Week 3 Recap of the 2025 General Assembly Session

January 31, 2025

On Wednesday night, I was devastated to hear about the tragic aviation incident that occurred near DCA. The entire community of Northern Virginia has been impacted, and the lives we lost weigh heavily on my heart. Many of my colleagues and I have been in touch with authorities, offering our help and support as our brave first responders work tirelessly conducting recovery efforts. I want to extend my sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of the passengers, crew, and military personnel who lost their lives in this tragedy.

Yesterday, the House adjourned in the honor and memory of those we lost at DCA. Watch the floor dedication here.

If you believe your loved ones were on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215.

American Airlines has dedicated a page on their website for timely updates on the situation: Information regarding American Eagle Flight 5342 – American Airlines Newsroom.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you need support during this difficult time.

Legislative Update

This week, six more bills that I introduced officially passed the House of Delegates:

HB1614: Increases the number of postpartum doula visits covered by Medicaid from 4 to 6, and extends the period of time to utilize these services from 6 months to 12 months. This bill passed on a vote of 89-9.
HB1617: Waives fees for homeless youth related to obtaining vital documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and state ID cards. These records are necessary for homeless youth to access education, training, employment, food, housing, and other supportive programs. This bill passed on a vote of 92-2.
HB1623: Expands and makes permanent the Eviction Diversion Court Program within the General District Court to make the program available to any locality that wishes to participate. The program provides a payment plan option for qualifying tenants who may be experiencing a temporary crisis and are unable to pay rent on time. This bill passed on a vote of 72-21.
HB1625: Ensures that farmworkers and temporary foreign workers are finally included in Virginia’s minimum wage law. This bill passed on a vote of 50-46.
HB1771: Creates the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program, which incentivizes employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees by providing matching state funds. This bill passed on a vote of 84-15.
HB2064: Requires licensed firearm dealers to provide a locking device when selling or transferring a firearm. It also requires dealers to include a specific written warning that guns should be locked and kept away from children, and that there may be civil and criminal liability for failing to do so. This bill passed on a vote of 50-46.

Additional Progress Updates

On Tuesday, I presented HB2721 to the Department of Motor Vehicles Subcommittee. This bill updates the code section related to the Washington Commanders’ special license plate to reflect the team’s new name and logo. HB2721 passed the DMV subcommittee and full Transportation Committee unanimously.

On Wednesday, I presented HB1869 to the Appropriations Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee. This bill closes the “dating partner loophole”. Virginia law currently prohibits a person convicted of assault and battery against a family or household member from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. However, this firearm prohibition does not extend to dating partners. HB1869 seeks to correct this issue, and it has now successfully made it through committee and heads to the House floor.

On Thursday, I presented HB2515 to the Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #4. HB2515 is a consumer protection bill that requires disclosure of all mandatory “junk” fees in the advertised and displayed price of any good or service. It passed committee and will come before the House for a vote next week.

Also on Thursday, I presented HB2557 to the General Laws Subcommittee on Professions and Occupations. This bill clarifies that unlicensed property managers can continue to sign leases and other landlord documents required by state and federal law, under supervision of a licensed real estate broker. HB2557 passed the subcommittee and full committee unanimously.

Lastly, I presented HJ466 to the Committee on Rules, chaired by Speaker Don Scott. This resolution designates May as ALS Awareness Month. May is already recognized as ALS Awareness Month nationally, so this will align Virginia with the rest of the country. HJ466 passed the committee unanimously, and I am hopeful it will meet the same fate on the House floor.

📌 Click here to see the full list of bills I introduced this session.
📌 Click here to see a growing list of bills I’ve signed on to support.
📌 Click here to see the list of bills I’m partnering on and working to get passed as Chief Co-Patron.

VAAPIC Crossover Town Hall

Next Saturday, February 8th at 3:00 PM, the Virginia Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus will be hosting a virtual Town Hall. Please join us for a legislative update and discussion about the progress we’ve made during the 2025 General Assembly Session so far. All are welcome!

Click here to register

Farmworker Justice Press Conference

This morning, I joined Senator Ghazala Hashmi, Delegate Phil Hernandez, and advocates from the Legal Aid Justice Center for a press conference to call for the passage of legislation that:

HB1980 / SB1103 – Provides heat stress protections for Virginia workers.
HB1625 – Removes the farmworker exemption from Virginia’s minimum wage law.

We are grateful to have such hardworking and compassionate advocates bringing attention to this effort!

In the News

“Va. Delegate Reintroduces Minimum Wage Bill”

I was interviewed by American Farm Publication for an article on my re-introduction of HB1625, which removes the farmworker exemption from Virginia’s minimum wage law. I debunked common misconceptions about the impact of this bill and expressed the critical need for this legislation.
📌 Read the full article here.

“Delegate Adele McClure: Navigating Motherhood While Championing Early Childhood Care and Education Legislation”

Voices for Virginia’s Children published an article about my experience juggling new motherhood with 10+ hour workdays during the legislative session. I shared how becoming a mom has reinforced my understanding of the barriers to affordable childcare that families face across the Commonwealth. We discussed my bill, HB1771, which establishes the Employee Childcare Assistance Pilot Program.
📌 Read the full article here.

Thank you to all of the constituents and advocacy groups that have come to visit my office in Richmond. My door is always open, and I look forward to meeting more of you as the legislative session continues.

📌 If you would like to schedule an appointment with my staff or me, please send us a request via [email protected].

Have a great weekend!

Yours in Action,

Delegate Adele McClure (HD-2)