House Appropriations Committee advances package of education, childcare and capital outlay bills; most pass unanimously

The House Appropriations Committee met to consider and report a package of bills affecting schools, childcare, courts and higher education; most measures were approved by voice or recorded votes and sent out of committee for further consideration.

The committee reported bills requiring school systems to adopt safety and health plans for students: House Bill 1663 would require the Board of Education to develop guidelines and require school boards to adopt policies for preventing and managing heat illness in student athletes; House Bill 1695 would require each public school to develop response plans for cardiac arrest and life‑threatening emergencies (an amendment removed an earlier grant program); and House Bill 1700 would require school boards to develop and implement a bleeding control program, including maintaining bleeding control kits (an amendment removed a "with such funds as appropriated" clause). Each of those bills was reported out of committee by recorded vote.

The committee also advanced measures on employer childcare incentives and small family day homes. House Bill 1771 would establish an employee childcare assistance pilot program that would require participating employers to contribute toward employees' childcare costs. House Bill 1833 would create a four‑year small family day home provider incentive pilot program to fund a navigator and provide training incentives to move providers toward registration, licensure or participation in VQB5. Both bills were reported out of committee.

House Bill 2032, reported as a substitute, would require the Department of Education to implement data collection related to English language learner expenditures to provide information for the Joint Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education Funding. The committee reported HB 2032 as substituted.

From the general government and capital outlay portion of the meeting the committee considered HB 1661, which as amended would permit courts to assign an installment plan of $25 per month to defendants whose most recent personal annual tax filing was at or below the median income; that bill was reported with an 18‑2 roll call. The substitute to HB 1728 would allow a child to testify via two‑way closed‑circuit television (or other in‑house technology) if professionals determine the child would suffer at least moderate emotional trauma; the committee reported the substitute. Delegate Orrock's HB 2181 was moved to be stricken and the committee voted to strike the bill. The committee also reported the chairman's bill HB 2359, the annual authorization for the issuance of 9(c) revenue bonds totaling $206,000,000 for two higher‑education projects (James Madison University and the College of William and Mary).

Votes at a glance

- HB 1663 (Jones) — Reported out; reported vote recorded in committee as 20 to 0 (initially noted as 19–0 before the roll was retaken). Motion to report recorded; clerk closed roll. - HB 1695 (Askew) — Reported out as amended (amendment removed a grant program); reported vote 20 to 0. - HB 1700 — Reported out as amended (removed "with such funds as appropriated" language); reported vote 21 to 0. - HB 1771 (McClure) — Employee childcare assistance pilot; reported vote 19 to 0. - HB 1833 (Simons) — Small family day home provider incentive pilot; reported vote 21 to 0. - HB 2032 (Reeser) — As substituted, requires DOE data collection on English learner expenditures; reported vote 21 to 0. - HB 1661 (Jones) — Amended to permit $25/month installment plans for qualifying defendants; reported vote 18 to 2. - HB 1728 (Delaney) — Substitute allows a child to testify by two‑way closed‑circuit television or other in‑house technology when professional determination shows moderate emotional trauma; reported vote 20 to 0. - HB 2181 (Orrock) — Motion to strike granted; bill stricken by committee, vote 21 to 0. - HB 2359 (chairman) — Annual authorization for 9(c) revenue bonds totaling $206,000,000 for two projects (James Madison University; College of William and Mary); reported vote 21 to 0.

Discussion and procedure notes

Most bills were considered and reported with limited floor debate recorded in the transcript. Several items were handled with amendments or substitutes: HB 1695 had an amendment that removed a grant program; HB 1700 had an amendment deleting language tying implementation to appropriations; HB 2032 was reported as a substitute; HB 1728 was reported as a technical substitute expanding the technology and timing options for courts. One bill (HB 2181) was stricken on motion. The committee paused and retook one roll call early in the meeting when the clerk missed recording an initial vote; the transcript records the chair directing that the votes be retaken from the beginning and the corrected totals are recorded above where applicable.

No individual member vote breakdowns were recorded in the transcript except the final tallies noted above. The transcript does not record committee debate on policy merits for most bills beyond brief summaries read by staff or sponsors, and it does not provide effective dates, fiscal‑note details, or final floor scheduling. Those details were not specified in the committee record provided.

The committee adjourned its business and indicated members of Transportation and Public Safety would meet immediately afterward.