Subcommittee tables HB 1580, reports four housing and economic bills to full committee

The Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources tabled House Bill 1580 and recommended four other bills to the full committee during its meeting. HB 1580, which would add Planning District 4 (New River Valley) to the Tobacco Commission, was tabled on a 7-0 roll call after a motion by Delegate Mark Sickles to table the measure.

Other bills received unanimous support to move forward. HB 1676, sponsored by Delegate Eric Phillips, makes permanent a provision allowing Go Virginia funds and Tobacco Commission funds to be used on the same projects; the patron said the change carries no fiscal impact and would eliminate biennial uncertainty. The subcommittee voted 7-0 to report the bill.

House Bill 1702, presented as a substitute by Delegate Doug Belanóva, revises and modernizes the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund, expands eligible partners (including nonprofits, land banks and property-owner associations), relaxes match requirements in some cases, and prioritizes areas with above-average fiscal stress and declines in commercial real-estate assessments. The substitute also repeals the older housing revitalization zone act. The committee recommended HB 1702 to the full committee 7-0.

House Bill 1948, introduced by Delegate Doug Abulova at the Department of Energy’s request, would create an Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund. The bill reflects federal guidance under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that allows Virginia to retain up to 30% of annual abandoned-mine remediation allocations to a nonreverting state fund. The presenter said Virginia will receive roughly $22.78 million per year for 15 years under the federal program and that retaining 30% would yield about $6.8 million annually (approximately $102 million over 15 years). The subcommittee voted 7-0 to report the bill.

House Bill 2077, presented by Delegate Delia Kriesic as a substitute, removes language tied to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and clarifies that the Community Flood Preparedness Fund may be used by federally and state‑recognized tribes. The substitute version was reported 6-0.

Votes at a glance: - HB 1580 (Ballard) — Expand Tobacco Commission to include Planning District 4 (New River Valley). Motion to table (moved by Delegate Mark Sickles). Result: tabled, 7-0. - HB 1676 (Phillips) — Make permanent the provision allowing Go Virginia and Tobacco Commission funds to be used together. Result: reported, 7-0. Fiscal impact: patron stated “no fiscal impact.” - HB 1702 (Belanóva, substitute) — Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund; expands eligible partners and prioritizes distressed commercial areas; repeals housing revitalization zone act. Result: recommended to full committee, 7-0. - HB 1948 (Abulova) — Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund (federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds); allows retention up to 30% for a nonreverting fund. Presenter cited about $22.78 million/year federal allocation and estimated $6.8 million retained annually; recommended, 7-0. - HB 2077 (Kriesic, substitute) — Clarify Community Flood Preparedness Fund eligibility to include federally and state-recognized tribes and remove the RGGI provision. Result: reported as substitute, 6-0.

Several nonprofit and local-government groups spoke in support of the bills reported out of committee, including Virginia First Cities, the Virginia Municipal League, the Economic Developers Association of Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Potomac Conservancy and WetlandsWatch. The Department of Energy indicated support for the abandoned mine land retention measure.

The subcommittee ended its bills agenda and proceeded to a briefing from Virginia Housing about the agency’s programs and financing (see separate report).