H.B. 820 Cigarette tax; penalties for unstamped cigarettes.
Status:  PASSED HOUSE & SENATE

H.B. 820 rationalizes the civil penalties for the unintentional sale of unstamped cigarettes typically caused by machine errors or shipping mistakes.  The Department of Taxation came to me seeking this change after 50 enforcement actions resulted in 42 appeals.  For example, the current penalty structure mandated $500,000 of fines for $300 of missing stamps.  The reason for the high rate of appeal is that the current penalty structure charges retailers over 1,000 times the amount of uncollected taxes.  HB 820 reduces the penalty, helping both small business owners and the Commonwealth.  Read the full press release here.

H.B. 831 Public Procurement Act; qualification of foreign business entities to conduct business in State.
Status:  Passed House, Awaiting hearing in Senate Committee on General Laws & Technology (3/3/10)

H.B. 831 is a bill that requires out of state corporations to register with the State Corporation Commission before bidding on a state procurement contract.  Virginia companies have been outbid by out-of-state companies many times on government contracts.  The bill is intended to level the playing field so that out-of-state companies must play by the rules before competing with Virginia companies for government business.