RICHMOND -- Three important pieces of legislation sponsored by Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, during the 2008 Virginia General Assembly Session take effect July 1, 2008.

     “With July 1st approaching, I am proud to see a number of my bills take effect as a result of  legislation I introduced during the 2008 Session,” Landes said. “These new laws become effective July 1, so now is the time to remind the public of new legislative changes.”

     House Bill 85 requires the Board of Pharmacy to set regulations to establish a Prescription Drug Donation Program to accept certain unused previously dispensed prescription drugs, and re-dispense such drugs to patients of free health clinics. This idea was brought to Delegate Landes by a local registered nurse, Marsha Howdyshell. Mrs. Howdyshell, who works in a hospice care setting, noted a critical need for such a program. Due to the high cost of prescriptions and lack of insurance, HB 85 will provide some medicines to those unable to afford them while at the same time preventing wasteful disposal of these previously prescribed, unused medicines.

     Also suggested by Mrs. Howdyshell but not passed during the 2008 Session, Delegate Landes will continue to work on House Bill 86 in the upcoming 2009 Session to establish a program for the disposal of unused pharmaceuticals that cannot be re-dispensed.

     House Bill 1335, establishing the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund, will take effect July 1 to help Virginia farmers implement Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP). BMPs will help preserve Virginia’s natural resources for future generations.  For the next 10 years, the Fund will be distributed to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program. This program provides grants to farmers to help offset the cost of implementing BMPs. Fifty-seven percent of the money will be used to help farmers implement BMPs on agricultural lands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and thirty-eight percent of the money will be used for all other lands in the Commonwealth. Five percent of the money will be allocated to soil and water conservation districts.

     Another piece of legislation sponsored by Landes is House Bill 1332, which establishes a uniform permit process for the Air Pollution Control Board and the State Water Control Board. After issuing a public notice of a pending permit action, if at least 25 individuals have requested a public hearing and the Director finds that the issues are germane to the permit action, a public hearing will be held. The Director or the two Boards may convene a meeting under an expedited schedule to reconsider the decision of the Director to grant a public hearing. The Board is required to act on the permit within 90 days of the close of the comment period unless the applicant agrees to an extension of the time period. Persons who commented during the public hearing may address the Air and Water Boards at the meeting where final action on the permit will occur. The bill also increases membership on the Air Pollution Control Board from five to seven members.

     Landes represents the 25th House District, which includes the City of Waynesboro, and portions of Albemarle, Augusta and Rockingham Counties. He was first elected in 1995 and is currently serving his seventh term in the House.