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Lawmakers swat down bill to increase THC level in industrial hemp

RICHMOND, Va. — Industrial hemp farmers were disappointed to see a measure killed in the House that would have increased the percentage of THC allowed in hemp grown for fiber and grain cultivation.

Del. Nicholas Freitas, R-Culpeper, introduced House Bill 1485 with Del. Tony Wilt, R-Harrisonburg, as a co-sponsor. Legislators voted 12-10 to table the bill in committee earlier this month.

Industrial hemp is cannabis, but it contains low amounts of THC because of when it is harvested. It cannot be used to get high — it would be like “smoking a towel to get high,” one hemp farmer testified at the bill’s committee hearing.

The proposed bill covered hemp that produces rope, building materials and animal bedding. It did not apply to products for human consumption, such as edibles.

The bill was intended to distinguish between people growing industrial hemp and people growing other hemp that might be used for consumables, according to Freitas.

Current state law allows industrial hemp products to have 0.3% THC, the federal standard. Farmers want to increase the allowed amount of THC to 1% to better allow for the naturally occurring range of THC present in plants. They also say it would allow for more varieties to be grown in Virginia.

“We’re trying to make it easier for people to engage in hemp farming within the commonwealth,” Freitas said during the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources committee meeting.

The bill also proposed to exempt industrial hemp farmers from state licensing requirements, which farmers say can be too restrictive.

Federal law requires hemp growers to undergo background checks, obtain a farm number from the USDA Farm Service Agency and sample each hemp crop no more than 30 days before harvest. A designated state representative may monitor the growing process and can test the crop to see if it meets the criteria.

Farmers harvest the hemp before the plant flowers, or blooms, to keep the THC low, according to Jason Amatucci, president of Virginia Hemp Coalition. Amatucci founded the coalition in 2012 to represent hemp commerce, cultivation and consumption.

Hemp farmers struggle to yield crops with such low THC levels. Crops that yield more THC than the regulated amount could be tested and destroyed, according to state law.

Farmers worry about the potential loss of revenue.

“It’s shackling our industry with red tape and wrapping it around our hands and feet,” Amatucci said.

Committee members had concerns over the implications of increasing the THC percentage, as well as confusion about the difference between hemp grown for its fiber and hemp grown for retail and consumption. Lawmakers asked how the state would verify someone was just growing industrial hemp. There was also confusion over some of the bill’s language and if it could impact the medical cannabis industry.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, a national farming advocacy group, supports up to a 1% increase. The industry could expand, and generate more jobs and money, Amatucci said. The increase to 1% is also a legislative priority for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

“We are not going to be able to expand our Virginia hemp industry until we can treat it more like corn,” Amatucci said.

The issue is pretty straightforward, and farmers do not understand why they still have challenges from politicians, Amatucci said.

Hemp as a fiber crop has a high yield, producing 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax, according to academic research published in a national health journal.

There were 266 registered Virginia industrial hemp growers and 116 registered processors in 2023, according to Mike Wallace, director of communications for Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. There were 662 acres of industrial hemp planted, or 53,674 square feet.

That resulted in 148 harvested acres, or 24,158 square feet.

Growers and processors have registered their industrial hemp in 2024, but it is too early in the year to have accurate data, Wallace stated.

The number is small when compared to the almost 438,000 acres of corn planted in Virginia last year, based on USDA reported data. But it is a number that industrial hemp farmers hope to see change with key policy changes.

“What we want to do is take away all these strict regulations farmers currently have,” Amatucci said. “All these hoops they have to jump through to be able to grow industrial hemp for fiber and grain.”

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

Bills advance to protect state employees who access medical cannabis

RICHMOND, Va. — State lawmakers have advanced bills that would allow public sector employees to use medical cannabis without losing their job.

House Bill 149, introduced by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, extends to state public employees rights that already exist in the private sector. The bill passed with bipartisan support on a 78-20 vote.

Helmer sponsored HB 1862 three years ago, to protect patients approved for medical cannabis use. That bill “unintentionally did not protect public sector employees,” Helmer said.

“The key was we left our brave first responders out of this,” Helmer said. “That was never our intent and so this bill is meant to fix that.”

A cannabis product is anything from CBD up to 10 milligrams of THC per dose, the current state cap, as long as the product is produced, sold and tested through the medical cannabis program.

Public sector employees such as firefighters, police officers and teachers are among the groups that would be protected under Helmer’s bill if they are approved to use cannabis products to treat conditions or diseases.

Senate Bill 391, introduced by Sen. Stella Pekarsky, D-Fairfax, also offers protection to public sector employees, with the exception of law enforcement officers. The bill passed the Senate with a 30-10 vote.

Peksarsky’s bill uses language that extends protection for use of cannabis oil.

Helmer’s bill was amended from “cannabis oil” to “cannabis products,” which he said is meant to “refer to a slew of medically recommended products that have cannabis as the basis.”

Any increase in inquiries or modifications to existing policies would be absorbed within existing resources by the Department of Labor and Industry or Department of Human Resource Management, respectively, according to the bill’s impact statement.

Joe Mirabile, a representative of Virginia’s Professional Firefighters, testified in support of Helmer’s bill during its committee hearing.

“My members have reported that they’re relying on alcohol far less, they’re sleeping more at home and they’re seeing other positive effects, such as reduction of joint and muscle pain without having to use opioid prescriptions,” Mirabile said.

The only legal way that a person can purchase cannabis in the state is through the medical cannabis program. Approved state practitioners can issue a certification after an initial consultation.

Dawn Adams, a nurse practitioner and former state delegate who represented the Richmond area, operates a medical cannabis practitioner clinic. Cannabis products are often used to help with PTSD, anxiety and sleep problems that are associated with the employee’s role, according to Adams.

Over-the-counter and prescription drugs, along with alcohol, can sometimes have lingering effects compared to an appropriate dose of short-acting cannabis medication, Adams said. But that has been the only option for many workers.

“Many of these people have had to jump through a thousand hoops to even be considered to use medical cannabis,” Adams said. “When in fact, it would be a pretty decent alternative to many of the health determinants that are associated with their life.”

Employers would still be able to prohibit use of cannabis on the job and take action against any employee whose work is impaired because of cannabis use. The proposed bill does not make any changes to the current law in regards to federal workers.

There is no widely available rapid test to nail down the window of cannabis use to determine if an employee was impaired at work. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University are working on a THC breathalyzer to help law enforcement detect cannabis impairment, and distinguish between THC and CBD use.

Chelsea Higgs Wise is the executive director of the advocacy group Marijuana Justice, which is focused on helping the state create an equitable recreational cannabis marketplace.

“State employees should be allowed to access cannabis in their off-work time,” Higgs Wise said.

The group supports Helmer’s bill.

“We understand the nuances that public employees are navigating and are excited to offer our support for this extension of wellness to our employees of the Commonwealth,” Higgs Wise stated in the organization’s letter of support to Helmer.

There are approximately 1,000 approved medical cannabis practitioners in Virginia. A total of 98,396 patients used their written certification in 2023 to receive medical cannabis through the state program, according to the managing agency Cannabis Control Authority.

Both bills now advance to the other chamber.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

Bills to ensure workers paid sick days failed in Va. House

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly did not pass legislation this session to ensure paid sick days for employees, despite strong public support.

A 2021 study by Christopher Newport University found almost 90% of people surveyed support paid sick leave. Both House and Senate versions of the bill updated the current law that state employers only have to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 886, with chief co-patron Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath. Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, introduced the similar House Bill 2087.

The bills also would have removed current regulations that require grocery store employees and health care providers to work at least 20 hours each week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick days. The Department of Labor and Industry would also have developed guidelines for grocery store employers to provide sick leave by Dec. 1.

The employees can accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, according to the bills. The earned paid sick leave can be carried over to the following year, but an employee cannot accrue or use more than 40 hours of paid sick leave in a year, unless the employer chooses a higher limit.

The Senate bill passed on a 22-18 party-line vote. Once the bill went to the House, it was killed in the Commerce and Energy subcommittee. The House bill failed to advance from the same committee.

Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William, served as co-patron of Mundon King’s bill. Guzman also sponsored HB 1988, to allow all employees of private employers and state and local governments to accrue paid sick leave. The bill allowed an employee to transfer accrued sick leave to the following year. An employee could also donate accrued sick leave to another employee, with certain restrictions, according to the bill. The bill died in the same House committee as the others.

Guzman has advocated for paid sick leave since 2018. The General Assembly passed an amended version of Guzman’s legislation in 2021 that mandated paid sick leave for some in-home health care workers. The legislative attempts this session expanded on that work.

“The reason why we couldn’t, you know, leave COVID behind us is because people need to pay their bills and they continue to go back to work being sick,” Guzman said.

The bill failed to pass the House because it lacked Republican support, Guzman said.

Virginia law does not require employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. The employer can determine how much sick leave an employee receives, according to Guzman.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocated for Guzman’s bill in 2021. The bill provided five paid sick days per year for 30,000 home health care workers in Virginia, according to the VICPP website.

VICPP conducted a study in 2015 that reported 1.2 million workers in Virginia have no paid sick leave, according to Jase Hatcher, VICPP economic justice program manager. This totals to 41% of private sector workers in Virginia, according to Hatcher. Taking just 3.5 unpaid sick days can result in an average family losing a month’s worth of groceries, Hatcher said.

“That means that workers are choosing between taking care of themselves and their family member, or paying their bills,” Hatcher said. “That is not how we should do that.”

The VICPP study stated that 83% of registered Virginia voters supported a paid sick day standard, according to the VICPP website. Home health care providers need paid sick leave to tend to their health and also to help prevent further outbreaks of illness, VICPP stated. A 2020 study by Health Affairs found that paid sick leave reduced the spread of the coronavirus.

The VICPP believed the bill failed due to the “issues around its impact” on small businesses, Hatcher said. The Senate version of the bill added that a grocery store worker did not include any employee of a business that employs fewer than 25 employees.

“What it comes down to is there are a lot of folks who just don’t believe that there should be mandates or any mandates on paper, but as the data shows, without that mandate, 1.2 million workers go without,” Hatcher said.

The VICPP will continue to advocate for a paid sick leave bill during the next session, because it is one of the most important issues for workers, according to Hatcher.

“The U.S. is one of the very, very few countries in the world which does not have a national paid sick leave policy,” Hatcher said. “So making sure that we’re filling the gaps at the local and state level is really essential before we can get that nationally.”

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

Morrissey’s Petersburg casino bill fails in Senate Finance

Updated Friday, Feb. 3

With an 7-8 no vote Thursday evening, the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee killed state Sen. Joe Morrissey’s measure to bring a casino referendum to Petersburg’s ballots this fall. A similar bill in the House of Delegates, however, is still alive.

A few days after receiving support from the Senate gaming subcommittee and the General Laws and Technology Committee, which sent the bill to Senate Finance with an 11-4 vote Wednesday, eight senators — Republicans and Democrats — voted ‘no’ on a motion to report the bill for a Senate floor vote. Seven others voted to send the bill on for a full Senate vote.

As the matter stands, Petersburg could still have a referendum for a $1.4 billion casino development this fall, or Richmond voters could vote a second time on a proposed casino.

Although the measure took about five minutes in the busy finance committee agenda, supporters and opponents of a Petersburg casino came out in force to testify at the gaming subcommittee meeting last week. Morrissey’s bill would have added Petersburg to the list of cities eligible to host a casino in the state, and it effectively would have prevented Richmond from holding a second casino referendum vote this fall, following a 2021 defeat.

Del. Kim Taylor’s bill, which also adds Petersburg to the list of five eligible cities and would not allow Richmond to hold a referendum, was reported to the House Appropriations committee by a General Laws subcommittee this week in a 5-2 vote. On Friday, the House Appropriations committee voted 12-9 to send the bill to a full vote. One Democrat, Del. Mark Sickles, joined Republicans in voting yes on the motion.

According to the state Department of Planning and Budget, the proposed legislation would not have an impact on state spending, but additional Virginia Lottery and Petersburg staffing and operational spending would be necessary.

Most opponents to the bills are city of Richmond officials, who have backed a second chance at passing a referendum to allow construction of Urban One Inc.’s proposed $565 million ONE Casino + Resort in the city’s South Side.

Boosters of the bills are mainly Petersburg officials; Petersburg City Council signed a commitment with Baltimore-based commercial real estate company The Cordish Cos. in October 2022 to develop a Live! Casino & Hotel resort, pending passage of Morrissey’s and Taylor’s bills and Petersburg voters’ support of a casino referendum this fall. Cordish officials have promised to spend $1.4 billion to build a casino, hotel and parking garage, as well as a multiuse development on the surrounding 90 acres, producing 1,800 direct jobs. The Maryland-based company, which has developed casinos across the mid-Atlantic and Florida, said it is not interested in developing a casino if Petersburg and Richmond both got the green light to build casinos.

“We will continue to work with local leaders and members of the General Assembly to bring a transformative urban revitalization project to Petersburg that will generate desperately needed new jobs for Petersburg, along with substantial additional tax revenue for the city and commonwealth,” Zed Smith, Cordish’s chief operating officer, said in a statement Thursday night.

When the state legalized commercial casinos in 2020, it limited the options for casinos to one facility apiece in five economically disadvantaged cities — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond. Morrissey and other proponents of a Petersburg casino said that the city — which has suffered serious financial setbacks in recent decades — deserved a chance to bring in a casino before giving Richmond a second bite at the apple.

“Petersburg was much more of a natural fit,” Morrissey said in a November 2022 interview with Virginia Business. “The casino legislation was to help struggling cities in the commonwealth, not counties or cities that were going gangbusters. You had to work to construct language that allowed Richmond to fit into one of the five host cities.”

Morrissey and Taylor’s staffs did not respond to requests for comment Thursday evening.

Newport News delegate plans to reintroduce bill to help tenants facing eviction

Amid rising evictions in Virginia, a state legislator plans to reintroduce an expired public health emergency law which could help tenants pay their rent, although invested parties debate its efficacy.

Tenants, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a five-day period to get up to date on unpaid rent or vacate the property without having the case go to court. This stretch is known as the pay or quit period. Former Gov. Ralph Northam introduced the lengthened 14-day period alongside other special laws during a declared state of emergency in 2021. The provision expired June 30.

The number of eviction judgments began increasing this year. An eviction judgment is the official judgment made by the courts dictating whether a tenant is in violation of their lease for nonpayment of rent or any other lease breaking infraction. An eviction judgment is different from an eviction filing. The eviction filing is the official complaint made by the landlord stating the reason for the eviction. The filing is simply the first step in the legal process and will not necessarily lead to a tenant vacating the property. The RVA Eviction Lab, which operates from the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, tracks these numbers. Its focus is meeting eviction data and research needs to help drive policy and advocacy.

There was an estimated 60% increase in eviction judgments in the second quarter of the year, from April to June, according to data from Benjamin Teresa, co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab and an associate professor at VCU. Approximately 7,800 judgments were issued in the second quarter, Teresa stated. That is compared to 4,864 in the first quarter, or January through March, according to Teresa. The higher numbers track with the expiration of emergency provisions.

Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, plans to reintroduce a bill to lengthen the pay or quit period to 14 days versus the current five days. She sponsored House Bill 803 earlier in the year to cement the lengthened pay or quit period put in place in 2021. The bill died in committee along a party line vote, despite landlord and tenant support in her district, Price said.

The original timeline is not enough, considering a standard pay period is 14 days, Price said.

“The five days in the five-day pay or quit was completely arbitrary,” Price said. “That 14 days helped you get to the next check.”

Most people will receive a paycheck during the lengthened notice period, instead of approximately 35% who receive a paycheck during a five-day period, stated Martin Wegbreit, director of litigation at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, in an email.

Wegbreit represents tenants facing eviction in court and says an extension would help many people stay secure in their housing.

“Quantifying how many more tenants will be able to pay with a longer notice period is not easy to calculate, but certainly it is a significant number,” Wegbreit stated.

The extended pay or quit notice was not the only provision put in place to help those facing eviction, but it did not require extra funding and it was pushed to become permanent by legislators.

Christine E. Marra is the director of housing advocacy at the Virginia Poverty Law Center. The rise in evictions is not a surprise as the special laws and funding made available during the pandemic have ended, she said.

“We are finished with the protections and that is the reason why you are seeing this huge spike in eviction cases,” Marra said.

Some experts do not think permanently extending the pay or quit period would make a meaningful difference to tenants.

The additional nine days only matters to the courts, said Tommy Herbert, manager of government affairs at the Virginia Apartment Management Association. The length of the pay or quit period only affects the timeline of the preliminary court hearing, not the actual eviction, according to Herbert, because of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant’s Act passed in February 2021.

That act, also sponsored by Price, established the tenant’s unlimited “right of redemption.” This means tenants can pay back everything due to their landlord up to 48 hours before the scheduled eviction, and can do that as many times needed during their lease.

“In Virginia, given that the unlimited right of redemption exists for such a long period, the actual [eviction] filing timeline becomes immaterial,” Herbert said.

The typical time it takes to complete an eviction is anywhere from 30 to 45 days, depending on the Virginia locality, according to Virginia Apartment Management Association CEO Patrick McCloud.

McCloud agreed that the unlimited right of redemption made the 14-day pay or quit extension pointless.

“The redemption is there so the process can start moving, but someone can still be secure in their housing,” McCloud said.

However, not all tenants will want to face a proceeding that involves the court for mediation.

The best way to bring down evictions and eviction filings is to get tenants up to date on their payments, Herbert said.

“Rent relief and bringing a tenant current is a great way to prevent an eviction filing from ever happening,” Herbert said.

Rent relief requires funding, which has mostly dried up. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development closed its applications for state-wide relief funding on May 15, leaving only local programs available which can be found through the Virginia Department of Social Services by dialing “211 VIRGINIA.”

Educating tenants on their rights can greatly increase their protection in eviction cases, according to advocates at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

Advocates recommend to show up to court dates to avoid hasty default judgments and see if there are any local rental relief programs available.

Tenants facing eviction can get free legal advice available through the Legal Aid Justice Center and the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

Youngkin signs bill to conform tax code

This year’s tax season may be a little less complicated for businesses that were granted Paycheck Protection Program loans and Rebuild Virginia grants during the pandemic.

A bill that Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law Wednesday will ensure that the aid granted through those programs won’t be treated as taxable income.

Because Virginia state and federal tax guidelines don’t align and there are pandemic-specific financial issues to consider when filing returns, business taxes can be more complicated this year, bringing new questions and challenges.

Virginia is a static conformity (or fixed date) state for tax purposes, which means it is one of about 20 states that freeze conformity of state tax rules with federal tax code as of a particular date. The legislation that updated Virginia’s tax law to conform with the latest federal tax code was signed into law by Youngkin Wednesday.

“The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most difficult times for Virginians since the Great Depression,” Youngkin said in a statement. “The federal government and the General Assembly came together to offer aid programs designed to keep businesses open and workers employed. While the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic are in the rearview mirror, many businesses are still struggling from the effects of unnecessary, forced economic shutdowns. This bill ensures programs designed to aid businesses don’t transform into tax liabilities that hinder Virginia’s economic recovery.” 

Emily Walker, vice president of advocacy for the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, said the legislation is notable because Virginia did not fully conform for 2020.  “The way they did it for 2021 makes it easier on the accounting side,” Walker said. “It creates a really significant tax benefit for any business that was a recipient of those funding sources.” 

The conformity change is effective immediately. 

Normally, if a business takes a loan, it can deduct any business expenses paid with that loan from its taxable income. However, if the loan is forgiven or converted to a grant, that amount becomes part of the business’ taxable income, Walker explained. Forgiven PPP loans were unique because the federal government does not consider the forgiveness as taxable income, provided the funds were used correctly. 

VSCPA has advocated for state and federal tax conformity as much as possible to make for simpler filing. 

“We supported this bill and also advocated for [the General Assembly] to pass it as quick as possible,” Walker said. Tax season opened Jan. 24. 

Youngkin’s signing of the bill came about three weeks earlier than last year when then-Gov. Ralph Northam signed the tax conformity bill on the same day as the tax-filing deadline for businesses.

“Anybody that had a business tax return to file had to extend or choose to file with the rules not being finalized, meaning it’s a gamble,” said George Forsythe, managing partner of WellsColeman, and VSCPA chair-elect.

He has hundreds of returns waiting to be completed and is able to get moving on them now that the governor signed the conformity legislation.

“Selfishly, we want conformity because we can’t complete our work until the rules are known,” Forsythe said. 

The bill will save Virginia individual and business taxpayers $201 million in taxes, according to Youngkin’s office.

Lawmakers debate human trafficking bill

RICHMOND, Va. — Legislators raised a few questions with a measure that would deploy hotel staff to help combat human trafficking.

The bill introduced by Del. Shelly A. Simonds, D-Newport News, was heard Thursday in a House subcommittee.

House Bill 258 would authorize the Department of Criminal Justice Services to create an online mandatory course to help hotel employees better recognize and report human trafficking.

The bill would require employees to complete the training within six months of employment and become recertified once every two years. Simonds worked with representatives of the hospitality industry to clarify that staff employed when the bill goes into effect will need to complete training by the end of the year.

“Our friends in law enforcement need folks in hospitality and everyone in the community to help combat this horrible problem,” Simonds said to the panel.

Committee chair Del. William Wampler, R-Washington, asked to revisit the bill after questions were raised.

Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, requested that an attorney look over the bill to determine whether the word hotel also encompasses motels, lodges and campgrounds, or if the bill should identify each individual lodging term.

Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Hopewell, echoed Brewer’s sentiment and asked if the bill could be amended to allow employees up to a year upon start of employment to complete the training rather than the proposed six months. Coyner said giving employees a year will help from having too many people cycling through the training at once due to staff turnover.

Coyner said that her local police department does in person training with hotels on human trafficking and she is concerned the online option would prevent employees from getting “in depth” training.

Coyner asked Simonds to determine how different localities currently conduct training through law enforcement. Simonds said she has been in close contact with the DCJS who she believes are in contact with law enforcement but that she would further communicate with DCJS on the bill.

Coyner also wanted clearer language regarding how the DCJS would keep records of employees so that they would not have to complete the course again if they moved hotels and would know when the recertification process was due.

Simonds said she remains optimistic about the bill and will work on the suggested items.

“The issues that people were bringing up, I think we can work with,” Simonds said in an interview after the meeting.

Patrick McKenna, co-founder of the Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking, voiced support for the bill. It is important for hotel employees to understand “what they’re seeing and what to do when they see it” in order to help discourage trafficking, McKenna said.

Legislators approved a bill last year requiring casino employees who deal with the public to complete a training course in how to recognize and report human trafficking. Simonds sponsored the legislation, which went into effect July 1.

Human trafficking is an ongoing issue in the state that is nearly impossible to quantify, according to a 2019 DCJS report. The General Assembly has passed several bills in past years to combat the human rights issue. Legislators created a statewide Sex Trafficking Response Coordinator position in 2019. The coordinator is tasked with creating an annual report for addressing sex trafficking in Virginia.

The DCJS noted in its recent annual report that more funding and resources are needed for training.

Simonds is also working on a bill to add a common definition of human trafficking to the state code.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.