Steve Newman - Virginia

Public elementary and secondary schools and public school-based early childhood care and education programs; student instruction; masks; emergency. Requires, except in the case of the 10 unscheduled remote learning days otherwise permitted by law or in certain cases of student discipline, each school board to offer in-person instruction, as defined in the bill, to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary or secondary school for at least the minimum number of required annual instructional hours and to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public school-based early childhood care and education program for the entirety of the instructional time provided pursuant to such program. The bill permits, notwithstanding any other provision of law or any regulation, rule, or policy implemented by a school board, school division, school official, or other state or local authority, the parent of any child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school, or in any school-based early childhood care and education program, to elect for such child to not wear a mask while on school property. The bill provides that no parent making such an election shall be required to provide a reason or any certification of the child's health or education status and no student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of this parental election. The bill requires each local school division to comply with the foregoing provisions relating to masks no later than March 1, 2022. The bill clarifies that none of the foregoing provisions shall be construed to affect the authority granted to the Governor to achieve the purposes of relevant emergency services and disaster law with regard to a communicable disease of public health threat. The bill contains an emergency clause.

Signed into law Feb 16, 2022 1 co-sponsor

Co-sponsor SJ 73

Passed · Virginia Senate · Co-sponsor

Celebrating the life of the Honorable Harry Russell Potts, Jr.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable HarryRussell Potts, Jr.

Passed Feb 14, 2022 1 co-sponsor

Co-sponsor SR 19

Introduced · Virginia Senate · Co-sponsor

Commending Rita Carter Forrester.

Introduced Feb 11, 2022 1 co-sponsor

Co-sponsor HJ 180

Introduced · Virginia House · Co-sponsor

Commending Todd Foreman.

Introduced Feb 10, 2022 1 co-sponsor

Primary SB 117

In committee · Virginia Senate · Lead sponsor

Local school divisions; budget bill to include appropriation of surplus for operational costs.

K-12 funding. Provides that for any year in which there is a surplus, the Governor shall include in his proposed budget an appropriation of five percent of such surplus for the operational costs of local school divisions. The bill provides for an equivalent decrease in the amount of operational costs funded by the Lottery Proceeds Fund and an equivalent increase in the amount of funds in the Fund restricted exclusively for local school divisions' capital construction and renovation costs. If the restricted amount is equal to or greater than the amount in the Fund, the increases and decreases are no longer required under the bill. This bill is incorporated into SB 473.

In committee Feb 9, 2022 0 co-sponsors

Primary SB 571

In committee · Virginia Senate · Lead sponsor

RSUT; exemption for food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene.

Sales tax; exemption for food purchased forhuman consumption and essential personal hygiene products. Exemptsfood purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygieneproducts (the grocery tax) from all state, regional, and local salestaxes.

In committee Feb 8, 2022 0 co-sponsors

Sen. Steve Newman

Sponsored bills