Today the Virginia General Assembly held its first hearings on SB 1262 which amends the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act (Virginia Code 8.01-216.1 et seq.)

The weather prevented me from attending and testifying in person, but I did submit my written testimony in support of these important amendments.

We'll see what happens, but I am afraid that with all of these other bills pending with regards to the VFATA, the General Assembly might get weary of hearing about this statute.

As an additional legislative update, it seems like a bill to amend the VFATA is on the verge of winding its way through the House of Delegates—HB 1399 isn't the death-knell that Chap Petersen and Donald McEachin hope to enact, but it is an abuse of the VFATA and is ill-advised. 

I will write more on HB 1399—which would enable state and local government employees to file a lawsuit for wrongful termination under VFATA—later.  HB 1399 seems certain to be killed in the Senate, but it apparently went through the HOD on the "uncontested docket."