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Committee adopts changes to Water Quality Improvement Fund bill, sends it to Finance
Summary
A substitute to expand flexibility in the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund passed the committee after two line amendments were accepted; the bill was reported and referred to the Finance Committee by unanimous vote.
The committee accepted a substitute to Senate Bill 958, which adjusts how unobligated Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund dollars may be reallocated between basins, then voted to report the bill and refer it to the Finance Committee.
Martha Moore of the Virginia Farm Bureau explained the substitute to the committee. Under the substitute, the State Soil and Water Conservation Board would get limited flexibility to move up to 50 percent of unobligated dollars between basins (the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the southern rivers/outside-Bay areas) after a designated date, rather than leaving unspent funds fixed to the original basin split. Committee members also agreed to two technical line amendments changing a statutory date from June 1 to June 15, as requested by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Moore told the committee the change aims to help districts where projects take longer to complete because of engineering requirements and other delays, and that the measure includes a reporting provision to the General Assembly so the board’s use of the flexibility will be transparent. The substitute sunsets in 2027 to allow a separate budgetary work group to consider longer-term fixes.
Committee action: two line amendments were adopted by voice vote and the motion to report and refer the substitute to the Finance Committee passed on a roll call recorded as “Ayes 14, No 0.”
Why it matters: the bill provides short-term flexibility to move unspent water-quality funds to where farmers and districts can use them, while directing an independent work group and budget process to examine longer-term allocation approaches.
Noted presenters included Senator Stewart (patron) and Martha Moore from the Virginia Farm Bureau.
