Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes parts of Nelson and Augusta Counties, Highland County, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell announced today that he has been chosen by the Speaker of the House of Delegates to represent the Commonwealth at the Southern Regional Education Board’s Annual Legislative Work Conference.  Additionally, Speaker Howell appointed him to the National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices Three Branch Institute on “Child Social and Emotional Well-Being”

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Legislative Work Conference will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana June 22 through June 24.  Legislators from member states will gather to discuss education policy.

SREB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with 16 member states to improve public pre-K-12 and higher education.  Founded by the region's governors and legislators in 1948, SREB was America's first interstate compact for education. Today it is the only regional education compact that works directly with state leaders, schools and educators to improve teaching, learning and student achievement at every level of education.

Delegate Bell represented the Commonwealth at the SREB Legislative Work Conference in 2010.

"I am thrilled that the Speaker has once again given me the opportunity to represent the Commonwealth at the SREB legislative work conference.” said Delegate Bell “I am confident that the exchange of ideas at this conference will be very beneficial to me as I continue to serve as a member of the Education committee and as Chairman of the Students and Early education subcommittee. Additionally, I’m hopeful it will help provide me with the tools needed to continue the fight for education reform in the Commonwealth. ”

Additionally, Delegate Bell was appointed to the National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices Three Branch Institute on “Child Social and Emotional Well-Being”. 

This is a collaborative partnership between the Virginia Commission on Youth, the Virginia Department of Social Services, the Virginia Office of Comprehensive Services, and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

“I am thankful that Speaker Howell saw fit to appoint me to this Institute” said Delegate Bell.   “This is an area that is of particular interest to me, and I am hopeful this service will better allow me to represent my district in Richmond.”

Delegate Bell currently serves on the State Executive Council for Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families.  He has served on the State Executive Council since 2010.

Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes Highland County, portions of Augusta and Nelson Counties, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.  He is currently serving in his second term.

STAUNTON, VA – Del. Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) announced today that he intends to seek re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates.   

“I am pleased to announce that I will be seeking a third term in the House of Delegates.” said Bell. “We have made a lot of progress in Virginia over the last four sessions, but there is a lot more that needs to be done”

“Virginia’s economy is continuing to improve much quicker than many other states throughout our country; however we are not out of the woods yet.  We still have too many that are unable to find work and too many that are underemployed.”

“I am committed to continuing the fight to create an economic environment that will foster job growth and to keeping taxes low so that we can help families across Virginia overcome the economic challenges we all face. At a time of continued overreach in Washington, I will continue to work to limit and not expand our government, and fight to protect Virginia from federal government overreach.  I will also continue to push for educational reform to ensure that all students in Virginia can get the best education possible. By upholding our common sense conservative principals, we will continue to see Virginia ranked among the best states to do business.”

“I have enjoyed serving the people of the 20^th District during my two terms, and I look forward to continuing my service.” Bell added. “Anne and I are continually grateful for the continued support of the many constituents that we have met over the past three years.”

Delegate Bell serves on the Committees on Finance, Education, and Health, Welfare and Institutions.  Additionally, he serves as a subcommittee chairman for the Students and Early Education subcommittee of the Education committee.

Throughout his tenure in the House of Delegates educational reform has been one of his top priorities.  He has successfully patroned legislation that streamlines the grievance process for educators and administrators.  He successfully put forth legislation that promotes educational opportunities for deaf students, and legislation that requires state funded colleges and universities to accept American Sign Language as a foreign language for entrance requirements.  Additionally, he has continued to promote school choice by championing legislation that establishes virtual education in Virginia.

Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes Highland County, the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, and parts of Nelson and Augusta County.  He is currently serving in his second term.

STAUNTON, VA – Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) announced today that Governor McDonnell has signed into law a number of House Bills that he patroned for the 2013 General Assembly Session.

The bills signed into law include House Bills 1335, 1344, 1349, 1406, 1646, 1683, and 2151.  One more of Delegate Bell’s bills, House Bill 1440, is being amended by the Governor.

“I’m pleased that the Governor has agreed with the General Assembly regarding each of these bills.” said Delegate Bell.  “I’ve worked hard during my tenure in the House of Delegates to patron legislation that will benefit all Virginians, and I believe this year we have accomplished that. I’m grateful that this legislation gained bipartisan support in the General Assembly, and has now been signed into law.” 

House Bill 1335 allows the senior judge, for good cause, to appoint a temporary member to the electoral board in order to maintain a quorum.

House Bill 1344 permits local school divisions to ensure that individualized education program (IEP) teams consider the specific communication needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and address those needs as appropriate in the child's IEP.

House Bill 1349 defines "dental hygiene" as duties related to patient assessment and the rendering of educational, preventive, and therapeutic dental services specified in regulations of the Board and not otherwise restricted to the practice of dentistry. The bill defines "dental hygienist" as a person who is licensed by the Board of Dentistry to practice dental hygiene. The bill also clarifies the licensure requirement for a dental hygienist of graduation from a dental hygiene program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and offered by an accredited institution of higher education.

House Bill 1406 encourages each school board to annually provide parent educational information on eating disorders for public school students in grades five through 12. The bill also requires the Department of Education and the Department of Health to develop and implement policies for providing parent educational information on eating disorders.

House Bill 1646 provides that foster care services shall include independent living services provided to a former foster child who is over the age of 18 years but who has not yet reached the age of 21 years, and that a former foster child receiving such services shall be eligible for funding through the Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families program.

House Bill 1683 adds community-based mental health services to the list of services for which expenditures must be reported by the Office of Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families.

House Bill 2151 makes a number of changes to the processes to which teachers are evaluated and to the grievance process. It requires teachers and administrators to be evaluated every year, either informally or formally, and include student academic progress as a component. The legislation includes a measure that gives local school boards the option of extending the probationary process for a new teacher from three to five years to allow more time to evaluate performance. Perhaps most importantly, the legislation streamlines the grievance process for teachers by a series of changes to the hearing process. It includes a shortened timeframe and the appointment of a single impartial hearing officer instead of a three-member panel. Additionally, the passage of this legislation will result in a 2% raise for teachers

Delegate Bell patroned 13 pieces of legislation during the 2013 General Assembly Session.  Of those, 8 passed in both houses and 7 have already been signed by Governor McDonnell.

Governor McDonnell is expected to sign House Bill 1440, a bill that enacts a charter for the Town of Monterey in Highland County, repealing the former charter of 1952, as amended.  Governor McDonnell has made some technical recommendations for this legislation, and is expected to sign it after the amendments are agreed to by the House of Delegates and Senate.

Unless otherwise noted, these bills will go into effect July 1, 2013.  

       Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes parts of Nelson and Augusta Counties, Highland County, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

# # #

Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) announced today House Bill 2151 has passed in the House of Delegates.

     This legislation, known as the “Educator Fairness Act” is a heavily amended version of the Teacher Contract legislation that Delegate Bell presented last year.

          House Bill 2151 makes a number of changes to the processes to which teachers are evaluated and to the grievance process.  It requires teachers and administrators to be evaluated every year, either informally or formally, and includes student academic progress as a component.  The legislation includes a measure that gives local school boards the option of extending the probationary process for a new teacher from three to five years to allow more time to evaluate performance. It does not, however, eliminate the continuing contract.  

           Perhaps most importantly, the legislation streamlines the grievance process for teachers by making a series of changes to the hearing process.  It includes a shortened timeframe and the appointment of a single impartial hearing officer instead of a three-member panel.  This hearing officer will preside over an administrative hearing, and issue a written recommendation to the school board.  The grievance procedure will allow for an expedited decision to inform the teacher regarding their employment status.  Additionally, the passage of this legislation will result in a 2% raise for teachers.

          This legislation is the result of a collaborative effort of all stakeholders, and was supported by the Virginia Education Association, Virginia School Boards Association, Virginia Association of Superintendents, the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, and the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals.  Additionally it gained the support of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership.  

          “I am extremely pleased to see this legislation pass in the House of Delegates with bipartisan support.  We began working on this bill immediately following the 2012 Session, and had extensive meetings with a number of stakeholders.  The extensive involvement of the education community has helped make this legislation possible. ” said Delegate Bell.  “Through their cooperation and advice, we have put forth a piece of legislation that will place great emphasis on enhancing the quality of our teachers.  It will allow Virginia to recruit and retain the best educators, and ensure that our educational system continues to rank among the nation’s best.  Additionally, it is a step in the right direction for treating and paying educators like the professionals that they are.  I am pleased with the actions of the House, and I am hopeful that this legislation will continue to gain support as it moves over to the State Senate.”

      House Bill 2151 was initially referred to the Teachers and Administrative Action subcommittee of the Education committee where it was reported out with a vote of 8-0.  It was then reported out of the full committee with a vote of 17-0.  It passed in the House today with a vote of 84-14. 

     Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes Highland County, portions of Augusta and Nelson Counties, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.  He is currently serving in his 2^nd term.

###

RICHMOND, VA – Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) announced today House Bills 1646 and 1683 have passed in the full House of Delegates. Additionally, House Bill 2151 has been reported out of the subcommittee on Teachers and Administrative Actions.

     House Bill 1646 clarifies eligibility requirements for funds from the state pool of funds for comprehensive services for at-risk youth and families, making clear that a child who has been placed through an agreement between his parents and a public agency other than the local department of social services, or who is receiving foster care services to prevent foster care placement, is eligible for funds from the state pool.

     House Bill 1683 adds community-based mental health services to the list of services for which expenditures must be reported by the Office of Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families.

     Both bills were initially referred to the Committee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions, where they were reported out unanimously.  They passed today on the house floor with a vote of 98-0.  

     “I am very pleased to see House Bills 1646 and 1683 pass with unanimous support in the House of Delegates.  These bills help ensure that they money spent under the Comprehensive Services Act are spent wisely and properly.” said Delegate Bell. “I’m pleased that this bill was successful in the House, and I hope that it will be well received when it crosses over to the Senate.”

     Additionally, Delegate Bell’s House Bill 2151 was heard in the Teachers and Administrative Action Subcommittee of the Committee on Education yesterday, and reported out with a vote of 8-0.  This legislation is a heavily amended version of the Teacher Contract legislation that Delegate Bell presented last year.

          House Bill 2151 makes a number of changes to the processes to which teachers are evaluated and to the grievance process.  It requires teachers and administrators to be evaluated every year, either informally or formally, and include student academic progress as a component.  The legislation includes a measure that gives local school boards the option of extending the probationary process for a new teacher from three to five years to allow more time to evaluate performance.  Perhaps most importantly, the legislation streamlines the grievance process for teachers by a series of changes to the hearing process.  It includes a shortened timeframe and the appointment of a single impartial hearing officer instead of a three-member panel.  Additionally, the passage of this legislation will result in a 2% raise for teachers. 

          “I am delighted to see this legislation reported out of the subcommittee with an 8-0 vote.  We began working on this bill last year almost immediately after Session, and all of our stakeholders have come to the table.  The Superintendents’ Association, School Boards’ Association, and the VEA all came forward with valuable amendments that have made this the best legislation possible.” said Delegate Bell.  “Through their cooperation and advice, we have made this legislation beneficial to students, teachers, and administrators alike. I am pleased with the results of the subcommittee meeting and I hope that it will continue to gain support as it moves through the legislative process.”

      Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes Highland County, portions of Augusta and Nelson Counties, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.  He is currently serving in his 2^nd term.

DELEGATES BELL, CLINE, AND LANDES TO HOLD JOINT TOWN HALL MEETING

STAUNTON, VA – Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) announced today he will be joining Delegates Cline and Landes to host a joint Town Hall event.

      The joint town hall meeting will take place at 7:00 pm at Guy K. Stump Elementary School in Stuarts Draft on Wednesday, January 2.

      The Town Hall meeting is open to the public, and the public is encouraged to attend. The legislators will provide an overview of the 2013 Session and will take questions and comments from those in attendance.  You can contact Delegate Bell’s office with any questions. 

      Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell represents the 20th District, which includes Highland County, portions of Augusta and Nelson Counties, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

STAUNTON, VA – Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) announced today that he has been awarded the 2012 Child Advocate Award by the Virginia Council for Private Education at a Luncheon reception in Richmond today. 


A spokesman for the Council, Matthew Stanley, remarked that "This award is in recognition for Delegate Bell's constant advocacy for children; for their health and safety, their education, and for those with disabilities. This is an award that we do not give every year, but only when there is a legislator that we feel has gone above and beyond in their advocacy for children."

STAUNTON, VA – Delegate Richard P. “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) today issued the following statement in response to Governor Bob McDonnell's announcement of FY 2012 surplus including agency savings:

           “Just last month Governor McDonnell announced $129. million in FY 2012 surplus revenues.  Earlier today, in a joint meeting of the House Appropriations and Finance Committees and the Senate Finance Committee, he announced an additional $319.3 million in agency savings.  This brings us to a total FY 2012 surplus of $448.5 million.  This is the third straight year that the Commonwealth has produced a budget surplus.  Just three years ago, our Commonwealth was in dire fiscal distress, facing a budget shortfall of nearly $6 billion.  We have gone from that shortfall in 2010 to nearly 1.4 billion in surpluses and budget savings over the past three years, all without a tax increase.  This is an incredible accomplishment. These continued surpluses are great news for Virginia, and one of many reasons that Virginia continues to be one of the best states to do business.”  said Delegate Bell.

“Though this budget surplus brings with it many benefits, perhaps one of the most significant items that we will be able to address is a 3 percent performance based bonus to state employees on December 1.  Because our state employees were able to work together and use their innovation to be frugal, while not sacrificing service, they achieved the cost savings necessary to fund this bonus.  Our state employees have once again risen to the occasion and made this possible for themselves.”

“In addition to the one time state employee bonus, the Appropriations Act and the Virginia Constitution, and the Code of Virginia determines how this surplus must be allocated. An additional 78.3 million will be set aside for deposit to the Revenue Stabilization fund bringing the Rainy Day Fund balance to $689 million.  Another $30 million will go to the Federal Action Contingency Trust Fund. We will be able to return $132.3 million to higher education and non general fund accounts, 16.9 million to the Virginia Water Quality Fund, $20.9 million to the Transportation Trust Fund, and finally $17.2 million will be set aside to cover our obligations resulting from the natural disasters occurring over the course of FY 2012.

“Though Virginia is faring better than many other states in our nation, the economy is still very uncertain.  Many Virginians are still struggling to live within their means, and having to make extremely tough choices. When they have to face the challenge of balancing their books, they should be able to expect this from the Government as well.  And fortunately over the past three years they have been able to see this from Governor McDonnell.   He has spent the last three years working to produce not only a balanced the budget, which is a constitutional requirement, but budgets that have produced three consecutive surpluses. Virginians want to see this type of responsibility in Government, and this is what they deserve.” 

Elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, Delegate Bell is now serving his 2^nd term.  He represents parts Nelson and Augusta Counties, Highland County, and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

# # #