Senate Education and Health Committee reports dozens of bills, re-refers many to finance

The Senate Education and Health Committee completed a packed opening docket, moving to report and re-refer a large set of bills from its public education, higher education and health subcommittees and approving several motions to strike items from the full-committee agenda.

Struck from the docket - Senate Bill 188 (patron: Williams Graves) — stricken at patron request (motion moved and seconded; clerks opened the roll and the chair announced the bills were stricken). - Senate Bill 193 (patron: Williams Graves) — stricken at patron request. - Senate Bill 654 (patron: Senator Craig) — stricken at patron request.

Representative re-referrals and reported bills (selected, with committee recommendations and roll-call tallies where recorded): - SB205 (patron: Sutterline): motion to re-refer to Rehabilitation and Social Services — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB271 (patron: Deeds): motion to re-refer to Commerce and Labor — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB275 (patron: Williams Graves): motion to re-refer to Rehabilitation and Social Services — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB319 (patron: Senator Perry): recommended to re-refer to Commerce and Labor — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB410 (patron: Peake): recommended to re-refer to Commerce and Labor — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB485 (patron: Marsden): recommended to re-refer to Rehabilitation and Social Services — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB513 (patron: Deeds): re-referred to Rehabilitation and Social Services — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB514 (patron: Deeds): re-referred to Rehabilitation and Social Services — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB527 (patron: Deeds): re-referred to Commerce and Labor — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB722 (patron: Williams Graves): re-referred to Rehabilitation and Social Services — Ayes 14, No 0.

Public education subcommittee (reported/referred to finance or with amendments): - School breakfast bill (from Senator Roem): reported out and re-referred to Finance — Roll call recorded Ayes 14, No 0. - SB19 (Senator Locke): amendment to ensure localities are not banning books; reported on a 4–2 recommendation; full-committee vote: Ayes 8, Nos 5, 1 abstention (roll recorded). - SB20 (childcare subsidy phase reduction model): recommended reporting on a 5–0 subcommittee vote; full committee recorded Ayes 14, No 0 for re-referral to Finance. - SB39 (work group on student self-harm risk via technology tools): amended to require bias mitigation considerations; reported with amendment (committee vote recorded: Ayes 13, No 0, 1 abstention). - SB42 (school meal debt coverage change): recommended and re-referred to Finance — roll-call Ayes 13, No 1 in committee. - SB102 substitute (dual enrollment for EMTs and firefighters): substitute adopted and reported; committee vote Ayes 14, No 0. - SB105 (STEM grant fund clarification): reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB108 (cell phone prohibition language): reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB109 (safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms policy requiring annual notification): reported — committee roll recorded Ayes 8, No 6. - SB110 (school library specialist position): reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB117 (written notification for noncontinuation of teacher contracts): reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB134 substitute (early childhood funding formula/cost-estimate substitute): reported and re-referred to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB151 (water safety programming through Board of Education): reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB174 substitute (teacher scholarship program): substitute adopted and reported to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0.

Higher education subcommittee (reported/referred): - SB91 (ODU center renaming): reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB97 substitute (hunger-free campus grant program changes and eligibility): substitute adopted and reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB167 (Virginia Commonwealth Award; phase-out and emergency regulations by 04/01/2027): recommended and re-referred to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB231 (community college funding model and report by 11/01/2027): recommended and re-referred to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB242 (Roanoke Higher Education Authority restructuring): recommended reporting on a 4–1–0 subcommittee vote; full committee recorded Ayes 14, No 0. - SB274 (Hampton University land-grant restoration fund): reported and re-referred to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0.

Health subcommittee (reported/referred and amendments): - SB71 (patient care consultant committee decisions for patients without reasonably available next of kin): amendment adopted and initially reported; later a reconsideration was moved and a roll-call produced Ayes 11, No 2, 1 abstention on the reconsideration outcome (see below). - SB101 (supplemental payment program for volunteer EMS agencies via DMAS): recommended for referral to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB4114 (DMAS rule changes for consumer-directed services via certain Medicaid waivers): recommended for referral to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB171 substitute (discharge plan technical changes): substitute adopted and reported — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB207 substitute (medical examiner procedures for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy): substitute adopted and re-referred to Finance — recorded Ayes 13, No 0, 1 abstention. - SB247 (change-of-ownership nursing home license and civil penalty provisions): recommended to Finance — Ayes 14, No 0. - SB291 (neonatal care designation standards aligned to American Academy of Pediatrics, delayed effective date 07/01/2029): amendment adopted and reported — Ayes 14, No 0.

Reconsideration and final roll call - Senator Suterline moved to reconsider the prior reporting of SB71; after discussion and a roll call the reconsideration vote recorded Ayes 11, No 2, 1 abstention and the bill outcome was updated accordingly.

What this means - The committee completed its bill presentation docket, with most bills reported and re-referred to finance or their appropriate committees, typically on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. SB71 was the one bill that underwent a roll-call reconsideration during the meeting.

The committee then introduced staff who support the committee process and adjourned.