Subcommittee advances substitute to prioritize resilience dollars for low‑income and nature‑based projects
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Summary
A substitute to HB70 would prioritize projects in low-income areas and those using nature-based solutions, allow Virginia Resources Authority to use program administrators, and was reported with the substitute after stakeholder support from conservation groups.
Delegate Dahlia Figgins presented a substitute to HB70 that focuses the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund on measurable impact. The substitute removes proposed changes to the chief resiliency officer role and instead strengthens project scoring to give additional weight to projects serving low-income geographic areas and those that incorporate nature-based solutions.
"HB70 is an update to the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund that focuses on impact," Figgins said, describing provisions that would let the Virginia Resources Authority engage approved program administrators to help localities access grants and loans. Figgins emphasized the substitute is intended to be operationally neutral on the Commonwealth's fiscal obligations: "This support is funded through an existing administrative fee and does not create new bureaucracy or increase cost to the Commonwealth."
Stakeholders including Jay Ford of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Blair St. Lehi Olsen of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Ian Blair of Wetlands Watch, and Emma Barry of the Southern Environmental Law Center testified in support, saying the substitute improves equity and aligns the fund with state preferences for nature-based solutions. DCR staff said they had worked with the patron on the substitute and had no objections. The subcommittee moved and reported the substitute; the measure was reported with the substitute.
