"News: Possible Breach of Prescription Info"

Recently, there was news of a breach of the Virginia Department of Health Professional's database on prescription drug information.

I spoke to a representative handling the current situation. Because it is currently being investigated by federal and state law enforcements, the Virginia Department of Health Professionals do not have any information. They cannot confirm if this breach has even occured.

The only people who would have possibly had their information released are those who have had prescriptions in Schedules II,III and IV. Those include ritalin, methadone, valium, ect. Here's a link for more detailed information: http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/PMPQA050609.pdf.

Unfortunately, the rep couldn't specifically answer the questions due to ongoing investigation but I will keep an eye out for any more information.

Please do not hesitate to contact Delegate Dave Albo if you would like to know more about this issue.

"Albo on HB 2016 Human Trafficking"

Dear Constituent,

Thank you for writing about HB 2016. The official summary of the bill states:

HB 2016---Human Trafficking. Defines human trafficking to include the use of force, deception, or coercion, for the purpose of subjecting a person to involuntary servitude, debt bondage, concubinage, prostitution, or slavery. The bill provides that any person who engages in human trafficking is subject to the provisions of the Virginia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and provides for forfeiture of a trafficker's property used in, and proceeds gained from, trafficking. The bill also creates an affirmative defense to criminal activity engaged in by a victim of trafficking.

However, the issue this bill pertains to is already in the Code of Virginia. Out of concern, the Virginia State Crime Commission conducted a study in 2006 to determine if any of the criminal activity listed in HB 2016 is not currently covered in the Code of Virginia. After a thorough study, the Crime Commission found all current criminal activity listed in HB 2016 except for one was already illegal according to the Code of Virginia. As for this one activity not covered, HB 1921 was passed in 2007.

Last week we found another thing that was not included – forfeiting of property. We asked the patrons to prepare an amendment to add forfeiture of property for property used in the course of human trafficking.

Let me assure you that I am very concerned about human trafficking. That is why I made sure that every element listed in HB 2016 was currently covered in our Code of Virginia. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours for good government,


David B. Albo

"The Stables at Meadowood in Lorton"

A letter of the Bureau of Land Management that I sent out concerning the Stables at Meadowood in Lorton.

February 24, 2009

Dear the Burearu of Land Management,

As the Bureau of Land Management considers the future use of the Meadowood property in Lorton, Virginia, I am hoping much thought will go into continuing the use of the property to include the boarders of horses as a part of the Meadowood Special Recreation Area.

Not only is this equine boarder facility incredibly important to all of the people who board, work, and live there but it is also an exquisite gem in our community. Members of our community use The Stables at Meadowood as a place to not only work but also enjoy life. The boarders also bring in a great deal of revenue to Fairfax County which will be lost if the boarders are forced to relocate.

The stables have been a wonderful asset to our community. The therapeutic program, Simple Changes, is a rewarding and excellent program that takes place at Meadowoods. Our local Girl Scout troops also take pleasure in visiting the facility to learn about horses and the care they need in order to complete their badges.

If I can be of any other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

David B. Albo

"Albo on West Springfield High School"

February 4, 2009

Dear Constituent,

I wrote to you in December to make you aware of our neighborhood’s efforts to get our West Springfield High School on the list to be renovated. As you recall, unlike neighboring schools such as Hayfield, Lee, and Lake Braddock, our WSHS has never received a full renovation. In fact, WSHS is not the only 40-year-old school still in need of renovations. Langley, Herndon, Oakton and Falls Church are all in the same boat. Collectively, they have become known as “The Legacy 5.”

To pursue the renovation of WSHS, a parent group called Spartans Organized for Action on Renovation (SOAR) was formed. And over the past couple of months, they have worked tirelessly for our neighborhood. Because of their efforts, I am happy to report that on January 22^nd the School Board voted to add WSHS into the 2010-2014 Capital Improvement (School Construction/Renovation) Plan (CIP). Your School Board Representative, Liz Bradsher, asked the School Board to include both WSHS and Langley High School since they are both of similar age and have been rated by an independent audit as the two high schools most in need of renovation.

Although the first step has been completed, there is still a lot left to do. Even with the inclusion of WSHS in the CIP, it is still an unfunded project. However, if we had not been successful on January 22, WSHS would not even be in the line for renovations.

So this is a big success, but there is still much more work to do.

The slow progress of the current renovation strategy has been brought to the attention of the School Board. In fact, FCPS Chief Operating Officer Dean Tisadt was asked to speak concerning the CIP in regards to the “Legacy 5.” He believes that new solutions need to be presented to the School Board in order to make these renovations feasible. It is taking too long for these projects to be completed under the current plans. Supervisor Pat Herrity has suggested increasing the school construction bond program. Since right now we have historically low interest rates and contractors are desperate for work, it is a great time to build! In addition, I have filed a bill to require that any “federal economic stimulus funds” received by a county school system be designated for renovation first.

At any rate, I just wanted you to know that when citizens bond together and work with legislators in a bi-partisan, solution-oriented manner, government works!

Yours for good government,

David B. Albo

If you have any questions, please call Dave Albo at (703) 451-3555 or check out WSHS Renovations.

"Virginia's Security Freeze Law"

April 30, 2009

Dear Constituents,

I’m writing to let you know that a great new law, which I voted in support of, has now become effective. Known as Virginia’s Security Freeze Law, all citizens of Virginia now have the right to restrict access to their credit reports and lock out anyone seeking to open a new account, or fraudulently establish new credit in their name. This is great news for you because you now have the ability to freeze your personal information so that a credit reporting agency is prohibited from releasing your credit report, or any of the information in it, without your prior authorization. My hope is that this law will not only give you better control over your finances, but it will also serve as an additional weapon in protecting more Virginians from becoming victims of the ever-growing crime of identity theft.

To figure out exactly how it works, I have done a little research to make it easier for you. What I have found is that any Virginian resident wishing to place a freeze on their credit files, may do so by sending a request, and paying a $10 fee, to each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Those agencies being Transunion, Experian and Equifax). No fees will be charged to victims of identity theft who submit a valid police report with their freeze request. Once the freeze is in place, the consumer will receive a personal identification number (PIN) from the credit reporting agency. The PIN can then be used to remove the freeze on a temporary or permanent basis. For your convenience, I have included the following websites of all three credit agencies: Transunion: http://www.transunion.com/ , Experian: http://www.experian.com/ and Equifax: http://www.equifax.com/home/.

When I personally went to TransUnion to look up my credit score, I had to give them my information, answer a couple security questions that only I would know about my account, and then give them a credit card to charge for their services. After this, it immediately took me to a page where I could choose one of three options, with the third option being to freeze my account. When I chose that option, the site then stated the terms of use and required the additional ten dollar fee. That’s it! The whole process took less than ten minutes! And best of all, unlike many states, there is no fee charged to you to have your security freeze removed.

There are a few things to keep in mind, though. If you choose to freeze your accounts, you will need to plan ahead to ensure timely processing of any legitimate credit applications. While it shouldn’t take long to freeze your accounts, it may take the credit reporting agencies up to three business days to lift the security freeze and allow the processing of valid credit requests for items such as mortgages, credit cards, wireless phones, vehicle loans, rental housing, utilities authorizations, etc…

As a consumer, you should also be aware that certain individuals, such as prospective employers, law enforcement, child support agencies, tax authorities and other government agencies may continue to access credit reports for legitimate reasons even though your credit reports may have a security freeze in place. The freeze is merely a means to help stop identity theft from occurring within the private sector. When a security freeze is in place at all three major credit bureaus, an identity thief cannot open a new account because the potential creditor or seller of services will not be able to check the credit file. However, law enforcement still will be to obtain all such information.

I hope this information will help you in determining how to better protect your finances. If there is anything else that I can be of assistance with, please feel free to contact me at 703-451-3555.

Yours for good government,

David B. Albo

"Delegate Albo's Constituent Corner"

As the delegate of the 42nd district, I think it's important to keep my constituents informed on issues in and around the community. That's why I created "Constituent Corner." It's a place for you to keep up to date on things that relate to you and happenings in the Commonwealth.