Senate Finance Committee reports budget bill amendments including new congressional maps

The Senate Finance Committee on Friday met on the floor to consider an amendment package to Senate Bill 29, the two‑year budget bill, and voted to report the bill as amended by a 10‑5 roll call in committee.

April, committee staff, summarized nine amendments that modify the introduced budget. Key changes include replacing a proposed 2% bonus for teachers and state employees with a $1,500 per‑employee payment for teachers and some state employees while leaving a 2% bonus in place for state‑supported local employees; staff estimated the net effect as roughly $4 million more in total bonuses with distributional shifts favoring lower‑paid K‑12 staff. The package also restores funding language for abortion services that had been struck, moves the November 2026 primary to Aug. 4, 2026, and sets a fixed tax conformity date of Dec. 31, 2025.

The amendment package added a consequential provision to the budget commonly called a “caboose” amendment: proposed new congressional maps. Committee members asked whether the maps and related shapefiles were available; staff stated they believed the maps were online under House Bill 29 and indicated they would double‑check and make them available. Senator from Hanover raised concerns that the public had little advance notice and asked whether there would be a public opportunity to comment. Senator from Eastern Fairfax replied that the public may comment through customary channels (phone, email and petition) and that a public hearing was anticipated the following week.

Several committee members expressed strong objections to placing redistricting language in the budget bill without advance public participation. Senator O'Brien (who said she had only seen the maps the previous night) described county fragmentation in the 7th District and said the proposed map split Rockingham County across three congressional districts, challenging compactness and community‑of‑interest principles. Senator McDougall and others framed the package as a major policy action with limited member and public time to review the changes.

After discussion and questions, Senator Deeds moved to report SB29 as amended; the committee recorded Ayes 10, Noes 5 and the bill was reported out of committee. The committee chair closed the meeting and the Senate resumed its floor session.

Next steps: the reported SB29 will return to the Senate floor for further consideration and any floor debate and votes on those amendments. The committee action means the budget bill—now including the Senate’s proposed congressional maps—advances in the process.