusive community outreach is too expensive, doing EJ site review, and BACT analysis are too costly. Citing budgetary losses because of Covid. Please envision the cost benefits to taxpayers, to EJ communities, to Virginia's issues with sea-level rise, with water contamination issues, if DEQ staff time were used to do the actually quite low-cost actions of fully examining proposed sites of new or increased toxic pollution? As proactive and preventive of the true costs of toxic pollution? Preventive of legal costs for permits approved without following Virginia's laws and statutes? As preventive medicine -- reducing the disproportionate health burdens of asthma, diabetes, heart, lung, cancers, and respiratory illnesses that are true costs of toxic pollution? Environmental injustice is now acknowledged as a root driver of rapid climate change, by ensuring the highest consumers of fossil fuels do not face their worst impacts in their communities. Until now. When wildfires, increasingly damaging storms, and sea-rise impacts reveal yet another consequence of our 400-year history of racism. How do we calculate those dollar costs to Virginia? Please support this bill! Thank you.

The VMA respectfully requests your support for five friendly amendments to the HB2074 substitute. Two of the amendments were adopted by the Senate Ag Committee in Senator Hashmi’s companion bill (SB1318) to which Delegate Simonds is a co-patron. The requested amendments are as follows: • Line 25 Impacts are calculated as “positive and negative” in any fair evaluation. Senator Hashmi agreed and incorporated this into her SB1318. • Line 30 The definition of “environment” is too expansive. “Environmental and cultural” assets are the focus of EJ. • Line 41 The “Fenceline communities” definition is targeting industrial businesses. They did not choose to have property zoned residential near them. This is a local zoning responsibility and should be specifically identified as such. • Line 96 The Governor should be directed to appoint a citizen from the regulated community. Senator Hashmi agreed and incorporated this into her SB1318. • Line 142 The local EJ strategy should focus on environmental issues and EJ communities. Our definition refines the strategic focus and removes “fenceline communities” from everything but the identification process. Thank you for your consideration.

I urge you to pass HB2074. Environmental injustice is the standard practice of most polluting industries. They locate their facilities in poor or black and brown communities because they believe people will not fight them or feel powerless to do anything about it. Virginia needs to continue to strengthen EJ practice and policies to really make the changes that need to be made to protect and preserve vulnerable communities. May it be the pleasure of the committee to pass this bill. Suzanne Keller Richmond, VA

I am a lifelong Virginian, voter, homeowner, father of two, teacher and artist. I urge you to vote yes on HB2047. Massive natural gas infrastructure is slated to be installed in upper Charles City County, devastating local air and water quality in a majority minority community. The Bellemeade fossil fuel power plant south of Richmond continues poisoning the air of a majority black neighborhood as I write. A historic black community in Henrico is slated to be paved for a Wegman's distribution center that will destroy a wetland while countless other developed sites lay vacant across the metro Richmond Area. These are just 3 environmental justice issues at top of mind for me right now. Let's stop destroying Black communities. Let's stop destroying minority communities. Let's stop destroying the ecology of this state. Let's stop destroying both at the same time. Let's name what is happening, and make a conscious choice to stop doing it. Pass this bill.

Dear Esteemed Leaders, I write to you today to implore that you vote yes on House Bill 2074, Environmental Justice Bill which authorizes agencies to take environmental justice considerations when making environmental related decisions. For far too long frontline communities have experience the most burdens without any economic benefits or community support. Left to suffer with poor air and water quality, heavy industrial uses in close proximity to parks and homes, and the destruction of natural, archaeological, cultural, or historic resources, this bill is the next step in addressing these injustices and presents a path forward to community healing. The permitting process proposed in this bill will finally give the voice and representation frontline communities so long deserve. Furthermore we need a reliable air monitoring system and this bill puts us in the right direction. We need to be able to identify and track any existing and potentially new hotspots (and as COVID clearly shows these hotspots correlates with the health of the community) NAACP has documented in various documents the negative impacts on the BIPOC community caused by poorly sited projects as well as the lack of representation and community will to work with the community to find a suitable and safe solution. The time is now to create legislation that is committed to do no harm. Please vote yes Thank you,

HB 2074 The Omnibus Environmental Justice Bill builds on the Virginia Environmental Justice Act of 2020 which established the promotion of environmental justice as the official policy of the Commonwealth. The Bill authorizes agencies when making environmental-related decisions to adopt policies designed to mitigate disproportionately adverse and cumulative environmental impacts on environmental justice communities at the state and local level over the next two years. In essence, this legislation operationalizes the concepts that were codified in 2020. CCAN Action Fund supports this bill.

Please advance HB2074 in support of Environmental Justice !

This bill is important to stop the devastation of marginalized communities especially and of our environment entirely. I am your constituent and a person of faith and conscience. I urge you to support HB 2074. I believe we have a moral obligation to require state agencies to adopt and implement specific environmental justice policies and regulations that consider not only disproportionate, but also cumulative impacts of environmental burdens when evaluating their effects, either anticipated or historic. This is particularly significant for low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities that are impacted by several environmental risks and harms simultaneously.

We want to know if the air / water quality have been tested lately and whether the soil been tested lately as well because some residences plant gardens.

We appreciate the patrons amending these bills to incorporate positive changes to provide better participation and transparency for all stakeholders. However, we still have concerns pertaining to the modifications to and minor sources of certain permits. We also have concerns about the definition of "fenceline community" and the practicality of noticing all property owners individually within the radius defined.

Virginia League of Conservation Voters supports this legislation. Reasons to SUPPORT HB 2074: This Bill builds on the state’s commitment to EJ by imposing specific requirements on state agencies and local governments to advance environmental justice. This Bill implements the VEJA across the state government by requiring each state agency to adopt an environmental justice policy to govern agency decision-making affecting the environment. It also directs the Virginia’s EJ Interagency Working Group, modeled after the EPA’s Federal Interagency Working Group, to collaboratively support and carry out the purposes of the Act. This Bill prioritizes the needs of low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities by expanding and improving their access to transparent public engagement processes at the state level; Under the VEJA, all Virginians have a right to fair treatment and meaningful involvement in environmental decision-making.

We must protect BIPOC from harmful and obnoxious uses in their community. In addition, everyone should have the right to be able to have productive contributions In the decision making processes relating to land use matters that may have a significant influence in their well being and quality of life. HB2074 would require every state agency to adopt agency-specific environmental justice policies, and codifies the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group. Further, it requires the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and its citizen boards to approve a public participation plan to ensure that diverse voices are heard in hazardous use permitting applications. We must protect communities of color and other vulnerable populations, which is why we support this essential legislation. Our legislation should do no harm. Please support HB2074

Good Morning Committee Members, I am writing to comment on HB2074, the EJ Omnibus Bill, Del Simonds, patron. This bill builds on the important foundation that was laid by the Virginia Environmental Justice Act in the 2020 General Assembly, which initiated steps towards recognizing and protecting vulnerable rural, black, indigenous and communities of color that are most targeted to carry the burden of polluting industries in our state. Representatives of these communities provided the real, human insight and experiences that informed the initiatives outlined in HB2074 and the bill spells out needed next steps in Virginia's movement towards environmental justice. The growing recognition of the deep roots of systemic racism, colonialism, domination and cultural genocide in our Commonwealth also form the foundation and need for this legislation. Environmental justice is also racial justice, health, economic, community and social justice. Residents in marginalized communities continue to find themselves having to maneuver a business and governmental, local and state process and system weighted against them, without adequate access to vital information, education, resources, and support. Requiring state agencies and localities to adopt and implement specific EJ policies, and authorizing each state agency to issue regulations to implement their EJ policies once developed puts the proper weight on government taking responsibility toward providing EJ equity. I have witnessed how public engagement has been of such low quality in rural, brown and black communities and, especially in rural areas, poor internet and cell service and few gathering places results in residents not even knowing that a mega- polluting industry has sought to build in their neighborhood until most or all of the permitting process is complete. This bill prohibits the issuance of a permit for any covered activity until the applicant has submitted, and the permitting authority has approved, a public involvement plan, a cumulative impact statement, and an environmental justice impact statement and that will improve the possibility for residents to know in advance of projects moving forward and allow greater chance that they can speak of their concerns. And this bill for the first time requires that “cumulative impacts” of multiple polluting projects in an area are among those matters which must be considered in administration of agency actions. HB2074 provides solid, doable necessary changes and actions if we are serious about achieving environmental justice in Virginia . We have to decide whether or not black, indigenous, people of color in these communities will continue to be at the disadvantage, and their health, well-being and lives be sacrificed for business profits. Thank you to Delegate Simonds and I ask all the committee members to please vote to approve HB2074 and allow it to move forward.

As a father, grandfather, driver of used Chevy Spark EV, owner of solar panels, planter and encourager of Virginia native plants in my yard, ground source geothermal heating/cooling owner, and citizen who wants our earthly home to survive and thrive so we humans and animals can survive and thrive, I support this measure. I urge you to support this measure. roger bruce giffen pittard 9201 minna drive henrico, va 23229

My name is Irène Mathieu and I am a pediatrician and professor at the University of Virginia. I am also a health equity researcher and advocate for climate justice. As a representative of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, I served on Virginia Conservation Network’s environmental justice review committee last year. This experience underscored for me the importance of reviewing policy with an environmental justice lens before it is enacted, through an inclusive and proactive promise. In my pediatric practice, I see the impact of climate change and environmental threats on a daily basis. From the baby born prematurely in a neighborhood disproportionately impacted by traffic-related air pollution to the child suffering from poorly controlled asthma due to poor air quality, environmental injustices threaten the health of the Commonwealth’s children. We have seen how the negative impacts of air and water pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction are borne most often by low-income Virginians, people of color, and those living in rural and inner city areas. That’s why I’m speaking today in support of House Bill 2074, also known as the Omnibus Environmental Justice Bill. This bill builds on the Virginia Environmental Justice Act of 2020 by requiring governmental agencies to prioritize the needs of the communities most severely affected by environmental decisions. This bill would expand and improve localized air quality monitoring, a move that would greatly assist the medical community and policymakers in crafting laws and regulations that consider environmental justice impacts on a wide range of issues. Recently Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action released our transportation emissions report. Unfortunately we were unable to focus on the disproportionate impacts to vulnerable populations due to a lack of available air quality monitoring data. It is particularly critical that we include the original requirement of this bill to establish permitting processes consistent with environmental justice standards, as originally written. Given the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these same vulnerable communities, it is imperative that we reduce the risk of further harm. I urge you to join me in supporting House Bill 2074, for the health of all Virginians.

I strongly support the proposal of HB 2074 calling for the formation of a working group focused on Environmental Justice. Speaking as both a student and as a young person, I urge you to consider our collective futures. Without the formation of a working group designed specifically for interagency communication and action surrounding environmental justice, we will continue to reproduce complacency-- which will prove extremely harmful or fatal for communities vulnerable to the climate crisis. That vulnerability however is by no means the fault of the communities experiencing them-- rather the calculated result of systematic white supremacy and the extractive forces of capitalism. Virginia in particular bears witness to the disproportionate distribution of environmental harms that fall hard along racial and class lines. To name just one example, both the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines have already endangered a number of communities across Virginia. Union Hill in Buckingham County-- a predominately Black community-- faces the potential of a harmful and potentially explosive pipeline compressor station. HB 2074 will help to build legal and political channels & checks and balances to address environmentally and socially harmful projects like the compressor station. I urge you all to pass this bill and promote accountability for large big perpetrators of harm in Virginia like Dominion Energy.

I spent my career as a librarian in public service and I know that re-orienting an institutional mindset is not easy. I believe Del. Simonds' bill will guide that needed change while producing immediate, practical results in quality of life for those Virginians who are too often the ones bearing environmental burdens. I have watched and provided comments on several recent permit requests and have seen first-hand the need for change. Environmental justice is a moral imperative and the health of fellow Virginians is the backbone of a strong economy. Please vote yes on HB2074.

The Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as, “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, on the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental law, regulations, and policies.” Unfortunately, this definition has not been accurate in practice. For far too long, environmental injustices have not been taken seriously, leaving devastating implications for vulnerable communities. As public servants, you all have a responsibility to provide equitable welfare for all residents of the commonwealth. You are responsible for our health and welfare. You are responsible for the sustainability of your communities. Passing HB 2074 will be a step towards fulfilling your duties. This bill is important as it calls for effective enforcement of environmental justice policies. Environmental injustice is not something that should be glossed over. The health implications are REAL. The racist implications are REAL. The capitalist implications are REAL. Environmental injustice is a REAL systemic problem and it's time for Virginia to treat it as such. Pass this bill to let the people of Virginia know that you care about their needs. Pass this bill to let your communities know that you are committed to their sustainability. Pass this bill and start taking environmental justice seriously.

STRONGLY SUPPORT HB2074!

I urge you to support this bill. VEJA’s EJ policy declaration alone and current public participation requirements do not provide for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of Virginians in agencies' environmental decisions and actions. This is demonstrated by the persistent environmental injustices related to the siting of fossil fuel infrastructure, landfills, and other environmentally hazardous activities in environmental justice communities.

HB 2074 This bill builds on the Virginia Environmental Justice Act of 2020 which declared environmental justice (EJ) as the policy of the Commonwealth. First, the Bill amends VEJA to require state agencies to adopt agency specific EJ policies, and codifies the EJ Interagency Working Group created in last year’s budget bill. It also authorizes the EJ Interagency Working Group to conduct an assessment on the state’s air quality monitoring practices. Lastly, the bill requires local planning commissions to include an EJ strategy in their jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan. In short, this legislation operationalizes the policies and practices set forth by the 2020 Act. CCAN Action Fund asks for your support of HB 2074.

I urge you to support HB 2074 as a member of Students for Equity and Reform at UVA. We believe that environmental injustice has been overlooked by the state for far too long. The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental policies has broken down along the lines of race and class. Virginia communities have been drastically undermined by the effects of proximity to landfills, coal plants, and hazardous waste. Union Hill, Lambert’s Point, and the Mayfield neighborhood in Fredericksburg are just a few examples of communities burdened by a lack of environmental regulation at the local level. Our own DEQ released a study in October of 2020, which recommends that Virginia municipalities be required to consider environmental justice in their comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. We believe that there is no better way to ensure that neighborhoods are protected from the byproducts of encroaching industry than HB 2074, and the standards it aims to hold to local government.

At New Virginia Majority, we support HB2047. Under the Virginia Environmental Justice Act (VEJA), environmental justice “means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of every person, regardless of race, color, national origin, income, faith, or disability, regarding the development, implementation, or enforcement of any environmental law, regulation, or policy.” We support this Bill because it builds upon that declaration by requiring agencies across the state government to adopt an environmental justice policy to govern agency decision-making affecting the environment. It also codifies and directs the EJ Interagency Working Group, included in last year’s budget and modeled after the EPA’s Federal Interagency Working Group, to collaboratively support and carry out the purposes of the Act. This legislation is particularly significant for making environmental permit decision-making accessible and participatory for covered activities and regulating environmental activities that often occur near low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities in Virginia that can be impacted by several environmental risks and harms simultaneously (cumulative impacts). VEJA’s EJ policy declaration and current public participation requirements alone cannot provide for the needed fair treatment and meaningful involvement of Virginians in agencies' environmental decisions and actions. This is evidenced by the expansive recommendations from DEQ’s recent 2020 EJ Study and demonstrated by continued environmental injustices related to the siting, construction, and operation of fossil fuel infrastructure, landfills, and other environmentally hazardous activities across the state. For these reasons, we highly recommend that the committee support this legislation, especially for its amendments to the VEJA and its effort to improve DEQ's consideration of environmental justice in the environmental permitting processes. Tyneshia Griffin, the Environmental Policy Research Analyst at New Virginia Majority.

I am writing to voice my strong support for HB2074 and encourage the delegates on this committee to vote in favor of advancing the bill forward.

HB - 2074 is a long needed remedy for Environmental Injustices that have been routinely perpetrated on People of Color, Fenceline Communities and Environmental Justice Communities. Often, by the time these communities have learned of the damaging project the permit has already been through almost the entire process. The bill includes a way forward that is fair and needed to insure that such communities do not bear the brunt of dangerous pollutants in their air, water and soil -- impacting their health to a much greater extent than the health of more affluent communities and communities that are not primarily communities of color. Low income communities should not be expected to unfairly be exposed to noxious chemicals and dangerous projects just because of their income or racial composition. I urge you to support this critically important and long overdue Environmental Justice Legislation so that all Virginians may breath clean air and live in healthy environments.

Imagine waking up in the morning to the sound of birds chirping and the warmth of sunrays beaming on your forehead. You rise out of bed and prepare for your morning coffee. Yet, instead of the aroma of coffee percolating, you are assaulted by a rotten odor, or even worse, gas fumes. This is just a foretaste of what continues to threaten many communities in Virginia. And, this has been especially the case for low-income communities and communities of color. Therefor, I urge the committee to pass the Environmental Justice Omnibus Bill (HB 2074). My personal fight for environmental justice in my community has a similar tale. I presently serve on the ministerial staff at New Macedonia Christian UCC in the Bruce’s Park area of Norfolk. As a leader in the church and community, I am deeply connected to the families, young people, and schools. In 2018, my community came face to face with environmental inequality when a solid waste company attempted to place a trash dump in the heart of our community. After months of community organizing and protesting, the proposal to build the trash dump was denied. While my community was able to win this battle, there are a host of other communities still in the fight against big business seeking to obstruct the communities with like environmental hazards. Environmental justice is nonetheless justice, for clean air and clean drinking water is a basic human right. Therefore, I fully support Delegate Shelly Simonds and the Environmental Justice Omnibus Bill, and so should you. Passing this bill will require state agencies to adopt and implement agency specific environmental justice policies, require local planning commissions to incorporate environmental justice in comprehensive plans, and expand public involvement and consider environmental justices and cumulative impacts on marginalized communities.

Environmental justice needs to be a core pillar of our environmental efforts because it addresses the needs of those most deeply impacted by environmental issues: communities of color and low income communities. There is tremendous urgency behind environmental issues and that is triple the case for EJ communities which bear the brunt of systemic racism and colonialist history on top. We need a requirement for agencies and local governments to advance EJ initiatives, or otherwise it won't happen: we've seen EJ communities deprioritized time and time again and we can't afford to have that any more. I strongly support this bill and urge Delegates to do the same. Thank you for your consideration.

Please support HB2074. Despite the passage of last year's Virginia Environmental Justice Act of 2020, the state still lacks the necessary tools to ensure EJ is meaningfully carried out throughout the Commonwealth. To accomplish this, it is necessary that we require EJ at the state and local levels, improve transparency and public involvement in decision-making, and authorizing agencies to make decisions to mitigate adverse impacts. Additionally, please support HB 2148. Simply put, this bill streamlines project approval for energy storage and hybrid projects, which combine clean energy and storage, to allow for rapid approval of solar projects up to 150MW, a necessary process to help us quickly and efficiently achieve our clean energy goals.

The benefits and burdens of agencies' environmental activities remain unequal among Virginians along lines of race, income, and geography. I support the Bill because it seeks to redress this inequity by requiring government agencies at the state and local level to take specific actions to advance environmental justice.

On behalf of Food & Water Watch's 28,000 members in Virginia, we support HB2074. We believe that in order to meaningfully address environmental justice issues, an interagency working group must be established and thorough measures, as outlined in HB2074, must be required for any project that affects a person's right to clean air and water. FWW believes HB2074 is necessary to address the systemic racism and economic factors that lead to polluting projects disproportionately affecting person of color and low-income communities. Thank you.

Please support HB 1902 (Carr) and please support HB 2074 (Simonds) Thank you kindly, --Tyla Matteson, Chesterfield County

I am writing to ask for your support for HB 2074, the Omnibus Environmental Justice Bill. The benefits and burdens of agencies' environmental activities remain unequal among Virginians along lines of race, income, and geography. I support the Bill because it seeks to redress this inequity by requiring government agencies at the state and local level to take specific actions to advance environmental justice. State agencies must be required to adopt and implement specific EJ policies and regulations that consider not only disproportionate but also cumulative impacts to thoroughly evaluate their historic and anticipated environmental actions. This is particularly significant for environmental activities near low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities that are impacted by several environmental risks and harms simultaneously. VEJA’s EJ policy declaration alone and current public participation requirements do not provide for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of Virginians in agencies' environmental decisions and actions. This is demonstrated by the persistent environmental injustices related to the siting of fossil fuel infrastructure, landfills, and other environmentally hazardous activities in environmental justice communities. The amendment of VEJA is even more critical in the face of an international respiratory virus outbreak, regional climate change, the state’s clean energy transition, and the rollback of over 100 federal environmental protections (Harvard School of Law; 2020) including the National Environmental Protection Policy Act (NEPA) by the Trump-led U.S. executive administration. For environmental justice to be effective in Virginia, we must back the VEJA’s EJ policy declaration with effective legislation that addresses disparity in access to healthy environment at the source.

I write in support of HB2074. As a Virginian that lives in an area identified in the NY Times article as one of the most swelting parts of Richmond due to decades of racist housing policy, I see everyday the impact of inequity in our neighborhoods. Although Virginia now has a basic environmental justice policy, our state still lacks the tools to ensure environmental justice is carried out. I urge you to support HB2074 to operationalize environmental justice at the state and local levels.

I would like to see the Virginia government putting the well being of communities of color first when considering permits for new industrial construction in those communities. We have been redlining and placing polluting industry in these communities for far too long.

I have spent the past two years supporting the community of Charles City County as they've faced endless environmental justice threats from two fracked gas plants permitted for their county without adequate citizen notification, and also the threat of the expansion of a mega landfill in their backyards. With good reason, these residents worry that these projects will increase already high cancer rates, erode their property values, and deplete their water supply. This community was targeted for these projects, and not even informed about the permit process, because regulators and developers disregarded and dismissed the rights of this majority minority population. This is environmental injustice at its worst, and it has happened in Cumberland County, in Buckingham County, in Newport News with the permitting of a naval shipyard . . . the list goes on and on. Virginia needs legislation that will protect all of its citizens and ensure environmental injustice does not continue. Please support HB2074 and the amazing work of the Environmental Interagency working group. In order to ensure the rights of Virginians, we need environmental justice and we need to pass HB 2074.

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1NZUogiNJXi2aglaLRRYMyZS0ZG175jzK9mnYMG_Uxso/mobilebasic

There is no excuse to prolong the past due wait for EJ concerns to be at the forefront of the decision making process. Too long have the benefits and burdens of agencies' environmental activities remain unequal among Virginians along lines of race, income, and geography. This bill is a vital expansion of the state's responsibility to use EJ in every consideration by requiring each state agency to adopt an environmental justice policy to govern agency decision-making affecting the environment, and by imposing specific requirements on state agencies and local governments to advance environmental justice. This Bill prioritizes the needs of low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities by expanding and improving their access to transparent public engagement processes at the state level; Under the VEJA, all Virginians have a right to fair treatment and meaningful involvement in environmental decision-making.

We are surrounded and embraced by OUR environment. The power of the forces therein determines the conditions of our present and the quality of our future. The Environment has no other legal protections than those enacted by you and other folk in their elected chambers. Your family depends on a supportive environment for all their activities...and their lives. So does mine. You hold in your finger-tip the vote for the quality of the future for our land and our people. Vote YES for HB2074

Please support this legislation to make our Commonwealth truly green.

I support Bill 2074. Communities of color are usually impacted by industrial construction sites, hazardous dumping grounds and sewage plants This bill allows the communities impacted to have a voice in the process. This is a step in the right direction. Yes to environmental justice in Virginia.

As climate change wreaks havoc on our world, it is increasingly obvious that our own actions and lifestyles have highly impacted and worsened the natural phenomenon of climate shifting. As a citizen of Springfield, it is utterly imperative that we seek alternate sources of energy, continue recycling, and provide healthy climate actions for future generations of all economic, racial, and other marginalized communities. The churches of Virginia have joined to raise our prayers and our voices to see that we treat our planet with the respect it deserves, and ensure a healthy life for all those to come. Please vote YES on HB 2074 and other initiatives that work to preserve our community so that many may enjoy it for decades of our future. Dixie Ross 7704C Lexton Place Springfield, VA 22152

I urge you to support HB 2074. The state of Virginia has a long history of environmental injustice and we need to be stronger in our will to protect our people from environmental degradation. We all need clean air and clean water. As a mother and as a nurse I believe we have a moral obligation to require state agencies to adopt and implement specific environmental justice policies and regulations that consider not only disproportionate, but also cumulative impacts of environmental burdens when evaluating their effects, either anticipated or historic. This is particularly significant for low-income areas, communities of color, or historically underserved communities that are impacted by several environmental risks and harms simultaneously.

So many news articles report the harm we have done to our environment. As a person of faith, I believe we have a responsibility to care for the planet. This bill is a step in the right direction. I also think it is good that environmental ills are recognized as harmful especially to the economically disadvantaged. I hope HB2074 will become law. Thank you.

As a person of faith, I urge you to support the Environmental Justice Omnibus bill HB 2074 AND Environmental Justice Act Amendment. We need environmental justice because vulnerable populations in Virginia continue to bear increased risks from all kinds of polluting industries. Protecting our shared Earth and caring for my neighbors is my moral and civic obligation. HB 2074 is the first step in setting a standard for environmental justice in Virginia. I ask you to create a basic environmental justice framework for the Commonwealth that protects all of Virginians by passing these bills.

As a citizen who lives in the state and on the Rappahannock river and has seen the impact of poor stewardship, I ask that the General Assembly support these bills.

I urge you to support a moratorium on permits for commercial gold mining until a study of all the dangers in gold mining is completed.

I urge you to support HB2213, for a moratorium on gold mining, and to provide for appropriate funding to study potential impacts. There are significant environmental justice issues, as well as broad ecological / human health issues, that must be thoroughly studied and considered.

I urge you to support this Bill. The importance of enough funding to study the effects of gold mining in my area and also the importance of allowing enough time for a thorough study whose result can be relied on is very important to me.

As a constituent, I am writing in favor of this bill to issue a moratorium on gold mining until the effects of this practice on nearby residents, especially those of Union Hill and Yogaville, can be accurately assessed. At this time, the risk of arsenic contamination from gold mining requires further research before the practice can be supported. We must ensure the safety of all residents. Given the ways in which environmental factors have historically had more adverse effects on our Black and Brown neighbors, our responsibility here is (at least) twofold — 1) to enact antiracist legislation that protects communities of color who have historically been marginalized and 2) to embody care for the environment at a time in which the need to do so has become not only readily apparent but also absolutely critical for the well-being and future of all. Please support HB2213.

I am glad to see the subcommittee passed HB2213. I urge you to do the same. Please be sure to fund this study of gold mining properly, so that it is done well and we can rest assured that we are taking care of business by investing appropriately in the wise counsel and investigations of the designated agencies and stakeholders. An ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure. Thank you.

I urge you to support HB2213. This bill is crucial to protect communities that could be impacted by gold mining. Please note the maps of the many Senate and Delegate districts within the Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt. GoldPyriteBelt_ImpactedDistricts_HoD: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qh2xdmklhe2cvqw/GoldPyriteBelt_ImpactedDistricts_HoD.pdf?dl=0 GoldPyriteBelt_ImpactedDistricts_Senate: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lor97ijyjcww0k4/GoldPyriteBelt_ImpactedDistricts_Senate.pdf?dl=0 The moratorium is necessary for the time specified in this bill to allow for thorough research into the potential costs and threats of gold mining to water, air, and nearby and downstream communities. Can Virginia regulations provide adequate protections for the Virginians who would be put in harm’s way by the mining process? This bill gives the opportunity and time for impacted community members, the Council on Environmental Justice, and representatives from Native communities to be heard. Please support HB2213.

Currently, Union Hill and Yogaville face the imminent threat of arsenic contamination due to gold mining nearby. This needs to be studied to determine the extent of exposure to toxic chemicals of the residents.

Please support this bill. The people in the are at risk of arsenic poisoning from the ongoing gold mining in the are. Union Hill is a small dominatly Black town and deserves our support. Yogaville is a place I have visited and enjoyed.

I urge the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources to support House Bill 2213 from Del. Elizabeth Guzman to implement a temporary moratorium on gold mining and assign state agencies the task to study the impacts that a large-scale gold mine, like the one being proposed in Buckingham County, which is being proposed at the banks of the James River - a major drinking water source for many communities, including Richmond, to the east of this proposed project. Gold mining is a highly toxic and dirty process. I can't believe that in the year 2021 we're still having to even debate this known fact as history has shown how communities have been damaged by such mining. Allowing this gold mining to proceed without any research is a blatant disregard for people's health , livelihood and environment. Please support HB2213.

Dear Members of the Subcommittee. HB2213 is absolutely necessary to protect Virginia communities and waters from commercial gold mining. Virginia is targeted by international mining companies because of our lax environmental rules and frankly lack of experience regulating large industrial gold mines. That is why we need the moratorium and study to update Virginia regulations to reflect the current mining techniques. It take 20 tons of rock to produce and ounce of gold. The process uses millions of gallons of water and produces toxic leachate that must be managed in perpetuity. May it be the pleasure of the committee to move this bill forward. Thank you.

Please support of HB2213, a moratorium & study of gold mining; to be fully funded and to take the time requested to do a good job, so that Virginia can understand what the impacts would be to our waters, our community. Thank you.

Dear Representatives of Virginia, I hope that you will approve Bill 2213 concerning a moratorium and study of gold mining. The information i have learned recently from different experts and from TV channels such as Smithsonian and other science channels have educated me on the perils of mining and especially gold mining. Gold mining is as detrimental to the environment as uranium. Please do a study on gold mining to get all the facts. The people of Virginia need you to protect them. In my opinion, gold mining is far, far more dangerous than any pipeline. Thank you for your time and service to our beautiful state. Sincerely, Marie Flowers PO Box 1155 Dillwyn, Va. 23936 434-315-0152

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) supports HB 2213 carried by Delegate Guzman that ensures that the impacts of commercial gold mining to air, water, and public health are studied before permits are issued. The pyrite gold ore body runs through the Rapidan and Rappahannock River watersheds. Gold mining tailings often contain elevated concentrations of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and others. This study is essential to understanding how gold mining would impact our waterways and the surrounding communities.

I support the moratorium . Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary and Costa Rica have such bans, as well as the US states of Montana and Wisconsin and several Argentine provinces. Cyanide use in most countries is strictly regulated, to reduce the risk of significant environmental damage or death through misuse or mishandling. These two simple facts indicate an obvious need to study thoroughly potential problems and establish appropriate regulations for the industry which do not yet exist here in VA. Failure to do a thorough study and establish cyanidation regulations before any mining begins could result in serious long term consequences to the environment, specifically the James River, which would result in very long term and possibly disastrous economic impacts to the state. Robert Day

Encouraging the passage of this bill for the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice and appropriate stakeholders, including experts in mining, hydrology, toxicology, and other fields; environmental organizations; representatives of potentially affected communities in localities with significant deposits of gold; and indigenous communities in such counties to further study gold mining impacts.

I urge you to support HB 2213. The last thing our state needs is more extractive, dangerous, and polluting projects. All of our energy and legislation needs to go toward creating a livable planet for future generations and increasing quality of life for ALL Virginians. Please act to preserve our home and stop gold mining before it causes irreparable harm. Thank you.

HB2213 is a bill that will benefit the entire commonwealth, which has never hosted large-scale, modern gold mining. This type of mining is very different from coal mining, and requires its own set of regulations. In order to understand what sort of regulations, we first must understand the industry. Open-pit gold mines can be hundreds of feet deep, and thousands of acres wide. They can have severe and drastic effects on local groundwater, livestock, and agriculture. HB2213 would provide the commonwealth with enough time to conduct studies on the effects of gold mining, and to make regulatory determinations based on the results of those studies. This bill is important to me, personally, because my home is adjacent to land where gold exploration is already going on. But the bill is important to my fellow Virginians, as well, because of the Gold Pyrite belt that cuts across the commonwealth. The gold industry has their eyes on us, and before we allow them to set up shop here we need to be sure we understand exactly what that would mean for Virginians. Please support the funding required for HB2213, and please vote to pass the bill when you are given the chance. Thank you for your time.

Please support a moratorium & study of gold mining in Virginia. This needs to be to be fully funded as determined by DEQ, Dept. of Health and DMME. Allow them to take the time requested to do a good, job, so that Virginians can fully understand what the impacts would be to our water and our communities.

I urge you to support HB2213. This bill is crucial to protect communities that could be impacted by gold mining. Please note the maps of the many Senate and Delegate districts within the Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt. ---below The moratorium is necessary for the time specified in this bill to allow for thorough research into the potential costs and threats of gold mining to water, air, and nearby and downstream communities. Can Virginia regulations provide adequate protections for the Virginians who would be put in harm’s way by the mining process? This bill gives the opportunity and time for impacted community members, the Council on Environmental Justice, and representatives from Native communities to be heard. Please support HB2213. Thank you. Senate district map: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lor97ijyjcww0k4/GoldPyriteBelt_ImpactedDistricts_Senate.pdf?dl=0 Delegate district map: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qh2xdmklhe2cvqw/GoldPyriteBelt_ImpactedDistricts_HoD.pdf?dl=0 or: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16tsdOnCOkGJeeyavlh5IyPDrcXx6SDQdE-nSCW1khtE/edit

I urge you to support HB2213 – the study and moratorium on commercial gold mining. The potential threats from commercial gold mining are numerous to the communities and watersheds in and downstream of the gold/pyrite belt that spans the entire state of Virginia. Exploratory drilling to prospect for potential commercial gold mining operations is happening in Virginia as we speak, so it is imperative that this bill and the study and related moratorium it mandates move forward now. It is also crucial that environmental justice be taken into account and representatives from potentially impacted communities be given the ability for input as this bill provides for. Again, please support HB2213.

I write on behalf of the non-profit organization Appalachian Voices, to ask that you support HB2213. As gold-mining operations could introduce irreparable damage to groundwater via leaching of harmful materials, and the waste produced via gold mining contains many toxins including lead, mercury and cyanide, we support a thorough study of potential impacts to public health and the environment, with a moratorium during that time or review. HB 2213 allows Virginia to press “pause” and allow appropriate scrutiny of existing regulations, identify places where protections are insufficient, and improve the stakeholder engagement process. Please support HB 2213.

Good morning! I urge you to please support full funding for HB2213, the gold mining moratorium study. It is important that this study is done now, done well, which includes being given the full amount of time as recommended by the DMME, DEQ & VDH. Due to the gravity of the well known impacts of modern day large scale gold mining elsewhere, we feel a moratorium is in the very best interests of the Commonwealth. Gold exploration has been going on in Virginia for the last 4 years without local authorities being aware of it. The gold pyrite belt runs from southern to northern Virginia. In fact it runs from Georgia to Canada. The impacts to Virginia could be vast and devastating, as many watersheds could be impacted, including the drinking water for millions. Modern large scale open pit gold mining is vastly more impactful than the pan, pick and axe methods of the 1850s. The EPA lists metal mining as the #1 most toxic of industries. The current trend of other known gold mines of externalizing the costs of doing business leads to superfund sites that the local communities, those downstream, and really, the whole state pay for in many ways, and for generations to come. We need the moratorium and the study to buy us time for more people to learn about the true costs of gold and to make educated decisions. We can and we must do business smarter. A lot smarter! Thank you!

On behalf of the Virginia Conservation network, I would like to reiterate our support of HB2213. This legislation will give the Department of Minerals, Mines and Energy, Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Health until July 1, 2023 to complete a study on the potential environmental and health impacts that gold mining could have on the Commonwealth. This is a necessary piece of legislation to ensure that we are protecting the health and rights of Buckingham County Residents and other downstream communities.

Good morning! I urge you to please support full funding for HB2213, the gold mining moratorium study. It is important that this study is done now and done well as gold exploration has been going on in Virginia for the last 4 years without local authorities being aware of it. The gold pyrite belt runs from southern to northern Virginia. In fact it runs from Georgia to Canada. The impacts to Virginia could be vast and devastating, as many watersheds could be impacted, including the drinking water for millions. Modern large scale open pit gold mining is vastly more impactful than the pan, pick and axe methods of the 1850s. The EPA lists metal mining as the #1 most toxic of industries. The current trend of externalizing the costs of doing business leads to superfund sites that the public pays for in many ways, and for generations to come. We need the moratorium and the study to buy us time for more people to learn about the true costs of gold and to make educated decisions. Thank you for making the sage decision to fully support this bill.

I am writing in support of HB2213 because I believe it is important that the Commonwealth study the challenges posed by gold mine operations and develop plans for the future responsible use of our natural resources. Gold mining is substantially different from aggregate mining operations. The pause in permitting gold mines that would be created by this legislation only affects gold mine permits during the proposed time period. Virginia has little to no experience with the oversight of gold mining in recent years. It is important that the Commonwealth have time to study the best way to oversee the process and mitigate the numerous potential hazards posed by this unique type of mining. A pause in permitting gold mines would have no impact on other types of mining or quarrying operations in the state. HB2213 will serve to make sure that the citizens and environment will be protected now and in the future. It would be irresponsible of the Commonwealth to allow gold mine operations to begin before the study and appropriate regulatory adaptations are complete. I ask that you appropriate the funding for HB2213 to protect our state.

HB2213 is a bill that will benefit the entire commonwealth, which has never hosted large-scale, modern gold mining. This type of mining is very different from coal mining, and requires its own set of regulations. In order to understand what sort of regulations, we first must understand the industry. Open-pit gold mines can be hundreds of feet deep, and thousands of acres wide. They can have severe and drastic effects on local groundwater, livestock, and agriculture. HB2213 would provide the commonwealth with enough time to conduct studies on the effects of gold mining, and to make regulatory determinations based on the results of those studies. This bill is important to me, personally, because my homea is adjacent to land where gold exploration is already going on. But the bill is important to my fellow Virginians, as well, because of the Gold Pyrite belt that cuts across the commonwealth. The gold industry has their eyes on us, and before we allow them to set up shop here we need to be sure we understand exactly what that would mean for Virginians. Please support the funding required for HB2213, and please vote to pass the bill when you are given the chance. Thank you for your time. Stephanie Rinaldi Buckingham, VA

I've read and support Del Guzman's bill to place a moratorium on Gold Mining until it can be studied to determine what environmental impacts and/or public health impacts. Please help keep Virginia lands and citizens safe by delaying any gold mining operations until their impact can be carefully studied and understood. Thank you for your work on behalf of the citizens of the commonwealth. Patricia VonOhlen

I write in support of HB2213. Virginia has not had a commercial gold mines since the 1940s and they are nothing like that envisioned by the Canadian exploration company currently operating in Buckingham County. They compare their findings to the Haile mine in South Carolina which is a huge open pit mine with all of the fraught environmental and economic downsides of a boom and bust industry. Like virtually every gold mine, the Haile mine has released contaminated waste into the environment, affecting surface and possibly ground waters. Virginia's regulatory regime for mining is not equipped to deal with all of the issues of modern open pit mining that includes cyanide leach pits or vats. We must have complete information before making policy decisions about this enterprise. May it be the pleasure of the committee to approve this bill. Suzanne Keller Richmond, VA

The proposition to study gold mining in VA may seem unusual, since these mining techniques under consideration are primarily seen in the west in deserted landscapes. Canadian miners sniffing around gold mining prospects in the heart of VA does not bode well for those of us who call this home. In fact gold mining, using open pit methods prefers a lower water table with less rainfall, since higher water tables found in our area increase management issues when the mine is functioning. Constant flooding from shallow aquifers can be problematic both in keeping the pit dry and by reducing available water in the surrounding aquifer. In fact, the abundant water that grows trees and crops would be severely impacted for a much larger distance than the footprint of the mine itself. Large rain events can cause extra problems with containment of chemicals used in processing. This case is one where a little research into the long term effects of chemical extraction of gold from ore using cyanide will pay the state back many times over When it prevents long term damage and expense in managing these effects for generations to come.

Please don't ruin our lives and State ! Thank You

Please vote for a moratorium on gold mining to allow for time to study the impacts to the drinking water of potentially millions of Virginians! An exploratory company has already found gold in Buckingham County. They say their find will lead to large-scale mining. Modern metal mining is the nation’s #1 toxic polluter. Because Buckingham was the target of previous industry projects like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, we know that a company who comes to this Environmental Justice community to open a mine will not have our best interests in mind. Please enact a moratorium on gold mining in Virginia. Thank you.

I would like to know what the bills have in them. Don't want anything in them hidden like they do in Washington.

Please support House Bill 2213 to stop the proposed Buckingham County gold mine. State agencies need time to investigate and establish safeguards on how an open-pit gold mine on the banks of a major water supply would impact our environment and public health. The possibility of open-pit gold mine being established in Buckingham County is very concerning. Gold mining on a large scale is an incredibly toxic process, and one of the dirtiest extractive industries in operation. With only small quantities of gold found in every ton of earth and rock removed, the process leaves behind large volumes of solid and liquid waste laden with harmful heavy metals. The immediate and long term impact to people and the environment is extremely severe. I'm hearing the Virginia has little to no regulation for this kind of gold mining. If this project proceeds, there are few if any remedies in state code to protect nearby residents and our clean water resources from the toxic byproducts produced during the mining process. Let's put the brakes on this. Thank you for your consideration.

Ms. Chair and Members of the Committee, I write in support of HB2213. A Canadian company has been conducting borings in Buckingham County to determine if there is sufficient gold to warrant large scale open pit mining. Gold mining is an inherently dirty enterprise, you would be hard pressed to find an active mine where there has not been release of toxics into the waters and lands around the mine. Virginia has not had a large scale commercial gold mine in nearly a century. Modern cyanide leaching techniques allow the extraction of gold from rock, it takes nearly 20 tons to make an ounce of gold, and creates vast tailings and leach ponds that are hazards to nearby people, animals, and waters. Most gold mined in the United States is exported. Once again Virginia is seen as a ripe location to engage in q dirty extractive industry by a foreign company because of a weak and industry friendly regulatory regime. We must do a better job of protecting communities and the environment from this type of activity. I do hope you will pass the bill. Thank you, Suzanne J. Keller Richmond, Va

my name is kamran and i'm grateful for being alive :)

We ALL need Clean Water! A Canadian company, seeking to fly under the radar and take advantage of Virginia’s weak or non-existent regulations surrounding gold mining, has proposed building a massive, open-pit gold mine in Buckingham County, near the historic community of Union Hill and the James River – a drinking water source for many communities, including Richmond, to the east of this proposed project. If built, the people of Union Hill, Buckingham and everyone downstream would be in harm’s way. Gold mining on a large scale is an incredibly toxic process, and one of the dirtiest extractive industries still conducted today. With only a few specks of gold found in every ton of earth and rock pulled out of the ground, the process leaves behind large volumes of solid and liquid waste laden with harmful heavy metals known to negatively impact human health and our environment. And if this project proceeds, there are few if any remedies in state code to protect nearby residents and our clean water resources from the toxic byproducts produced during the mining process. I urge you to support House Bill 2213 to stop this project and give our state agencies the time they need to research how an open-pit gold mine on the banks of a major water supply would impact our environment and public health.

I urge you to support HB2213. This bill is crucial to protect communities that could be impacted by gold mining. The threats of gold mining to water, air, and nearby communities are well-documented. At the very least, a study including impacts specific to the geology, water systems, and climate of Virginia is critically needed to determine the extent of harms to the water and health of nearby communities and those downstream to commercial gold mining operations, and to determine if Virginia regulations can provide adequate protections for the Virginians who would be put in harm’s way by the process. Further, impacted community members, the Council on Environmental Justice, and representatives from Native communities must be given the opportunity to weigh in, and this bill provides for that. Again, I urge you to support HB2213.

As your constituent and as a human, I respectfully ask you to stop this life and environmentally endangering project. I ask you to give state agencies time to study the environmental and public health impacts of large-scale gold mining by passing House Bill 2213 from Del. Elizabeth Guzman. I ask you to consider the drilling on an exploratory basis and touting of Virginia’s complete lack of regulations to the Canadian investors and shareholders of the mining company that is already impacting the environmental integrity and presenting a life endangering threat to the citizens of Buckingham and everyone, all species downstream . Your choice whether of not to pass House Bill 2213 from Del. Elizabeth Guzman will have an immediate and multi-generational all species and environmental impact. I know of nothing more essential for the quality of all life than the quality of water, soil and air. Thank you for your authentic consideration of this request to pass House Bill 2213 and authentic , responsible leadership on behalf of the all life and the environmental integrity necessary to the well-being of everyone. With respect, Polly Lazaron

Re Aston Bay property, Buckingham Co.--I am a retired USGS geologist with extensive experience in Virginia. I am not an expert on this particular tract, but I am experienced with the 1969 pollution of the James River by mining operations at nearby Piney River (see my USGS Prof. Papers 959H and 1371). I am concerned that Aston Bay is quite a small company, presumably with limited assets, and its intended mine could cause far more damage than its assets could cover. Gold from open-pit mines is usually leached with toxic chemicals that would pollute aquifers, and the nearby James River itself could be polluted even by normal operations, much less breakout flood effects on leach fields.

I urge you to support House Bill 2213. It is crucial that we pause a toxic gold mining project that will affect Union Hill communities. We need to give Virginia's agencies enough time to adequately research how an open-pit gold mine on the banks of a major water supply would impact the environment and the public health of nearby communities. I urge you to put equity and environmental justice first by supporting this bill.

Dr. Mary Finley-Brook - support for HB2213 I have taught Environmental Studies at the University of Richmond since 2006. I have more than two decades experience reviewing social, economic and ecological impacts of Canadian gold mining operations. There is no such thing as a ‘clean’ or sustainable open pit gold mine; the water pollution can be expensive to remediate if the regulatory process is inadequate. I am concerned about environmental racism. Canadian mining companies have a reputation for work in areas with regulatory gaps and weaknesses and for targeting communities of color. Aston Bay has picked two sites for exploration - the indigenous territory of Nunavut, a semi-autonomous region in the far north of Canada, where regulatory agencies are poorly integrated and oversight is poor, and Buckingham County, Virginia. Aston Bay does not have a proven track record in Canada as operations are relatively new and the frozen terrain slows development. If Virginian gold mining moves forward without expertise in our regulatory agencies, I fear the state government will be on the hook financially to either train or hire experts in modern mining technology and science in state agencies or will end up paying to remediate ecological damage or for water systems/delivery due to the history of mines producing and leaving toxic waste. Since there are environmental justice communities impacted, and there is a pattern of racism in the mining sector, I expect DEQ and others will be required to oversee extensive review to make sure disproportionate harm does not occur. I have conducted research in Buckingham, which could be most impacted with the first gold mining. I am concerned households are reliant on well water and there are many wetlands, streams and rivers. These connect to the James River. I live downstream. One of the sources of water where I live with my children in Chesterfield is the James, so constituents such as myself care about heavy metal contamination upstream in rural areas. The Commonwealth could end up with dangerous contamination (i.e., from cyanide, mercury, arsenic or other toxic elements) is particularly harmful to babies, children and pregnant women. Heavy metals do not degrade easily so they persist for a long time causing harm. Pollution from mines is dangerous to livestock and can enter crops. Biomagnification can occur. Chemicals will spread throughout the food chain, including to game species people hunt and consume. Risk in Buckingham may be higher because of the proposed use of brownfields and former mining areas; processes could release prior contamination. Mining uses large quantities of water, meaning it is not available for other uses, such as farming and household uses. The water discharged from mining operations contains harmful chemicals and is not safe for other productive uses. Mining contributes to sedimentation, which causes property damage and ecosystem degradation. Vast quantities of tailings containing the chemicals used to extract gold as well as heavy metals must be treated and stored carefully to prevent leaching. A network of groundwater monitoring wells would be necessary to assess preventive measures and provide an early warning system. More sustainable mining methods are expensive and will not be used unless agencies require them. HB2213 will allow DMME, DEQ and VDH to study impacts and review existing protections.

A Canadian company, seeking to fly under the radar and take advantage of Virginia’s weak or non-existent regulations surrounding gold mining, has proposed building a massive, open-pit gold mine in Buckingham County, near the historic community of Union Hill and the James River – a drinking water source for many communities, including Richmond, to the east of this proposed project. If built, the people of Union Hill, Buckingham and everyone downstream would be in harm’s way. Gold mining on a large scale is an incredibly toxic process, and one of the dirtiest extractive industries still conducted today. With only a few specks of gold found in every ton of earth and rock pulled out of the ground, the process leaves behind large volumes of solid and liquid waste laden with harmful heavy metals known to negatively impact human health and our environment. And if this project proceeds, there are few if any remedies in state code to protect nearby residents and our clean water resources from the toxic byproducts produced during the mining process. I urge you to support House Bill 2213 to stop this project and give our state agencies the time they need to research how an open-pit gold mine on the banks of a major water supply would impact our environment and public health. Gold mining on a large scale is an incredibly toxic process, and one of the dirtiest extractive industries still conducted today. With only a few specks of gold found in every ton of earth and rock pulled out of the ground, the process leaves behind large volumes of solid and liquid waste laden with harmful heavy metals known to negatively impact human health and our environment. With nearby residents relying on a clean aquifer for their drinking water supply, and with this project located near the James River that supplies major populations centers like Richmond with their water, this project has the potential to be a huge threat to our health and clean water. Gold mining hasn’t taken place in Virginia in any significant volume since before the California gold rush – and our laws and regulations reflect this reality. Moving forward now is a recipe for disaster, with the citizens of Union Hill and Buckingham County again on the frontlines of what has the potential to be an environmental catastrophe. We can’t let this happen – act now and let your lawmaker know that our health and clean water are more important than a foreign company’s dividends.        

New Virginia Majority Supports HB2213 (Guzman): Prior to allowing the gold mining industry to receive permits and begin new operations, conducting a thorough investigation into the potential implications of gold mining and how to strengthen the state’s regulations and guidelines as it relates their industry practices is vital to upholding Virginia's recent commitment to environmental justice. The analysis required in this legislation will assist the rural, Native, and Black communities within the region of the state targeted for these sorts of mining operations in understanding the immediate public health, environmental, economic, and safety risks that may occur in their local community and guide the included Secretariats in the prevention and mitigation of these potential adverse outcomes. We also support the inclusion of the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice as an advisory body to this study. We thank the Delegate for uplifting this urgent environmental justice issue and we encourage the committee to vote in support of this legislation. Tyneshia Griffin, the Environmental Policy Research Analyst at New Virginia Majority.

Please support HJ 2213. A Canadian mining company should not be able to develop a huge open-pit gold mine without any adequate regulation in place. No permit should be issued for this proposed project without adequate study of the potential environmental damage. It threatens to become yet another polluting extractive injury adding to the environmental inequities already suffered by poor and minority communities such as Union Hill, a town founded by freed slaves. I am asking the Virginia legislature to pass this crucial bill. Since gold mining has not taken place in our state since the 19th century, our current regulations do not begin to adequately address the environmental and public health impacts of a large open-pit gold mine. In addition to the direct destruction caused by open-pit mining, extracting the gold produces toxic waste including heavy metals that could wreak havoc on the water quality of the James River and the drinking water of surrounding and downstream communities, including Richmond. Virginia should be leading the way in protecting and restoring biodiversity, improving air and water pollution, and addressing environmental injustice. An open pit mine developed to profit a foreign corporation exploiting a gap in our laws will only create yet more damage to our environment and our citizens. Sincerely, Laura P. Livesay

I write on behalf of the non-profit organization Appalachian Voices, to ask that you support HB 2213. As gold-mining operations could introduce irreparable damage to groundwater via leaching of harmful materials, and the waste produced via gold mining contains many toxins including lead, mercury and cyanide, we support a thorough study of potential impacts to public health and the environment. HB 2213 allows Virginia to press “pause” and allow review of existing regulations, identify places where protections are insufficient, and improve the stakeholder engagement process. Please support HB 2213.

Please move ahead with the study of mining and processing and consider the effect of these industries on our environment and the unjust disproportional effects on our minority and economically disadvantaged communities. These industries must be held accountable for safe operations and environmentally appropriate clean up and restoration of all areas affected by their operations. Mining and processing may be seen as providing jobs, but there are other ways to provide good jobs which are less intrusive to our environment. We must put the long term good of our state’s environment and our citizens’ health over short term profits and dangerous low paying jobs. Let’s focus on more environmentally sustainable industries and safer, better paying jobs for our citizens. Thanks for all your good work for the benefit of all Virginians.

A Canadian company, seeking to fly under the radar and take advantage of Virginia’s weak or non-existent regulations surrounding gold mining, has proposed building a massive, open-pit gold mine in Buckingham County, near the historic community of Union Hill and the James River – a drinking water source for many communities, including Richmond, to the east of this proposed project. If built, the people of Union Hill, Buckingham and everyone downstream would be in harm’s way. Gold mining on a large scale is an incredibly toxic process, and one of the dirtiest extractive industries still conducted today. With only a few specks of gold found in every ton of earth and rock pulled out of the ground, the process leaves behind large volumes of solid and liquid waste laden with harmful heavy metals known to negatively impact human health and our environment. And if this project proceeds, there are few if any remedies in state code to protect nearby residents and our clean water resources from the toxic byproducts produced during the mining process. I urge you to support House Bill 2213 to stop this project and give our state agencies the time they need to research how an open-pit gold mine on the banks of a major water supply would impact our environment and public health.

Please stop this gold mining project in its tracks and give state agencies time to study the environmental and public health impacts of large-scale gold mining by passing House Bill 2213 from Del. Elizabeth Guzman. Virginia needs regulations in place!! Thank you!

I am an internal medicine physician who has practiced medicine in the Buckingham County and Albemarle County communities for over 25 years. The chemical pollution from gold mining includes toxic elements such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cyanide, as well as other pollutants. High levels of these chemicals poison the soil, ground water, streams, and rivers, not only near the mine but extending well beyond the mine area. These chemicals enter the food chain and affect plants, fish, other animals, and humans. They can cause cancer and neurologic problems as well as lung, liver, and kidney dysfunction. Most concerning is the effect on pregnant women, fetuses, and children. High levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic can cause premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects, and developmental neurologic problems which can lead to lower IQ’s and learning disabilities. And this exposure does not end when the mining ends. The waste left behind continues to pollute the area for decades and will affect residents’ health for years to come. For these reasons, please support HB2213 which will allow a complete study of the potential environmental and health impacts that gold mining will have in the Commonwealth. This is very important to protect the health of Virginia’s citizens.

Gold mining is one of the dirtiest extractive industries resulting in tons of solid and liquid wastes full of heavy metals. Heavy metals negatively impact human health. It is inconceivable that we would trade our water supply for a few golden baubles. It is environmental injustice to allow a foreign company to destroy land near a traditional black freeman's town. I urge you to support Delegate Guzman's bill HB2213.

Exploratory drilling for gold in Virginia is happening as we speak, and went on for years without the knowledge of the local community. Commercial gold mining is extremely toxic and a threat to the health, water, and air of communities across Virginia, and is currently threatening Union Hill and Buckingham County, who already had to endure being targeted for the now-canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline. House Bill 2213, which would establish a moratorium on permits for commercial gold mining until a study of all the dangers of gold mining is completed, is crucial to protect Virginia communities. I moved to Buckingham to get away from business and to live a peaceful life. After the pipeline was defeated, I thought my well water was safe and Buckingham's Board of Supervisor's again not listening to the people have now made it legal for core sampling instead of shutting down a company who was drilling illegally. Please help us stop them. Rhonda Dennis

Virginia needs to develop up to date regulations for gold and other mining to protect our rivers and streams. Many Virginians depend on these waters and the aquifers beneath them for drinking water for themselves and their livestock. Polluting them with mining runoff and the exposed toxic components of drilling residue (arsenic, etc.) needs to be contained to the degree that surrounding waters are never impacted. Gold mining could occur throughout the mountain ranges and foothills of Virginia, so this is an issue throughout the state.

Please move ahead with the study of mining and processing and consider the effect of these industries on our environment and the unjust disproportional effects on our minority and economically disadvantaged communities. These industries must be held accountable for safe operations and environmentally appropriate clean up and restoration of all areas affected by their operations. Mining and processing may be seen as providing jobs, but there are other ways to provide good jobs which are less intrusive to our environment. We must put the long term good of our state’s environment and our citizens’ health over short term profits and dangerous low paying jobs. Let’s focus on more environmentally sustainable industries and safer, better paying jobs for our citizens. Thanks for all your good work for the benefit of all Virginians.

On behalf of the Virginia Conservation Network, I ask that you support HB2213, which will give the Department of Minerals, Mines and Energy, Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Health until July 1, 2023 to complete a study on the potential environmental and health impacts that gold mining could have on the Commonwealth. This is a necessary piece of legislation to ensure that we are protecting the health and rights of Buckingham County Residents and other downstream communities.

Dear Members of the House Rules Committee, The Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA) represents over 300 organizations that make up the Transportation Construction Industry in Virginia And VTCA’s Aggregate Producers Members represent over 90% of all the metal/nonmetal mineral production in the Commonwealth. The Aggregate Producer Members of VTCA support the study of HB 2213, with one amendment. We recognize there are valid community concerns about the impacts of gold mining and encourage the Commonwealth to further study the process, however we do not believe it is necessary to issue a statewide prohibiting of certain mining permits until 2024. We believe localities currently have the tools to manage the issuance or denial of permits. While none of VTCA’s Members are gold mine operators, this legislation, if passed would be detrimental to the mining industry as a whole. Delaying permitting of mining operations to conduct studies is unjust legislation to operators that may currently be in the process of permitting operations, adding undo costs and delays to permit approvals. Aggregate is an essential component in everyday life. Uses for aggregates range from infrastructure construction, house & building construction, erosion control, medicines, agriculture, and pollution control to gravel for driveways. Again, we ask Members of the House Rules Committee to support HB 2213 with an amendment to strike lines 29 – 31.

My name is Heidi Dhivya Berthoud. I ask you to please support HB2213, which calls for a moratorium on gold mining in Virginia, and a study of the impacts and existing protections in place. I am the secretary for Friends of Buckingham. For 6 very long years, we labored to oppose the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a very impactful, polluting, dangerous and economically unjustified project that was rightfully stopped. Large-scale gold mining operations would be new to the Commonwealth and present a unique risk to communities and the environment. In particular, gold mining typically involves large quantities of cyanide, a toxin that is harmful to humans and wildlife. The history of gold mining around the world is dire. One important purpose of the moratorium and study in HB2213 is to assess whether Virginia’s existing regulations will protect human health and the environment from this type of activity. Many of Virginia’s current mining regulations date back to the 1800’s. They also do not address environmental justice. In 2020, the General Assembly declared that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to promote environmental justice and ensure that it is carried out throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on environmental justice communities and fence line communities. We know that polluting industries would not be permitted, if the externalized and true costs of doing business were properly and rightfully accounted for. We ask that proper and realistic assessment is done; that the taxpayers are not left with the extensive costs of clean up and ruination of our health and drinking water. Thank you for taking a clear look at this.

I ask that you support Delegate Guzman's HB 2213 moratorium on gold mining in Virginia. After learning that exploratory drilling for gold was happening near my neighborhood, I reached out to the Buckingham County Zoning Administrator, Nicci Edmondston. She learned that no one in the county administration knew of it. Her research uncovered the fact that the driiling was not permitted and therefore prohibited. Not only was the county unaware of the several years-long exploratory drilling, but basically no one I've spoken with about open pit gold mining has any idea of what's involved. Transparency and accountability are needed regarding such an industrial possibilty which is documented in the western US, and globally: https://www.earthworks.org/issues/mining/, as causing severe environmental and economic harms. Please support the HB 2213 moratorium to allow for research before permitting modern, large scale gold mining in Virginia.

My name is Chad Oba and for the last 6 years I have served as president of Friends of Buckingham. During the time that we were trying to defend our homes, health and resources from a pipeline and compressor station, a Canadian company was doing exploratory drilling on land within the same aquifer as the Union Hill neighborhood where my husband and I live. We share the same aquifer as those who would be more immediately impacted, a distance of about 5 miles away. There is a historical African American church, the Warminster Church, in the neighborhood where the exploratory drilling has taken place. We feel a strong alliance with them as we share the same fate if the drilling leads to a modern gold mine. We feel that once more it is people of color who will bear the devastating impacts of a highly polluting industry that gold mining presents for anyone unlucky enough to live near one. Indeed most people are forced to give up their homes and move away from these types of mines. Please let me remind you that the General Assembly declared that “it is the policy of the Commonwealth to promote Environmental justice and ensure that it is carried out throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on environmental justice communities and fence line communities." The tailings produced in the extraction process introduce many heavy metals into our environment such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and others. Enormous cyanide ponds are created that can be up to a mile across. The whole process is extremely deadly to all forms of life, including humans and put our water and the water of those downstream at extreme risk. The location here where the drilling has taken place is quite close to the James River which supplies water for millions of people. The gold pyrite belt extends into the Blue Ridge and along the Piedmont region so it is quite likely that gold mining could proliferate. The company has already leased 11,000 acres in Virginia. We do not have sufficient existing regulations in place to protect us as modern gold mining of this kind has not occurred in Virginia. I ask that you support HB2213. Our health, our water and our land use is great risk and this deserves further study. Thank you.

"My name is Mindy Zlotnick and I live in Buckingham County, VA. I'm writing to ask you to support HB2213 that is currently with the House Rules Committee. This is our urgent request for a moratorium on gold mining to allow for time to study the impacts to the drinking water of potentially millions of Virginians. An exploratory company has already found gold in Buckingham County. They say their find will lead to large-scale mining. Modern metal mining is the nation’s #1 toxic polluter. When Buckingham was the target of previous industry projects like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, we learned that a company who comes to this Environmental Justice community to open a mine will not have our best interests in mind. We are looking to you to protect us. Please support HB2213. Thank you for your attention.

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) supports HB 2213 carried by Delegate Guzman that ensures that the impacts of commercial gold mining to air, water, and public health are studied before permits are issued. Exploratory drilling for gold is taking place in Buckingham County and the same ore body runs through PEC's 9-county service region as well in the Virginia Piedmont. Gold mining tailings often contain elevated concentrations of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and others. PEC believes this study is necessary due to the potentially negative impacts from gold mining on the health, safety, and welfare of the communities in and around where such mining takes place.

On behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades and our members across Virginia, I ask you to support this HB 2321. Over the last year and a half, Virginia has started to move in the right direction to protect workers. This legislation would officially create a state Secretary of Labor moving all workforce development, worker compensation, and occupational licensing under this new Secretary. This cabinet secretary's creation shows that the state is finally taking a real interest in workers' plight across the state by putting someone in the governor's cabinet whose sole job is developing the workforce to move Virginia forward.

I am Jim Avery, retired electrician and former business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1340. I support this bill because the duties of training, licensing, and inspection of the workforce of Virginia are of utmost importance to ensure we are prepared for all challenges facing the growth and success of business in our Commonwealth.

The United Steelworkers Local 8888 express our support for creating a Secretary of Labor. We feel like it would help in paying more attention to the needs of our workforce and the employees around the state.

IN SUPPORT -- HB 2321 Labor, Secretary of; position created in Governor's Cabinet. I support HB 2321 as this bill transfers from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to the Secretary of Labor responsibility for the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, and the Virginia Employment Commission. The bill also removes the position of Chief Workforce Development Advisor and reassigns that position's responsibilities to the Secretary of Labor. I support this bill. I support creating in the Governor's Cabinet the position of Secretary of Labor. This will serve all Virginians; it is good for business and labor; it will enhance Virginia commerce and industry ; it will improve worker safety and make Virginia more competitive in a global economy. Respectfully Submitted, Lou Spencer Caret, Virginia

IN SUPPORT -- HB 2321 I support HB 2321 as this bill moves from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to the Secretary of Labor responsibility for the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, and the Virginia Employment Commission. The bill also moves the position of Chief Workforce Development Advisor and assigns that position's responsibilities to the Secretary of Labor. I support this bill. I support making in the Governor's Cabinet the position of Secretary of Labor. This will serve all Virginians; it is good for labor and business. It will enhance Virginia commerce and it will improve worker safety and make Virginia more competitive. Respectfully Submitted, Tony Solis Leesburg, Virginia

IN SUPPORT -- HB 2321 Labor, Secretary of; position created in Governor's Cabinet. I support HB 2321 as this bill transfers from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to the Secretary of Labor responsibility for the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, and the Virginia Employment Commission. The bill also removes the position of Chief Workforce Development Advisor and reassigns that position's responsibilities to the Secretary of Labor. I support this bill. I support creating in the Governor's Cabinet the position of Secretary of Labor. This will serve all Virginians; it is good for business and labor; in will enhance Virginia commerce and industry It will improve worker safety and make Virginia more competitive in a global economy. Respectfully Submitted, Lou Spencer Caret, Virginia

HB2016 - Businesses will sink under this. Stop screwing up the economy because of your political agenda. HB2330 - The PIPP never ever should have been created. I am asked to pay tons of taxes after working a couple of decades, and then told there will be no money left for me in the system that is supposed to take care of me. That does not build up a nation.

My name is Emily Piontek, and on behalf of Appalachian Voices, am asking you to please support HB 2330. This bill: - Gives final approval to the Percentage of Income Payment Program that was authorized during the 2020 General Assembly. - PIPP will reduce energy burdens in part by lowering household energy consumption. As a participating member, I support the key recommendations from the stakeholder report, including: - A recommendation to leverage existing energy assistance programs, including weatherization programs, by connecting eligible households to them; - A recommendation to connect eligible households to existing utility energy reduction programs; - A recommendation to simplify eligibility criteria by including households at/below 200% of the FPL eligible. By improving the efficiency of participating households, energy consumption can be reduced alongside the amount of participants' bills. This can provide direct economic benefit to all customers of participating utilities, because it effectively reduces those utilities’ costs of service and leads to suppressed or lowered rates. Ultimately, PIPP will reduce household energy burdens so that people participating in this program don’t have to choose between essential energy services and rent, groceries or medical care. Reducing energy burdens is particularly important as we grapple with the economic fallout from the pandemic. By passing HB 2330, the State Corporation Commission would be authorized by this body to: - Implement this program this year, - Serve households falling at or below 200% of the FPL, and - Increase the # of households receiving energy efficiency & electrification assistance.

To the committee on Labor and Commerce, On behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, I submit these brief comments in support of HB 2330 by Delegate Kory, establishing a Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) in Virginia. It has become well-documented that low-income Virginians are struggling to make ends meet in part due to excessive energy burdens (the percentage of income that is used to pay energy bills). As energy bills continue to rise, the PIPP will help ensure that, in the short term, low-income Virginians are protected from further increases to their energy costs. In the long term, this program will also help these same residents reduce their energy consumption, and thus energy costs, by integrating access to energy efficiency programs for these customers. This is a welcomed program for Virginians at a crucial time for low-income residents to help them keep their energy costs under control. I support the bill.

HB2330 provides critical guidance to the SCC, DSS and DHCD regarding implementation of the Percentage of Income Payment Program required by the Virginia Clean Economy Act, and Sierra Club strongly supports it. This program will help hundreds of thousands of lower-income Virginians cover their electricity costs.

On behalf of the Virginia Conservation Network, I ask the committee to support this bill. Very simply, HB2330 just provides SCC requested clarification on the implementation of the universal service fee for the Percentage of Income Payment Program, a program designed to limit electric bills for low income ratepayers across the commonwealth. Additionally, it improves the program as a whole by simplifying eligibility requirements, establishing a working group to help overcome barriers to participation in energy efficiency programs, and by establishing a goal to increase the use of electricity as a primary heating source.