Woodbridge, Virginia (December 3, 2004) – Delegate Jeff Frederick has announced his legislative agenda for the 2005 session. Frederick has filed several bills regarding education, transportation, and tort reform. Additionally, he will continue to promote better stewardship of the taxpayer’s dollar through budget and spending reform in the Commonwealth.

Frederick’s Education Improvement Act of 2005 will create the Phonics Instruction Incentive Program, which will award competitive grants to schools that did not achieve full accreditation in reading. The grants will be used to purchase reading materials based on systematic phonics for kindergarten through grade two. The bill will also support research-based curricula for reading remediation programs.

In addition, Del. Frederick will re-introduce the legislation from last year that will give teachers a tax credit for classroom school supply expenses not otherwise reimbursed. He is also requesting the General Assembly study teacher salaries and qualifications, as well as a way to fund a college scholarship program for Virginia high school seniors that meet certain eligibility requirements and choose to attend a Virginia college or university -- modeled after the Georgia HOPE scholarship program.

Transportation continues to be a top priority for Del. Frederick. He hopes to improve and add to commuter parking through a number of measures including tax incentives for property owners who have space available that can be used for commuter parking, which will allow commuters to use under-utilized parking spaces in high priority areas. He also will introduce a budget amendment, with the support of Speaker Bill Howell and Appropriations Chairman Vince Callahan, to provide funding for additional commuter parking along the eastern corridor of Rt. 234 in Dumfries. Furthermore, Frederick hopes to alleviate some of the congestion in High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes by introducing legislation that will prohibit trucks, tractor-trailers, and non-emergency vehicles from using the HOV lanes.

Del. Frederick will also work to give localities more tools to plan for transportation and other infrastructure, such as schools and public safety personnel, by introducing stale zoning legislation and co-patroning impact fee legislation.

Frederick’s work on budget and spending reform this session will come in the form of four constitutional amendments he has introduced regarding the enactment of tax laws; budget preparation; limiting appropriations; and locking up the transportation trust fund. Frederick has also introduced the Keep Our Promise Act of 2005, which will repeal the cap on personal property tax relief enacted in 2004, restoring the status of the car tax relief program as it was originally enacted.

Del. Frederick also plans to introduce legislation that would provide a sales tax holiday the weekend before school starts for shoppers to purchase school supplies and clothes as well as a bill that would reinstate tax deductions for senior citizens.

With the continued increase in medical costs and the need to increase access and affordability of insurance, Frederick has introduced tort reform legislation that will limit non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, and in an additional measure, provide a reduction in automobile insurance for owners that choose not to sue for pain and suffering. Additionally, he has filed a bill that would provide for the payment of court costs by the plaintiff when a court finds that an action is frivolous.

The 2005 General Assembly will convene on January 12. For more information regarding legislation introduced by Del. Frederick, please visit www.va52.com and click on current legislation.