Virginia House Labor and Commerce Committee advances unemployment, workers' compensation and energy bills; several measures stricken or taken for the day

The Virginia House Committee on Labor and Commerce met in session and advanced a package of bills on unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, energy policy and utility reporting, while also striking several measures at patrons' requests and taking others "by for the day" for further consideration.

The committee approved two bills changing unemployment benefits. HB 1766 (Del. Martinez), which would raise eligible individuals' weekly unemployment benefit amounts by $100 for claims effective Jan. 1, 2026, passed on a roll call and was reported and referred to the Appropriations Committee by a vote of 11 to 8. HB 1767 (Del. Martinez), setting a 26‑week maximum duration for weekly unemployment compensation benefits beginning July 1, 2025 for claims effective on or after that date, passed and was referred to Appropriations by a vote of 12 to 7.

Law enforcement and firefighter benefits and workers' compensation presumptions were also advanced. HB 2060 (Del. Krysik) was reported out of committee and will be referred to Appropriations after a full‑committee vote of 18 to 1; the bill, as described in subcommittee, would increase maximum durations for payment of benefits for anxiety/depressive disorders and for post‑traumatic stress disorder for line‑of‑duty law enforcement officers and firefighters (the transcript records increases from 52 weeks to 104 weeks for anxiety/depressive disorders and to 500 weeks for post‑traumatic stress disorder). HB 1930 (Del. Laverne Bolling), amending the workers' compensation presumption to clarify included throat cancers and related anatomic sites, passed 19 to 0 and will be referred to Appropriations.

Energy and utility measures moved forward with differing outcomes. HB 1779 (Del. Mary Sullivan), adding fusion energy to the list of generation sources that qualify as carbon‑free or clean energy, reported from subcommittee and passed committee 21 to 0. HB 1935 (Del. Lavere Bowling), creating an income‑qualified energy efficiency and weatherization task force and requiring a report with policy recommendations, was reported with a substitute and passed 15 to 6. HB 2113 (Del. Herring), establishing a solar interconnection grant program administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency that prioritizes previously developed project sites and sunsets July 1, 2030, was reported and will be referred to Appropriations (committee recorded that the bill "reports and will be referred to appropriations").

A bill requiring incumbent electric utilities that participate in regional transmission entities to submit an annual report listing recorded votes and justifications (HB 2003, Del. Laufer) initially passed the committee 11 to 10. Members then moved to reconsider that vote; the motion to reconsider carried and the matter was taken "by for the day" to allow the patron additional opportunity to present proposed amendments. HB 2084 (Del. Shinn), directing the State Corporation Commission to initiate a proceeding to ensure utilities use reasonable customer classifications and to include a separate classification for data centers, was postponed "by for the day" at the patron's request.

Several bills were stricken from the docket at patrons' requests. Early in the meeting the committee struck HB 1875 (patron listed as Delegate Bloxam/Blossom — the transcript names vary) and HB 2697 (Del. Martinez) by recorded vote; the clerk recorded the strike motion as passing 19 to 0. Later in the day the committee reconsidered the strike on HB 1875, restored the bill to the docket and then took it "by for the day." HB 1951 (Del. Waxman), concerning presumption coverage for dispatchers for certain mental health conditions, was stricken from the docket at the patron's request. The committee also struck HB 2552 at the patron's request (the transcript shows a recorded vote; a numerical tally was not specified in the committee remarks provided).

Other subcommittee reports were adopted as presented. Subcommittee 2 reported HB 1667 (Del. Jones), which permits persons 16 years of age or older to work in licensed barber or cosmetology establishments under specified conditions; the subcommittee amendment corrected a cross‑reference and the committee approved the report 19 to 0. Several measures reported from subcommittees were referred to Appropriations per the subcommittee recommendations.

The committee frequently used parliamentary motions to place items "on the block," to strike bills at patrons' requests, to refer bills to other committees, and to take bills "by for the day" to allow for additional work or amendment. Where roll call tallies were provided in the transcript, they are reported above; where the transcript records only that a recorded vote occurred or that a measure was stricken "from the docket," those outcomes are noted without a numerical tally where the transcript did not supply one.

Next steps: multiple bills passed by the committee will proceed to the House Appropriations Committee for funding review; several measures were temporarily postponed to allow patrons to present amendments or to be taken up at a later full‑committee session.