FCNP Column March 2025
Last week, the House and Senate adjourned sine die, which means that the 2025 regular
legislative session is over. However, that does not mean our work is over for the year. Later this
spring, we will meet again for the annual “reconvene session” where we will deal with bills
vetoed by the Governor and any amendments he proposes to legislation or the budget. Last
year, Governor Youngkin vetoed a record number of bills, and we expect that there will be
more vetoes coming. Additionally, there is always the possibility of a special session to deal with
pressing matters. Given the chaos in Washington, and its potential effects on Virginia, I am not
ruling anything out on what we may do. Virginia is home to approximately 150,000 federal
workers, and our leadership is paying particularly close attention to Trump’s reckless actions in
regards to these workers and our Federal Government. If you are affected by these actions, my
office has assembled a list of resources that can be found at salimforsenate.com/trump
My Bills:
I am excited to report that 11 of my bills, over half that were introduced, made it out of the
House & Senate and will be going to the Governor’s desk this year. Here are my bills that made
it out of the General Assembly:
SB848: Raises the age to purchase an assault firearm to 21 years old. The age to purchase
handguns is already 21, and multiple recent high-profile mass shootings have been committed
by individuals under 21.
SB891: Requires a five-day waiting period before purchasing a firearm. This measure will
particularly help prevent impulsive acts of gun violence and suicide. Research suggests that
waiting periods could reduce gun homicide by up to 17% and gun suicide by up to 11%.
SB919: Increases protections for public transit employees and ensures that private contractors
can’t be brought in to higher employees at lower wages or with fewer benefits.
SB920: Ensures that the families of first responders who succumb to occupational throat cancer
are eligible for benefits. While Virginia’s worker’s compensation laws cover throat cancer, they
lack specific definition, leading to the denial or delay of claims by grieving families.
SB939: Increases the penalty for mail theft in Virginia, bringing our code up to Federal
standards and providing new protections against porch pirates and check fraud.

SB1009: Expands the ranked choice voting pilot program by enabling local governments to
voluntarily adopt RCV for additional local elections.
SB1011: Adds the City of Falls Church to the Affordable Dwelling Unit Program, aligning it with
other Northern Virginia localities. This amendment enhances the city’s resources to address the
ongoing affordable housing crisis.
SB1165: Prohibits local governments from exploiting procurement loopholes to prohibit certain
solar power within their jurisdictions.
SB1166: Requires signage at retail establishments that sell invasive plants, educating
consumers about the potential harm these plants pose to the environment. Invasive plants
annually cost the Virginia economy over one billion dollars and cause significant ecological
damage. This legislation aims to empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
SB1169: (Requested by Commission) Adjusts certain monetary values for the Marine Resources
Commission and indexes the values to the Consumer Price Index.
SB1406: Enhances awareness about the Children’s Ombudsman by requiring annual
notification to foster children about the Ombudsman. Many foster children remain unaware of
this resource, which empowers them to report instances of abuse, neglect, and other problems.
The Ombudsman plays a crucial role in investigating these cases and providing support to the
affected children. Additionally, the bill grants the Ombudsman the authority to contact or
receive information from a child without the consent of the foster parents, foster agency, or
social services department, provided that the child is the complainant.