HB333 clarifies that the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice can travel across the state to observe and document conditions related to human health and the environment in or near “environmental justice communities.” It also ensures that the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources provides direct staff support to the Council, without delegating this responsibility to other agencies.
The Virginia State Senate passed HB333 on March 4, 2024 by a vote of 20 to 19. We have assigned pluses to the nays because no government should expand bureaucracy or enable overreach under the guise of “environmental justice.” This bill risks undermining property rights and imposing an intrusive, agenda-driven surveillance operation. Virginia should reject the leftist climate agenda and protect individual freedoms.