House Appropriations Committee Chairman opened the session to consider committee-recommended amendments to House Bill 1600, the revised biennial budget for fiscal years 2024–26, and told members the package focuses on tax relief, housing, childcare, education and worker protections.

The committee adopted the resources report and then voted to report HB 1600 as amended to the full House. Committee members approved the resources report and each subcommittee report by unanimous recorded votes; the final motion to report HB 1600 as amended carried on a voice/recorded vote reported as 21 in favor.

The amendment package dedicates $1.1 billion to tax relief, including a one-time $200 payment for individual filers and $400 for joint filers (estimated cost $978,000,000) and an expansion of the standard deduction to exempt the first $8,750 of individual income ($17,500 for joint filers). The package also increases the refundable portion of the earned income tax credit to 20% of the federal credit.

On K–12 and early childhood, the committee adopted subcommittee recommendations that add $558,000,000 in direct state funds to school divisions; provide $140,500,000 for one-time $1,000 teacher bonuses effective Sept. 1; allocate $222,900,000 to remove the support cap; and add $52,800,000 to expand special-education support. The amendments include $25,000,000 for a public–private pilot to create employer-partnered childcare slots intended to add roughly 2,300 new slots and eliminate existing wait lists in the subsidy program.

Higher education proposals in the package total about $145,400,000 in new funding, including $66,900,000 to maintain affordability and institutional operating support, $20,000,000 for partnerships with public and private HBCUs, and targeted funds for workforce-related programs and institution-specific initiatives.

Housing and economic development allocations highlighted by the Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee include $15,000,000 in grants to first-time homebuyers (up to $10,000 per household), continued funding for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund at $87,500,000 per year, an $8,000,000 annual increase to expand the Virginia Housing Opportunities Tax Credit program, and $14,000,000 in one-time support for local housing trust funds and projects. The package also funds pilot programs for local zoning incentives and mobile-home-park preservation.

Health and human services provisions include roughly $790,000,000 in state funding for Medicaid, CHIP and CSA programs; nearly $53,000,000 for behavioral-health initiatives (including crisis services, CSB supports and Marcus Alert build-out); $12,300,000 for maternal and child health programs (including presumptive Medicaid eligibility pilots and a mobile maternal clinic); and multiple community and disability services investments.

Capital and general-government items direct $750,000,000 toward reducing statewide deferred maintenance, additional facility upgrades and planning funds, and funding for judicial support including positions for local circuit court clerks and commonwealth's attorneys, plus resources to support sealing and expungement efforts.

Transportation and public-safety amendments include $175,000,000 in general funds for the I‑81 improvement program (contingent on surplus), support for dredging at Wallops Island, funding toward a highway-equity study focused on impacts to African American communities, and targeted investments in correctional health care and career-and-technical education programs within DOC.

Throughout the meeting, the chairman framed the package as using surplus FY2024 funds for one-time relief and targeted investments. “At its core, our job as legislators is to do what we can to improve the lives of Virginia's citizens,” the chairman said during opening remarks.

Votes at a glance
- Adopt resources report — Moved by a committee member; seconded; recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education — moved and seconded; recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: Higher Education Subcommittee — recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee — recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: Health and Human Resources Subcommittee — recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee — recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: Compensation and Retirement Subcommittee — recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Report: Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee — recorded vote: 21–0 (approved).
- Motion to report HB 1600 as amended to the House — moved by Delegate Sickles; seconded; reported on the vote of 21 (approved).

The committee concluded by reporting HB 1600, as amended, to the House. Additional line-item language and contingent second‑year funding noted in the subcommittee presentations will be finalized in the printed amendment package and the appropriation act language before House floor consideration.