Virginia Senate adopts 14 governor amendments to House Bill 30, including data-center water changes and one-year delay for open-carry implementation

RICHMOND 1 June 29, 2026 1 The Virginia Senate on Monday adopted 14 governor's amendments to House Bill 30, approving a package of changes that range from research funding for Atlantic menhaden to regulatory flexibility for data-center cooling and a one-year delay in implementing an open-carry provision.

The amendments were offered and spoken to on the floor by the senator from Eastern Fairfax, who moved each change and opened debate on the bill, which the clerk placed on the calendar as House Bill 30 with the governor's recommendations.

Among the largest policy items the Senate approved were:

- A $1 million-per-year biennial appropriation to study Atlantic menhaden and related bay management questions (governor's amendment #2), adopted 2612 after floor debate about economic impacts on coastal families and the need for scientific data. "This amendment provides $1 million each year, the biennium, to study menhaden," the senator moving the amendment said.

- New authority for the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to participate in the CMS cell-and-gene therapy access model so Medicaid can provide certain curative therapies for sickle cell disease (amendment #3); the amendment passed unanimously.

- An acceleration of a 4% rate increase for consumer-directed personal care to Jan. 1, 2027, so home-care workers see raises earlier (amendment #4); adopted unanimously.

- A grant program funded at $2 million per year to support cancer screenings for career firefighters and one additional grant administrator position (amendment #8); adopted unanimously.

- Changes to data-center cooling rules in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area (amendment #5). The amendment gives the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) additional flexibility to approve cooling technologies, requires permit applicants to "demonstrate the use of best available water-efficient technologies" and to show minimization of water use. Opponents warned the amendment could undercut conservation goals; supporters, including members with engineering experience, said the requirements are measurable and would be implemented through DEQ regulation. "What this does is it blows it wide open," the senator from King George said in opposition, while the senator moving the amendment said the language requires minimization and limits uncontrolled evaporative cooling.

- A one-year delay in the effective date of recently passed open-carry provisions so lawmakers and agencies can address unintended consequences affecting transfers, government integrators and other factual edge cases (amendment #14); adopted 2018 after extended floor exchanges that included questions about pawnshop transfers, military deployments and potential court interpretations.

Votes at a glance (amendment ootnote: tallies are taken from the clerk's recorded roll calls):

- Governor's amendment #1 (election-material translation funding): agreed, Ayes 20, Noes 18.
- #2 (menhaden study): agreed, Ayes 26, Noes 12.
- #3 (DMAS authority for cell-and-gene model): agreed, Ayes 38, Noes 0.
- #4 (consumer-directed personal care rate timing): agreed, Ayes 38, Noes 0.
- #5 (data-center water/technology flexibility): agreed, Ayes 28, Noes 10.
- #6 (RGGI refund language to include co-ops): agreed, Ayes 25, Noes 12 (recorded).
- #7 (facial-covering exception for undercover officers): agreed, Ayes 37, Noes 0.
- #8 (firefighter cancer-screening grants): agreed, Ayes 38, Noes 0.
- #9 (digital services team): agreed, Ayes 20, Noes 18.
- #10 (authorize Oak Hill as a state park subject to conditions): agreed, Ayes 31, Noes 7.
- #11 (electricity-consumption tax technical clarifications): agreed, Ayes 36, Noes 2.
- #12 (timing for optional local 1% sales-tax referendum): agreed, Ayes 17, Noes 21 (recorded then agreed).
- #13 (sick-leave definition alignment and increment rules): agreed, Ayes 20, Noes 18.
- #14 (delay open-carry effective date): agreed, Ayes 20, Noes 18.

Floor exchanges reflected a mix of policy, technical and constituency concerns. On the menhaden study, critics warned of potential harm to a tightly regulated fishery that supports coastal families and related industries; backers said the funding would provide scientific data to inform future decisions. On data-center cooling, one senator described evaporative cooling as an inefficient, low-cost technology that can waste water; proponents said the amendment requires measurable demonstrations to DEQ and allows DEQ to set enforceable conditions.

The Senate agreed to several memorial and commending resolutions in block and then voted to recess under S.R. 2001 until reconvened by the Senate Rules Committee with at least 48 hours' notice.

What's next: The amendments now stand as adopted changes to House Bill 30 as the Senate recessed; further steps depend on whether the conference text requires transmission back to the House or actions by the governor. The clerk recorded roll-call tallies for each amendment on the floor.