RICHMOND, Va. — The Joint Subcommittee to Study the Commonwealth’s Response to the Pandemic adopted, by unanimous roll-call votes on Jan. 6, 2025, the recommendation packages produced by each of its three subcommittees and directed staff to advance the drafts for patroning and introduction.

The committee approved Subcommittee 1’s package (government continuity and regulatory systems), Subcommittee 2’s package (healthcare systems and emergency management) and Subcommittee 3’s package (education) in separate block votes after committee staff described the contents of the packets and said drafts, letters and budget-language language were included for each subcommittee.

The actions matter because the votes move legislative drafts and referral letters into the next stage of the General Assembly process. The subcommittees together produced multiple draft bills, referral letters to state agencies and several recommendations for budget language that the full legislature will consider in the regular budget and bill-introduction process.

Subcommittee 1’s packet contained what staff described as six legislative actions, four referral letters and a single budget-language recommendation. The chair read that staff could consolidate several draft recommendations; staff said four of the six legislative actions could be combined into a smaller number of bills. The subcommittee’s block was adopted by roll call; the clerk recorded the tally as 12 ayes, 0 no votes.

Subcommittee 2’s packet included six legislative actions, one referral letter and two items of budget language. Committee staff said four of those legislative actions had been combined into a single draft and that the subcommittee’s package would generate three draft bills to move forward. Subcommittee 2’s block passed on a roll-call vote recorded as 14 ayes, 0 no votes.

Subcommittee 3’s packet included four legislative actions and budget-language requests. During discussion, co-chair Delegate Mundon King highlighted a budget-language proposal to fund special-education technology and IEP upgrades; that budget item was discussed separately (see related article). Subcommittee 3’s block was approved by roll call, recorded as 13 ayes, 0 no votes.

Committee staff said the bill drafts were ready and that the introduction deadline required quick assignment of patrons. Members discussed arranging House and Senate patrons, with several members volunteering to identify legislators to carry the drafts on each side. Staff said they would circulate a list of bills and current patron commitments and asked members to finalize patron assignments before the introduction deadline.

The committee also directed that referral letters be signed (committee staff and members volunteered to sign), and that the draft budget language be included as recommended by the respective subcommittee chairs. No subcommittee matter was removed from the blocks during the meeting.

The meeting concluded with the chair thanking staff and members for their work; the committee then adjourned.