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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hey NFB Family and Friends,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The House and Senate have voted! Change is happening.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Virginia General Assembly adjourned this past Monday. Below is a listing of the bills that we have been monitoring and discussed during the Richmond Seminar:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:47.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>Priority #1-Accessible Absentee Voting<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:83.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>o<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>HB-1888-Patron VanValkenburg-Passed both House and Senate. As of March 1, the bill is awaiting the Governor's response. He has until March 31 to act on the bill. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:83.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>o<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>SB1331-Patron Reaves- Passed both House and Senate. As of March 1, the bill is awaiting the Governor's response. He has until March 31 to act on the bill. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:47.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>Priority #2: Streamlining the Hiring Processes for Persons With Disabilities in State Employment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:83.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>o<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>HB 2140-Patron Guzman- Passed both House and Senate. As of March 1, the bill is awaiting the Governor's response. He has until March 31 to act on the bill. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:47.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>Priority #3-Add Disability to Virginia Human Rights Act<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:83.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>o<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>HB 1848-Patron Sickes-This bill has passed both the House and Senate. On February 25, the Governor has approved the bill and the revision of Chapter 12 of the Code of Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:47.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>Priority #4-Making crosswalks Safer for Drivers and Blind Pedestrians<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:83.25pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>o<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>HB 1841-Patron Keam-Passed House with substitution studying the issue- Now has passed both House and Senate. As of March 1, the bill is awaiting the Governor's response. He has until March 31 to act on the bill. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As you can see, it looks like all of the bills we have been advocating for have passed both the House and Senate, with one of them already approved by the Governor, with three others waiting for Governor's action. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We do not know yet what the outcome regarding the Governor's budget recommendations for DBVI. There will be one more report at the end of this month. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regards, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Stewart Prost<span style='color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'>Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Jacki Bruce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<br><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="tel:(757)291-1789" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>tel:(757)291-1789</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="http://www.nfb.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfb.org</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="http://www.nfbv.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfbv.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Follow us on Twitter @NFBVirginia<br>Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Live the life you want.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>