February 13, 2026 Legislative Committee - Feb 13, 2026

meeting

Fairfax County Board Committees 1h 42m 5 speakers 8 agenda items transcribed 2 days ago official recording ↗

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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

How was remote participation approved for the February 13 legislative committee meeting?

Andres F. Jimenez 0:03

Good afternoon. We are going to start with the February thirteenth meeting of the legislative committee and welcome back as always to our legislative team. But before we get started, I am going to pass it over to Chairman McKay.

Jeffrey C. McKay 0:16

Thank you very much, uh, Mr Chairman. And we do have a member of the board who's requested to participate remotely. Um and so let me first ask if Supervisor Sizemore Heiser can hear me if you can just state your name and general location for the record.

Raj Nasai Smoheiser 0:31

Hi, I can hear you. I'm Raj Nasai Smoheiser. I'm in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jeffrey C. McKay 0:35

Excellent, very good. Uh with that, uh I move that the legislative committee certify for the record that Supervisor Sizemore Heiser's voice can be adequately heard by all persons assembled in this conference room and I further move that the committee approve Supervisor Sizemore Heiser's remote participation in this meeting as it fully conforms to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors policy for remote participation in meetings. It's been moved and seconded by uh Supervisor Powchek and Supervisor Smith. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions and that motion carries one, two, three, four, five, six, seven to zero. And with that I will turn it back to you, Mr. Chairman.

Andres F. Jimenez 1:16

Thank you, Mister Chairman. In the two weeks since we last met as a committee. There have been several developments in the General Assembly that I'd like to highlight. While the news this week surrounding gun violence has been deeply disheartening There is real progress being made on legislation that will make a difference in protecting our kids and our communities. I am happy to report that six firearm safety bills passed the House last week with our support, including measures that strengthen standards of responsible conduct for industry members and establish stricter regulations around firearm manufacturing and sales. On a separate note, I'd like to highlight A bill the Fairfax County also supported HB one hundred six, sponsored by delegate Josh Thomas, which also passed the House earlier this week.

Andres F. Jimenez 2:08

One thing I think we can all agree on is that we need more housing in this county. And in the state. And this bill creates a new state fund to help local governments like Fairfax County pay for infrastructure necessary to support. And create housing. Additionally The environmentalist in me was thrilled. To see the progress made on two Senate bills, both sponsored by our partners and good friends, Senator Saddam Salim, Jennifer Boisko and the President. And Mr. Servo. A SB eighty nine encourages and allows localities to take stronger action against evasive species. While S B two twenty six gives communities more room and tools to manage waste sustainability. Finally, SB two hundred and eighty eight died in finance late last night.

Andres F. Jimenez 2:56

This bill would have required any locality that purchases insurance to waive sovereign immunity. To say the least, this is an exciting win for Fairfax County. With crossover just around the corner, we are beginning to see wins take shape. And I have to say it is very exciting to watch the hard work of this committee, of our staff and our state partners come to fruition. We still have work ahead of us, but there is real momentum, and we have to and will continue pushing these bills and these wins home for our Fairfax County residents. With that being said Today's meeting will look similar to previous week's meetings. We're going to start with reviewing updates on our initiatives transit and housing. Then we will move into bills for discussion and bills with updates.

Andres F. Jimenez 3:45

There will be an opportunity for common after the initial updates on county initiatives, housing and transit. Additional comment periods will follow each bill presentation and we will open the floor for broader discussion as we have at the end of every meeting. Please feel free always to reach out to myself. or to Jennifer and her team with any additional questions or or concerns. As mentioned at last week's board meeting, I want to express my appreciation for the increased efforts to strengthen communication amongst our board.