Welcome to my website! I was elected to represent the 95th District in the Virginia House of Delegates (parts of Newport News and parts of Hampton). I am honored to serve the citizens and help make the Peninsula an even better place to live, learn, work, play, and raise a family.
The 2020 General Assembly Legislative Session began at noon on Wednesday, January 8, 2020. During Session, all 100 members of the Virginia House of Delegates met every Monday-Friday at noon and you can watch all previous sessions here. The House has 14 standing committees and the meetings were held at various times during the week. Find our committee video here. Can't remember how a bill becomes a law, no problem! Get your refresher here to follow along the process.
After extending the session by a few days, we adjourned sine die on March 12, 2020. And then on we returned using social distancing for the Reconvened (Veto) Session on April 22, 2020. There the Delegates and Senators reacted to the Governor's vetoes and amendments to bills.
Most bills became law on July 1st, unless there was an emergency clause which would have a sooner enactment date, or a delayed enactment clause which would mean the law would go into law on a date after July 1st.
You can track all of the bills that were introduced this year, and see which ones have been signed by the Governor. Here is the link for the bills I have introduced this year: bit.ly/Price2020Legislation
Usually, this would be the end of the legislative process for the year but because of COVID-19, the actions on HB30, the biennium budget, were to pause new spending. The Governor has announced that he will call for a Special Session where legislators will return to address budget issues after a reforecasting to see what the new projections will be for our economic situation in order to measure the financial impacts to the budget. Stay tuned for that process to begin in August.
In the meantime, sign up for our email newsletter to receive important updates. And be sure to check back often for news posts and updates from the District. You can use this site and our social media pages to stay connected and see what we're doing and how you can help! We have included important information on COVID-19/Coronavirus and the 2020 Census. Take a look around the site!
Thank you for visiting!
Sincerely,
Marcia "Cia" Price
Member, Virginia House of Delegates
95th District: Parts of Newport News and Hampton
"Be the change. Do the work."
A note about our Constituent Services work: There have been some frustrations expressed with our requirement that you let us know if you are a resident of the 95th District. While I understand that concerns and issues often do not have the same borders as districts, my primary commitment is to the people I serve and then I will do as much as I can for others. Feel free to reach out to your own Delegate if you do not live in the 95th District. Here's a link to find out which Delegate has the honor of serving you: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/
updated 7/15/2020
News
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 3:02 PMAt Ease with Cia & Lashrecse: Setting the Record Straight
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 4:00 PM
Northam renews call for Virginia’s top court to ban evictions during pandemic
Earlier this month, Virginia’s attorney general issued an advisory opinion saying a governor’s executive order is one possibility for halting evictions. Governors in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey have issued such executive orders.
“Whether any particular executive order is an appropriate exercise of emergency power depends on the scope of the executive order and the facts and circumstances,” Attorney General Mark Herring wrote.
But Northam’s administration has said an executive order would likely raise legal complexities that would “hinder the expediency needed to help Virginians.”
State legislators are scheduled to convene in Richmond Aug. 18 to amend the budget greatly affected by the economic impact of the pandemic and to consider criminal justice legislation. At least one lawmaker, Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, has said she would be looking at filing a package of legislation to address the housing and eviction crisis.
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 3:54 PM
Paid sick leave is on the agenda for Virginia General Assembly
NORFOLK, Va. - Lawmakers will be debating whether or not to require businesses to offer paid sick leave to their employees when they meet for their special session starting Tuesday.
Many big topics will be addressed during the session, including the budget, COVID-19, and police and criminal justice reform.
Democratic lawmakers also want to push for paid sick leave. "I definitely think before the pandemic we needed paid sick leave. People need to be able to be sick and be able to go home and heal to make the others they work with safe and for their own safety," said Del. Marcia Price (D-Newport News).
The bill has not been filed yet, but it would require employers to give five sick days to full time employees and provide two weeks of paid sick leave if they get COVID-19 or have to quarantine. During the session earlier this year, a similar bill passed in the House of Delegates, but did not make it through the Senate.
"You're not getting productivity out of people who are sick in your business, so it just makes sense that we want to make it safest for all," said Price.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 3:34 PM
House, Senate advance several pieces of legislation
The Committee then took up HB 5052, from Henrico Del. Lamont Bagby (D), which would make Juneteenth a legal holiday in Virginia. It passed unanimously.
<broadstreet-zone-container-alt><broadstreet-zone alt-zone-id="81104" position="afterend" active-style="text-align: center !important;"></broadstreet-zone></broadstreet-zone-container-alt>Delegate Cia Price (D) presented her bill, HB 5064, which requires landlords to offer a payment plan before evicting a tenant. Price said that tenants still wouldbe able to seek rent relief funds and that landlords who own less than four dwellings would be exempt. The bill advanced out of the Law Committee on a 13-9 vote.
Del. Josh Cole presented HB 5106, which would block landlords from reporting things like missed payments or breaking a rental agreement to credit agencies during the pandemic. The committee advanced HB 5106 on an 11-8 vote.
Monday, August 24, 2020 10:30 AM
Norfolk considers ban on guns in city parks and buildings
Before July, it was impossible to prevent legal gun carriers from bringing their firearms into city buildings, other than a courthouse.
But a new law, originally proposed by Del. Cia Price, a Newport News Democrat, allows local governments to bar the carrying of guns and ammunition in government buildings, public parks, recreation centers or at permitted events happening on the city’s streets or sidewalks.
The bill was adopted earlier this year by the General Assembly, part of a swath of gun legislation that was a high priority for Democrats after they seized control of the statehouse for the first time in nearly two decades.
The law went into effect on July 1, opening the way for localities to put restrictions into place. Newport News is the only Hampton Roads city to adopt such measures so far. Norfolk would be the second.
Norfolk’s proposed law would not apply to law enforcement or military in the course of their official duties, guns kept locked in a car or boat on city property or firearms used for theatrical, historical or educational programs.
The legislation also notes that any restrictions would have to be posted at the entry to any facilities where firearms were not allowed.
