WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development (IATF) and Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs (ACVBA) announced they will hold their next set of virtual public meetings on March 1 and 2, respectively, via Microsoft Teams.

"The IATF and ACVBA committee meetings are a quarterly opportunity for members and participants to come together and hear about the state of veteran-owned small businesses," said Acting Associate Administrator for the SBA Office of Veterans Business Development, Timothy Green. "Most importantly, it serves as a chance to discuss how SBA can continue to serve service members, veterans, and their families through resources, training, and other support."

WHAT: IATF and ACVBA Virtual Public Meetings

The IATF meeting will include committee member updates from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Treasury, Defense, and Labor; U.S. General Services Administration; Office of Management and Budget; North Carolina Business Center; the American Legion; VET-Force; and the National Veteran Small Business Coalition.

The ACVBA meeting will cover briefings from the SBA Office of Veterans Business Development, the SBA Office of Government Contracting and Business Development on the Veteran Small Business Certification program, VA, the University of Washington Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, and the Madison Services Group.

WHEN: IATF Meeting

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST
• ACVBA Meeting
• Thursday, March 2, 2023
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

WHO: Timothy Green, Acting Associate Administrator, SBA Office of Veterans Business Development;Robert Bailey, ACVBA Chairperson, Veteran Small Business Owner; IATF and ACVBA Committee Members; Guest Speakers from Interagency Partners and Veterans Service Organizations

HOW: 

• The IATF will meet on Wednesday, March 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST via this Microsoft Teams link. To join the meeting by phone instead, use 206-413-7980 and enter the Conference ID: 953121976#.  
• The ACVBA will meet Thursday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST via this Microsoft Teams link. To join by phone instead, dial 206-413-7980 and enter the Conference ID: 115439757#. 

Public comments and questions are strongly encouraged to be submitted in advance via email by February 28 to veteransbusiness@sba.gov. For technical support, please visit the Microsoft Teams support page. Meeting presentations and minutes will be available after both meetings at www.sba.gov/ovbd under the "Federal Advisory Committees" section. 

RICHMOND – Today, the House of Delegates passed legislation that will reform how Dominion Energy is regulated. The bill is designed to lower costs for Virginia families, bring more stability, and ensure reliable service in the future. 

"Democrats came into session committed to lowering costs for Virginia families — and we stayed at the negotiating table until we were sure this bill would do exactly that," Leader Don Scott said. "It's the result of years of work — and we welcome the other party coming to the table to get this done. And the truth is, if Governor Youngkin hadn't been singularly focused on giving tax breaks to out of state corporations, we could've done even more for families this legislative session."  

Chair Charniele Herring  says, "Today marks the culmination of efforts to make the Commonwealth work for hard working Virginians. Democrats came ready to fight so that Virginians would see real oversight and reduced costs when it comes to their electricity. This bill will ensure affordability and reliability for years to come." 

"Families and businesses across Virginia are facing higher costs – we all know it and feel it – and today, we acted to change it," said Delegate Rip Sullivan. "While Democratic delegates have spent years tirelessly pushing for reform, today's success is not about scoring political points. It's about lowering costs for families and doing so in a bipartisan way. Today was a good day for every family and every business that has to pay an electric bill."