Finance Roundup
As the 2025 session approaches the crossover deadline for bills to emerge from their chambers of origin, several finance-related bills of interest have advanced, as outlined below: Property tax exemptions: HB 1896 (Willett) relates to certain property that is tax-exempt by classification (such as property owned by the Commonwealth or by religious institutions, or nonprofit […]
Additional Bills of Interest
The following are bills that VACo has been monitoring, as they will affect local government operations fiscally or operationally. Eminent Domain Bills Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings. SB 1158 (Obenshain) adds additional responsibilities to parties who condemn property, primarily relating to procedures in condemnation and the transfer of a defeasible title by certificate. The bill sets forth […]
ACTION ITEM: Oppose Bill to Create “Housing Approval Board” with Authority to Overturn Local Land Use Decisions
HB 2641 (Helmer) establishes a three-member Housing Approval Board with authority to overturn local land use decisions and to automatically approve such applications that will have the effect of increasing the supply of housing in a locality, if a locality has not made a “good faith effort” to meet required housing targets over a five-year […]
ACTION ITEM: Transportation Services Mandate Heads to House and Senate Floors for Vote
SB 919 (Salim) / HB 2619 (Helmer), two problematic bills, are headed for floor votes in the House and Senate. ACTION REQUIRED: Contact members of the House of Delegates (HOUSE OF DELEGATES 1 | HOUSE OF DELEGATES 2) and Senate of Virginia today to strongly oppose. SB 919 and HB 2619 would require the governing body of […]
BPOL Legislation Needs Thorough Review
HB 1743 (Watts) deals with the ability of businesses to deduct gross receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country from taxation under the BPOL tax. Under current law, receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country in which the taxpayer is liable for an income tax or other […]
Local Authority to Appoint School Boards Preemption Bill Defeated
On January 30, SB 1404 (Pekarsky), which requires election as the method of selecting the members of each school board in the Commonwealth and makes several changes to eliminate provisions relating to appointed school boards, was defeated in the Senate Education and Health Committee by failing to report on a vote of 6-7-2. As previously […]
Affordable Housing Assessment Legislation Improved
HB 2245 (Callsen), as introduced, would require affordable housing property operated under certain federal housing programs to be assessed using the income approach, based on the analysis of certain enumerated data points. Under current law, in valuing affordable housing properties, assessors are required to consider the contract rent and the impact of applicable rent restrictions; […]
Bills to Eliminate Grocery Tax, Restrict Meals Tax Authority Fail
HB 2006 (McNamara) and SB 1172 (Suetterlein), similar bills that would have eliminated the 1 percent local option sales and use tax on groceries, have failed to emerge from their respective committees. VACo opposed both bills; although the legislation proposed to replace the lost revenue with a state appropriation based on each city and county’s […]
Line of Duty Act (LODA) Bills for Private Police Departments and Campuses Advance
VACo supports HB 1815 (Campbell) / SB 1142 (Obenshain), which would provide employees of contributing nonprofit private institutions of higher education and contributing private police departments with the benefits granted to employees of participating employers under the Line of Duty Act. The bills require each contributing nonprofit private institution of higher education to pay its […]
Real Property Tax Exemption Bills Under Consideration
Several bills regarding property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their surviving spouses and the surviving spouses of servicemembers who die in the line of duty are under consideration this session. Current law provides that for the real property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a servicemember who died in the line of duty, […]
Capitol Contact ALERT: VACo Opposes Bill that Imposes Strict Limitations on Providing Drinking Water
SB 923 (Stuart), as substituted and amended, would prohibit the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) from issuing a Virginia Water Protection Permit for a surface water withdrawal if more than 6 million gallons of water per day would be returned to a different river basin. SB 923 imposes strict limitations on the ability of water utilities […]
Capitol Contact ALERT: VACo Opposes Bill Mandating Targets for Utility-Scale Solar in Comprehensive Plans
SB 1190 (Deeds), as amended in committee, mandates that every locality, no later than July 1, 2029, shall incorporate into its comprehensive plan targets for energy production and energy efficiency based on regional energy plans that planning district commissions are now required to adopt. The regional energy plans must be adopted by January 1, 2027, […]
VACo Still Opposes Amended Solar Siting Bill
On January 24, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee reported a substitute for SB 1190 (Deeds) by a vote of 9 to 6 and then referred it to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee for further consideration. VACo opposes the amended SB 1190. VACo Members – Contact members of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee […]
Elections Bills of Interest
A variety of bills on election administration are under consideration this session. Although sweeping changes to election administration are unlikely to be enacted this year, several items of note are under consideration. Election timing: SJ 253 (Surovell) would establish a joint subcommittee of legislators and citizen members to study the consolidation and scheduling of general […]
VACo Opposes Bill that Preempts Local Authority to Appoint School Boards
On January 23, VACo testified in opposition to SB 1404 (Pekarsky), which requires election as the method of selecting the members of each school board in the Commonwealth and makes several changes to eliminate provisions relating to appointed school boards. Current law requires such members to be appointed but permits their election under certain circumstances. […]
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH COMMENTARY: Virginia Must Close the Gap in State Funding for Schools
By Fairfax County Chairman Jeffrey McKay and Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw As local elected officials in Fairfax County, we have a front-row seat to the challenges to our public created by Virginia’s chronic underinvestment in K-12 public education. A 2023 study by the General Assembly’s own experts — the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) — revealed […]