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HB 30

Budget Bill.

2026, 1st Special Session Introduced by Luke Torian

The bill establishes the Virginia biennial budget (FY 2026-27 and 2027-28) detailing General Fund and Nongeneral Fund resources and funding to state agencies and programs.

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0001)
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Bill Summary · HB 30

Summary of HB 30 (2026 Session, Virginia) – Budget Bill

This document covers the amendments floor-approved to House Bill 30, the 2026-2028 Appropriations Act, as of February 26, 2026. The amendments span operating expenses, capital outlay, miscellaneous provisions, and general provisions. The summary below highlights the bill’s main purpose, key provisions and changes, who is affected, and timelines/procedural notes based on the amendments.

1) Purpose and overall intent

  • To establish the biennial budget for Virginia for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, detailing General Fund (GF) and Nongeneral Fund (NGF) resources and the allocations to state agencies, commissions, and programs.
  • The amendments reflect committee-driven adjustments to funding levels, new program authorizations, and targeted policy directives across many departments, including legislative, judicial, executive, housing, health, transportation, and economic development.
  • Several amendments insert or modify language to create or support commissions, subcommittees, program pilots, and initiative-specific funding.

2) Key provisions and changes (highlights by topic)

A. Revenues and resources (front-page adjustments)

  • Revisions to unreserved balances, official revenue projections, transfers, and total resources available for appropriation (GF and NGF), aligning with committee actions.
  • Distinct separation of General Fund and Nongeneral Fund totals for each year.

B. Legislative Branch

  • Minor changes to compensation and operating amounts for General Assembly and legislative commissions.
  • New directive: Legislative Branch shall be exempt from certain Executive Branch directives on purchasing, IT, and finance; Clers may contract with outside vendors with approval; space maintenance authority remains with Clerks (Item #2–#4 amendments).
  • Creation of a joint subcommittee to study the cost of mandatory property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and spouses, with staff support and a deadline of Oct 15, 2026.
  • Additional funding to support legislative commissions and commissions’ activities (e.g., Boys and Men Advisory Commission, Distributed Energy Resources Task Force, Autism Advisory Commission).
  • Reversions and balancing items to ensure net-zero effects where transfers occur.

C. Judicial Department

  • Funding for new and enhanced judicial operations:
    • Court of Appeals: new judgeships and/or a modern appellate case management system (two options with cost differentials).
    • Circuit Courts: additional judgeships and guardian ad litem (GAL) rate increases.
    • General District and Juvenile & Domestic Relations Courts: increased judgeships in specific circuits.
    • One-time IT and start-up costs for the Court of Appeals and related systems.
  • Changes to guardian ad litem rates to $65/hour (out of court) and $90/hour (in court) in the first year (with ongoing funding).
  • Various other judicial enhancements and IT/system upgrade costs.

D. Executive Offices and Secretary-related items

  • Funding for Governor’s office to implement House Bill 285 (Distributed Energy Resources Task Force) and related administrative costs.
  • Compensation adjustments and staffing for Attorney General’s Office (including a dedicated Federal Litigation Unit and Workers’ Protection Unit), and salary compression measures for A.G. staff.
  • Notable reallocation proposals affecting the A.G.’s office to fund priority items.

E. Department of General Services (DGS)

  • Rent rate updates for facilities and capital outlay support for costs related to architectural/engineering services via Six-Year Capital Outlay Advisory Committee.
  • Small adjustments to DGS-related line items to reflect updated occupancy costs.

F. Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM)

  • Internship program expansion: appropriations for an internship coordinator and related staff to place interns with state agencies.
  • Workload and modernization studies for job classification and pay bands; potential centralized HR service center coordination with agencies.

G. Department of Elections

  • Several amendments establishing or clarifying costs related to elections advertising, voter data exchanges, language accessibility, online voter materials, and various programmatic initiatives (e.g., third-party voter data exchanges, language access, incarceration rights restoration).
  • Increases to reflect electoral operations, including costs for referenda advertising and voter outreach.

H. Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) and ODGA

  • Funding for a cloud-based data analytics platform for opioid use data (SUDA) and ongoing support; NGF-supported improvements and staff.
  • Additional staff for SWaM-related contract management and procurement enhancement.

I. Agriculture and Forestry

  • Increases to support VDACS weights and measures for marijuana-related market workload; food safety workload; and forestry positions currently funded federally.
  • Various program expansions (e.g., Virginia Fresh Match) and related funding to support agriculture and food programs.

J. Commerce and Trade; Housing and Community Development

  • Substantial package of economic development and housing investments:
    • Expanded incentives for economic development and housing, including funds for:
    • Virginia Housing Trust Fund capacity and new rounds of housing initiatives.
    • VERP (Eviction Reduction Program) expansion and funding for rapid rehousing and CoC capacity.
    • Atlantic Park development in Virginia Beach; U.S. Route 1 corridor improvements in Dumfries.
    • Petersburg aquaponics food production facility development.
    • Prince William County housing trust fund and Loudoun County Sterling Foundation support.
    • Dumfries route development and related placemaking.
    • New and expanded grant funds through the Virginia Housing and Community Development programs, with carry-forward provisions for unexpended balances.
    • Virginia Main Street program funding restored with staff support to maintain accreditation.

K. Energy and Climate / Broadband

  • Solar Interconnection Grant Program funding to support interconnection and training for offshore wind workforce development (DOE-related amendments).
  • Broadband deployment and resilience provisions, including a Broadband Deployment Awards program to offset make-ready costs and coordination with VDOT Six-Year Improvement Program.
  • Provisions to use certain funds for storm-damaged telecommunications infrastructure restoration.

L. Other notable items

  • Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity: additional staff to enhance SWaM compliance oversight.
  • Department of Housing and Community Development: various program expansions, including the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program (VERP) and Housing Trust Fund workgroups.
  • Ocean/energy workgroups and legislative studies to inform future capital and program decisions.
  • Reconfigurations of some funds to reflect real-world program needs and to improve administrative efficiency.

3) Who would be affected

  • State agencies and commissions (Legislative Branch; Judicial Council; Governor’s Office; A.G.’s Office; DGS; VITA; DHCD; VDACS; DOE; DoE; localities and counties via housing and economic development programs).
  • Local governments and housing providers through VERP, housing trust funds, urban redevelopment, Route 1/Dumfries projects, and Main Street initiatives.
  • Virginia residents benefiting from eviction prevention, housing affordability, expanded Main Street programs, and increased access to fair housing education and enforcement.
  • Businesses and developers through economic development incentives and broadband/energy programs, as well as procurement modernization by DGS and SWaM contract oversight.
  • Veterans and disabled veterans via discussions on property tax exemptions and workload analysis.

4) Timeline and procedural notes

  • The amendments are floor-approved modifications to HB 30 for the 2026-2028 budget cycle.
  • Several items include effective dates tied to the 2026 General Assembly Session actions, with some programs phased in FY 2026-27 and others in FY 2027-28.
  • Some amendments include carry-forward provisions: unexpended balances shall be carried forward and reappropriated for specified programs (e.g., VERP, aquaponics facility, housing initiatives).
  • Several new subcommittees and workgroups have explicit reporting deadlines (e.g., Oct 15, 2026; Nov 1, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; and targeted outcomes on a 2026-2027 timeline).
  • Salary adjustments (e.g., legislative pay, GAL rates, and A.G. compensation) become effective with the state employee pay actions or legislative session schedule.

Note: This summary reflects floor amendments and may not capture final enrolled language or potential conference committee changes. For exact text and fiscal details, refer to the enrolled HB 30 amendments and the final Appropriations Act as enacted.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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