House Appropriations Committee reports several Senate bills, tables one insurance coverage measure

The House Appropriations Committee met to consider a slate of Senate bills and took votes on measures covering environmental monitoring, emergency services funding, taxation, health-insurance requirements, ethics disclosures and renewable energy policy.

Committee staff summarized SB 138, sponsored in the Senate by Senator McPike, as a bill that "expands monitoring and reporting responsibilities related to PFAS, DEQ, and for publicly owned treatment works," and noted a fiscal impact included in the Senate budget but no House cognate. The committee voted to report SB 138, 22–0.

On SB 233, Committee staff said the bill establishes a work group at the Department of Fire Programs to evaluate the funding formula that distributes aid to localities through the Fire Programs Fund. The committee reported the substitute 22–0.

SB 302 would extend the sunset of the excise tax on peanuts grown and sold in Virginia by one year; committee members reported the substitute, 22–0.

A bill introduced as SB 362 from Senator Carol Foy was described in the transcript as requiring Medicaid, the state employee health insurance plan and commercial insurance plans to "provide delegate car" (transcript phrasing). A committee member moved to table SB 362; the chair called a recorded vote and the motion to table carried 22–0, leaving the measure off today’s reported list.

Members approved SB 453, described by Committee staff as establishing a civil penalty of up to $50,000 per violation for any intentional discharge of untreated sewage. The committee reported SB 453, 22–0.

SB 530, described as requiring local government officers and employees to file annual disclosure statements electronically with the Virginia COIA Council, drew a recorded vote and was reported 19–3.

Committee staff noted SB 620 is identical to HB 308, as passed by the House (introduced in the House by Delegate Hope); the committee reported SB 620, 21–1.

The committee carried over SB 642, described as similar to House Bill 1390, by voice vote.

Finally, the committee reported SB 645 (Senator Serraville) with a substitute. Committee staff said the bill expands the definition of a "small renewable energy project" and directs the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to convene a stakeholder work group to assess related matters; the motion to report passed 22–0.

A member moved and seconded to adjourn, and the chair closed the meeting. The committee’s actions were procedural votes to report or table bills; no floor amendments or final enactments occurred in this meeting.