Virginia Beach legislative affairs director summarizes 2025 General Assembly outcomes, budget items headed to governor

Brett McKenzie, legislative affairs director for Virginia Beach, told the City Council on March 3 that the 2025 General Assembly adjourned Feb. 22 and that Governor Youngkin has 30 days to act on bills passed during the session.

McKenzie said the city’s two final legislative agenda items — a state bill on eminent domain sponsored by Delegate Converse Fowler and a resolution declaring the first week in September as Zero Waste Awareness Week — passed both chambers. He summarized budget items in the now-reconciled state budget that would affect Virginia Beach if the governor signs the bill, including one-time tax rebates and targeted program funding.

Those budget items include a $200 rebate for individuals and $400 for joint filers; roughly $222.9 million to localities and school divisions through elimination of support caps; a $1,000 bonus for state-supported teachers and support staff; nearly $53 million for a special-education add-on; and $12 million for a statewide math recovery task force, McKenzie said. For child care, the budget contains $25 million for a program combining employer, state and individual contributions and a $15 million grant program for child-care facilities. Housing provisions in the budget include a $13 million seed grant for jurisdictions and planning districts that establish a housing trust fund by Dec. 31, 2025, and a $20 million family rental assistance program. The Virginia Housing Opportunity Tax Credit was seeded in the budget with $64 million, McKenzie said.

On flood and stormwater, McKenzie said the budget adds $40 million to the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund and $50 million to the Community Flood Prevention Fund. He also highlighted a $1 million line item intended to support cancer screening related to the 2012 Navy jet crash response; he said the final budget language labels it as “support costs related to the provision of fire support services” and that the city will coordinate a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Fire to determine how it will be administered.

McKenzie described a new state grant program to help local governments with solar interconnection costs, and summarized several bills of interest: a license-plate-reader bill that limits sharing outside the Commonwealth, sets a 21-day data retention period and requires annual reporting on queries and demographic data; SB 992 to increase fines for commercial ordinance violations; HB 2036 to expand local authority to address reckless driving and public street takeovers; HB 1793 naming a bridge on I-264 after Captain Chevaratti; and SB 1233, which expands camera technologies allowed in school and construction zones but does not expand where cameras may be deployed.

McKenzie said collective bargaining legislation passed the General Assembly but noted similar measures had been vetoed in prior years; he said the city will watch for the governor’s action. He also noted the charter amendment item did not achieve the two-thirds vote required, while the general-law alternative passed both chambers and is awaiting the governor’s decision. Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about the one-time tax rebate and the license-plate-reader provisions during the briefing.

McKenzie closed by reminding council that the General Assembly will reconvene April 2 to consider any vetoes or amendments the governor issues within his 30-day review window.