Shadow Day – VAMA Members Represent YOU!

By Patrick McCloud, VAMA Chief Executive Officer

The 2014 Virginia General Assembly is in full swing and VAMA members have been busy at work visiting the Capitol as part of VAMA’s new Shadow Day Program. During Shadow Days, VAMA members join VAMA Vice-President of Government Affairs Brian Gordon as he makes his rounds at the General Assembly building. During the most recent Shadow Day, VAMA members met with several legislators, as representatives of the apartment industry to share their concerns along with their support for several pieces of legislation important to our industry.

This following is a list of some of the top bills VAMA continues to monitor this session:

Position: VAMA Supports

Description: Eliminates the interest rate on security deposits starting in 2015. 

Notes: Referred to the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology 1/30/14.

Position: VAMA Supports

Description: Clarifies that Unlawful Detainers may be amended to reflect changes in the rent owed that occur during the UD’s movement through the court process. This address the problem of when total due is different at time of filing vs. time of actual hearing.

Notes: While the Virginia Poverty Law Center has been consistent in their objections to this piece of legislation, the bill passed out of committee without opposition and is now headed to the House floor where passage is expected. The bill is expected to receive a more sympathetic reception in the Senate and VAMA will be monitoring this piece of legislation closely. The bill passed out of the house on 1/31/14 and was referred to the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice on 2/3/14.

Position: VAMA Supports

Description: Bill provides for the pass through of local government fees to apartment residents, i.e. storm water fees.

Notes: HB 614 was up in committee on January 29th and Trey Steigman during his General Assembly visit took advantage of the opportunity to talk with several members of the legislature about the importance of this piece of legislation. The bill passed out of house on 2/5/14 and was referred to the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology on 2/6/14.

Position: VAMA Opposes

Description: Requires installation of CO2 detectors in ALL apartments regardless of whether the apartment contains or is adjacent to a unit with fossil fuel burning appliances.

Notes: This bill was amended to remove the mandatory requirement for ALL apartments and now reads includes the following substitute provision as paragraph E: Upon written request of the tenant, the landlord shall install a carbon monoxide alarm in the tenant's dwelling unit within 90 days of such request and may charge the tenant a reasonable fee to recover the costs of such installation. The landlord's installation of a carbon monoxide alarm shall be in compliance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code.

Position: VAMA Opposes

Description: This is a complicated and technical piece of legislation but for the purposes of keeping its impact simple, the bill essentially lessens the regulatory control of the State Corporation Commission over setting electric utility rates.

Notes: While VAMA opposes this piece of legislation, it is largely acknowledged that VA Dominion Power has spent thousands to carefully position members of the legislature favorable to their issues in the appropriate committees, and as a result, passage of this legislation is relatively assured. While VAMA has been consistent in our opposition, it is not a piece of legislation we will be devoting significant resources to as even with solid opposition advocacy it is not expected to result in any change to the legislation. In short, as such legislation has a relatively small impact on the industry, the committee does not believe it to be in the best interest of VAMA to devote significant staff recourses to fighting this legislation. This bill passed out of the Senate on 1/31/14 and was sent to the house.

To participate in a Shadow Day please contact the VAMA office (804-756-8262) and speak with VAMA Chief Executive Officer Patrick McCloud (patrick@vamaonline.org) to schedule your day at the Capitol.

 

Pictured in Photo: Sandra Winfrey, Belvidere Management; Tammy Longo, Apartment Finder; Senator Watkins; Sue Hartley, SL Nusbaum; Renee Pulliam, Waverton Management