to view - Home Builders Association of Virginia

LegisLAtive updAte
This year, the Virginia General Assembly
passed the Home Builders
Association of Virginia’s complete
2012 legislative agenda. The state
legislature also defeated all anti-housing bills
that would likely have limited housing growth
or imposed new taxes or fees on the business.
For the last two years, I have had the honor
of serving as chairman of the HBAV Legislative
Committee. I witnessed how HBAV members
united early on each year to back an agenda that
would help our business in Virginia recover from a
historic downturn. The agenda focused on clarifying
problematic or ambiguous state laws that were detrimental
to the industry, as well as those that regulate
home building and development at the local level.
Throughout each year, HBAV dedicates more
than a majority of its annual resources to protect
and enhance the home building climate in Virginia
12 HBaV annual RepoRt 2012
Leading the charge
2012 Virginia General assembly
supports recovering home building industry
By John Napolitano, chairman, Legislative Committee
Throughout each year,
HBAV dedicates more than a
majority of its annual resources to
protect and enhance the
home building climate in
Virginia by advocating pro-housing
policies to state lawmakers
and regulators.
by advocating pro-housing policies to state lawmakers
and regulators. The HBAV Legislative Committee
began to develop its 2012 legislative agenda in June
2011 and completed that process in early December.
When the state legislature convened in January
2012, the committee recommended that six
bills be introduced to the state legislature. Each
of the measures was recommended to the HBAV
Legislative Committee by one or more of the 16
HBAV-affiliated local associations. Between June and
December, the committee discussed and debated
the merits of each soon-to-be proposed bill. Finally,
the committee unanimously settled on drafts to
recommend to the 100 members of the House of
Delegates and 40 state senators.
From that point, the HBAV lobbying team
composed of CEO Mike Toalson and veteran HBAV
General Counsel William G. Thomas and Legislative
Counsel Edward Mullen, both with the ReedSmith
law firm, used their experience and understanding
of the legislative process to recommend House and
Senate patrons for HBAV’s package of bills.
After two years as chairman of the HBAV
Legislative Committee, I firmly believe HBAV’s
deliberate approach to develop a statewide consensus
on its annual legislative agenda and to focus on the
agenda’s priorities are key to our continued success.
Members of the state legislature will hesitate to
support a bill if one part of an industry supports
Gov. Robert McDonnell (middle) poses with HBAV President Richard Bogese (right of the governor), HBAV Legislative Committee Chairman John Napolitano (left), members of
the HBAV leadership team and local HBA leaders from across Virginia.