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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGeneral Assembly Update1 2026 General Assembly Week 3 2 2026 Session Today’s update: •Status of Legislative Agenda items •Budget amendments •Legislation of interest Goal of today’s presentation is to provide an update on the General Assembly session and ascertain Council direction and approval to oppose/support legislation 3 Legislative Agenda items Code Amendments Bill & Patron Status Cancer Screenings for Public Safety HB 393 AskewSB 672 Rouse •Referred to House Appropriations•Carried over to 2027;Still under consideration in budget EMS "Four for Life" funding HB 57 FeggansSB 675 Rouse •Reported from Transportation 21-0•Continued to 2027 Fire Programs Fund HB 394 AskewSB 775 Hackworth •Subcommittee laid on the table 7-0•Rereferred to Finance 13-0 Subaquatic Vegetation HB 390 Askew •Reported Agriculture subcommittee 10-0 Menhaden Fishing Study HB 1048 & 1049 CarrSB 474 Marsden •Referred to Agriculture subcommittee•Continued to 2027 “Pop-Up” Event Zones HB 778 Thornton •Likely to be heard in CCT next Thursday morning 10-1 General Law HB 168 AskewSB 51 Rouse •Passed House 75-24•Passed Senate 26-14 Charter Amendments Bill & Patron Status Protecting the Blue Line HB 1328 TataSB 387 Craig •Tabled in subcommittee•Failed to report 7-8 10:1 Election System HB 187 Convirs-FowlerSB 681 Rouse •Passed House 83-13-1•Passed Senate 27-13 4 Legislative Agenda items - Budget Budget Requests Patron Language Fire Department Askew Rouse $1,775,000 to support VBFD’s Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces $1,775,000 to support VBFD’s Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces Police Department Askew Rouse $250,000 to support the Parks After Dark Program $1,000,000 to support the Parks After Dark Program and gun violence prevention equipment Virginia Aquarium DeSteph $250,000 each year to support the Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Program Virginia Aquarium Askew $10,000 each year to support a workgroup to review and make recommendations regarding the Virginia Aquarium Manager's Office Askew Rouse $250,000 for the renovation of Courthouse office space in Building 10 $350,000 for the renovation of Courthouse office space in Building 10 5 VB House Budget amendments Patron Language Askew $40,000 to support HJR 28 which creates a joint subcommittee to do a one -year study to provide sustainable funding for HRT $10 million for the development of Atlantic Park. The funding may be applied to engineering, infrastructure, maintenance, and other related costs to facilitate development and expansion activities $2 million for the HR Strong initiative for maritime workforce training efforts in the Hampton Roads region Askew &Knight $500,000 for renovations and preservation of the historic Nimmo United Methodist Church Feggans $500,000 to continue the partnership between the YMCA of South Hampton Roads and the Virginia Beach School Division to provide child care assistance for school division employees working in Title I schools Tata $3 million in FY 27 and $5 million in FY 28 to bring the Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant Program to $5 million per year. 6 VB Senate Budget amendments Patron Language Craig Additional $190,000 each year for the Hampton Roads Planning District $2,000,000 Solar Interconnect Grant Fund Rouse $500,000 to continue the partnership between the YMCA of South Hampton Roads and the Virginia Beach School Division to provide child care assistance for school division employees working in Title I schools $30 million each year to expand Career & Technical Education programs to mitigate worker shortages in high demand fields $500,000 to initiate the Emergency Response Exposure Grant Fund and Program. 7 House Budget amendments of interest Patron Language McQuinn $8 million for Aid to Localities with Police Departments Anderson $4 million to expand the workforce credential grant program Carr $2 million each year for the Atlantic Menhaden Research Fund Glass $750,000 to the Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center in Virginia Beach, which provides mental health services to veterans, active-duty service members, and their families Lopez $200 million in each year of the biennium for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Thomas $10,000 each year from the general fund to establish a joint subcommittee of the General Assembly to analyze the rising cost of mandatory property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their families, which has increased from $8 million in 2011 to an estimated $300 million in 2025 and make recommendations to address the loss of local revenue. Tran $49 million in fiscal year 2027 and $51.8 million in fiscal year 2028 from the general fund to effectuate the provisions of House Bill 1263 related to collective bargaining 8 Senate Budget amendments of interest Patron Language Ebbin Additional $112.5 million each year for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund Jordan $2.0 million each year for the firefighter protective equipment grant program administered by the Department of Fire Programs, which fiscally distressed localities may use to purchase non-vehicular equipment, such as breathing apparatuses. Locke Additional $1.0 million each year for HR STRONG to support career opportunities in the naval shipbuilding, offshore wind, and tunnel building industries Provides language that would expand eligibility for the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) employment grant program to include military spouses McPike $3.0 million for a grant program administered by the Department of Fire Programs for localities to conduct cancer screenings for firefighters and collect data on the screening results Williams Graves $25.0 million each year to establish the Commonwealth Match Assistance Program for Flood Prevention, which will provide grants to help localities with their cost share requirements for Storm and Flood Risk Management Projects, meaning any project with a total budget of at least $100.0 million that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people, property, infrastructure, or natural resources from flooding or storms, and that has been awarded financial assistance through a federal grant program, loan, or Congressionally Directed Spending $100.0 million GF each year to provide in funding for the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund, established under Virginia Code § 10.1-603.25 for the public purposes of enhancing flood prevention or protection and coastal resilience 9 Legislation of Interest HJ 26 Askew Creates a study to look at expanding light rail to the Ocean Front •Laid on the table but some concepts were incorporated in HJ28 HB 1449 Adams SB 712 Stuart Authorizes localities to impose a sales and use tax on nicotine vapor products •HB 1449 Referred to Gen Laws •SB 712 Referred to Finance SB 297 & 306 Peake SB 297 Repeals the use of photo speed monitoring devices SB 306 Repeals use of red-light cameras Floor substitute has been offered that requires reporting to the state but allows the program to continue •Both on 3rd floor reading HB 1279 J. Cole SB 388 McPike "Faith in Housing" , allows for the development and construction of housing on land owned by religious organizations or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations •HB 1279 reported 13-8 •SB 388 reported 9-4-1 HB 804 Helmer SB 488 VanValkenburg Requires localities to increase their total housing stock by at least 7.5% over the five-year period •HB 804 passed 63-35 •SB 488 passed by for week HB 816 Helmer SB 454 VanValkenburg Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinance allowing for by-right development of multifamily residential uses on at least 75 percent of all land contained in commercial or business zoning districts •HB 816 passed 64-35 and Referred to Local Government •SB 454 Reported 8-4-3 from Senate Local Government 10 Legislation of Interest HB 611 Cohen SB 531 Srinivasan Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling units as a permitted accessory use •HB 611 continued to 2027 •SB 531 passed by for week HB 569 Feggans SB 518 Rouse Requires localities to pay prevailing wage in public works projects (SB518 removed local governments from the legislation) •HB 569 referred to C&L •SB 518 rereferred to Finance HB 1333 Feggans Department of Fire Programs to encourage work schedules for firefighters to not exceed 42 hours per workweek •Referred to Public Safety subcommittee SB 378 Surovell HB 1263 Tran Collective Bargaining for Public Employees •SB 378 reported from C&L 8-6 and referred to finance •HB 1263 referred to C&L Subcommittee SB 50 Rouse Requires registration for lobbying of local government •Reported from Gen Laws 8- 3 and referred to finance SB 233 Head Changes how aid to locality funds for fire departments are distributed, changing it to a grant application process •Referred to Commerce and Labor HB 655 Maldonado SB 346 VanValke nburg Permits manufactured housing in all zoning districts where site-built housing is allowed. The bill provides that manufactured housing shall be subject to development standards that are equivalent to those applicable to site-built single-family dwellings •HB 655 passed 99-0 and referred to Local Government •SB 346 reported 14-1 11 Support HB 1189 O'Quinn Provides a legal framework for early activation and coordination during imminent emergencies •Referred to Public Safety HB 1476 Schmidt Allows closed sessions of any law-enforcement civilian oversight body in limited circumstances •Referred to Public Safety HJ 28 Askew Establishes a workgroup to study options for providing long-term, sustainable, and dedicated operations and capital funding for transit in Hampton Roads •Reported from subcommittee 5-0 Direction Oppose HB 547 & SB 731 Helmer & Salim Prevailing wage for public transportation services •HB 547 Reported from subcommittee 5-2 •SB 731 referred to Local Government HB 1493 Dougherty Requires that a proposed ordinance or resolution related to certain economic development incentives comply with the notice and public hearing requirements specified in the bill prior to approval by the governing body •Referred to CCT HB 1394 J. Cole Prohibits any locality from imposing a civil or criminal penalty against any unhoused person for engaging in life-sustaining activities, including sleeping, resting, sitting, standing, lying down, or protecting oneself from the elements, in or upon any public place, including in a legally parked car in a public place •Referred to CCT subcommittee 12 Discussion