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Subcommittee tables bill to require appropriations before DEQ enters Water Quality Improvement Fund grant commitments
Summary
House Bill 2247 would remove the statutory requirement that the DEQ director enter WQIF grant agreements regardless of available funds, instead requiring that obligations be covered by General Assembly appropriations; the subcommittee laid the bill on the table 8‑2.
Delegate Runyon told the subcommittee that the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) currently requires the DEQ director to enter into grant agreements with eligible treatment works even when funds are not available, creating a risk of obligations that exceed available balances. He said DEQ projects WQIF point‑source obligations could exceed the current fund balance by approximately $518,000,000 unless the General Assembly appropriates additional funds.
The bill would require that WQIF obligations be covered by appropriations and thus align grant commitments with annual budget processes. Administration witnesses (Deputy Secretary Stephanie Tallon) expressed support for increased fiscal transparency and management and said the administration had no formal position on the bill but appreciated the discussion. Local government and wastewater representatives opposed the measure, arguing the current mechanism has supported multi‑year capital planning and simultaneous project delivery for two decades; they said changing the statutory requirement now could delay critical upgrades and complicate cash‑flow for multi‑year construction projects.
After testimony from municipal wastewater associations, local government groups and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the subcommittee gently laid the bill on the table; the clerk recorded the vote 8‑2.
Provenance: Sponsor presentation at block starting 3865.045; committee tabling recorded at block starting 4410.5947.
