[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6329800,"mediaKeyId","2315618-6152cb16008c85a7e2d106f9f5b6557b","parentId",2315618,"title","Delegates clash over whether many bills were denied hearings as session nears deadlines","audioSeconds",1947,"startMs",2529000,"endMs",4476000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315618-6152cb16008c85a7e2d106f9f5b6557b&start=2529&end=4476","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315618-6152cb16008c85a7e2d106f9f5b6557b/thumbnail_2529000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6329800/Virginia/Delegates-clash-over-whether-many-bills-were-denied-hearings-as-session-nears-deadlines","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329800-41f2ff876ee0f6302d4b2b666ae8495c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141060&Signature=cHh~Tzl2QKyVy9r9QZ48dM59xi~DEQK4rBo-rH1GzpAxOimkyfUYfFknTm2mRG97bQzGam~JgnvfeEchAEflP535v53ORpRFr~VoPpWS-YEAS7f~kveykITU0VuRCumOVIxAS-hhsHFoeUQKYA1OPvD-Bga84sTccZooLwmAIMZsoLGWvXkX8OVXYwawwwNo3sn46JNz7osDpKr8Iazmjg7mLkEHaKesF~nMzSPMU7MRXtfACS9r7aFqch39y-sE-Qxme0lzXxEhHysGfaw6Ut3RBUvP2jW1899JXhbSR1tQvOv3xvvUdjlXqx46QHwMSIQ9DiixZcLG5Sgcec~4iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Virginia","date","2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","article","Members of the Virginia House of Delegates spent a lengthy portion of Friday’s session disputing how the chamber’s committees have been handling requests for hearings as the General Assembly’s deadlines approach.

The disagreement opened during the morning hours when Delegate Matt Griffin (R-Bedford) asked to return to the “first morning hour” for motions, a procedural request that preceded a round of personal-privilege speeches focused on committee process. Delegate Paul E. D. Earley Jr. (R-Chesterfield) argued that many bills filed by Republican members “were denied a hearing,” saying the result was that “constituents who sent us here are denied a voice.” Earley told colleagues that more than “nearly a 50” Republican bills “were not even heard in committee.”

Democrats on the floor responded. Delegate Marcus Simon (D-Fairfax) said the majority’s committee chairs prioritized bills that have a realistic chance of becoming law and that committees “spent our time in committee focusing on those bills that had a chance of becoming law.” He described the process as time-management in a short session. Delegate Levar Stoney Watts (D-Fairfax) and others defended the scheduling choices and said the committee process this year gave victims and other affected parties appropriate time to testify where needed.

Other speakers described specific bills that they say did not receive hearings. Delegate Michael Freitas (R-Culpeper) listed examples including bills to protect first responders from reckless exposure to fentanyl, measures to strengthen statutes on child abuse, and proposals to increase penalties for solicitation so as to reduce human trafficking demand — and said those were among bills “that didn’t get a hearing.” Delegate Sally Garrett (R-Buckingham) told the chamber she had carried House Bill 20 81, which would have amended the Virginia Human Rights Act to ban discrimination based on race, and said it had not been docketed for a hearing two years in a row.

Several Democrats pushed back that many priorities of the majority — for example, bills about collective bargaining, voting rights protections, and public-health proposals — were in committee and received consideration. Delegate Dawn M. Cohen (D-Fairfax) said, “Some things just don’t make the cut,” and listed priorities that Democrats had advanced this session.

Republican speakers framed the issue as denying constituents a voice. Delegate Jason Freitas said he had chaired subcommittees where he ensured time for testimony and argued that the refusal to docket bills is a departure from the deliberative process. Multiple speakers on both sides asked that members judge bills on their policy merits rather than patron party.

House leaders did not make a formal change to committee assignments or to the handling of pending bills during the remarks. Throughout the exchange, speakers repeatedly asked the chamber to prioritize hearings or defend existing scheduling, and several members urged patience until the final committee deadline on Monday, Feb. 17.

Why it matters: committee-docketing decisions determine whether bills can be debated, amended and reach the floor. As the session’s deadlines approach, members on both sides framed the issue in terms of access for constituents and effective time management of committees.

Context and next steps: House clerks and committee chairs will continue meeting through Monday’s committee deadline; conferee appointments and conference committee activity were announced later in Friday’s session. No formal rules changes or procedural motions to override committee chairs were adopted during Friday’s floor debate.

Ending: The exchanges concluded without a formal vote; members resumed the regular calendar and proceeded to consider third-reading and consent calendar items.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February 14, 2025 - Regular Session 10:46 AM - 1:01 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Members of the Virginia House of Delegates spent a lengthy portion of Friday’s session disputing whether committee chairs and leaders have denied hearings to large numbers of bills, with Republicans saying dozens of their measures were never docketed and Democrats saying committees prioritized bills with a realistic path to law.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature VA, Virginia","taxId",77687,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329795,"House passes a slate of health, consumer protection and transport bills; votes at a glance",522,5804000,6326000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315618-6152cb16008c85a7e2d106f9f5b6557b&start=5804&end=6326","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315618-6152cb16008c85a7e2d106f9f5b6557b/thumbnail_5804000.jpg","/articles/6329795/Virginia/House-passes-a-slate-of-health-consumer-protection-and-transport-bills-votes-at-a-glance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329795-d33ed8f52c0632b37cd40a67536e70e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141060&Signature=dCMVmOqlENp7eHmL0jjhx~jP9qpFvkxjq7c~~MdajmBPcjGmbUmyc7fPoh3Ng0x3n9FCjOoboyt91c7~9ZD5qi0IJSp1CygayzGNkgaBV7k6K3LdPMAb-y9Mh~wTLIMgVCfWVF3xtfhKcwn1cRGbXWsONzqWc8SGmkbrFkUEf6tz1hur9Mzw-h0ecXdNivw2lGEetYPjP~UQN0DwdR62A60U3wL2TQdw5o7seAdwzYXDXzmC1QOfpvxno3QAPjr~FVuc6PEUEGWLl-bBKnG7P~oBqqgAzPUeBkdyfJ4SwjtdnzfNL7VGrqbSWZL8ElaK3t-dOq03xIIL~i~4J91cMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Virginia House of Delegates on Friday approved a package of bills on third reading and agreed to a number of Senate substitutes and amendments, advancing measures on health services, consumer protections, transportation and local planning as the session approached committee deadlines.

Highlights include the passage of legislation making it a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to obtain or disclose certain reproductive or sexual-health information without a consumer’s consent; updates to aircraft registration fees; a clarification expanding who may administer opioid antagonists on behalf of organizations; a statutory protection affirming individuals’ access to contraception; and an expansion of Medicaid postpartum doula coverage.

Many of the bills were considered either in uncontested blocks or with committee substitutes. Several measures that were considered as Senate cognates to House bills were moved and passed with voice and recorded votes.

Votes at a glance

- SB 754 (consumer protections for reproductive/sexual-health data): Passed, Ayes 52, Noes 43. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Seim (Fairfax). The bill adds obtaining, disclosing, selling or disseminating personally identifiable reproductive or sexual-health information without consumer consent as a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

- SB 948 (aircraft registration fees): Passed, Ayes 91, Noes 4. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Anthony (Norfolk). The legislation updates aircraft registration fees; sponsors said fees had not been raised since 1979 and the change eliminates a departmental subsidy.

- SB 1035 (opioid antagonists; organizations): Passed, Ayes 91, Noes 3. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Hope (Arlington). The bill clarifies that authorized persons acting on behalf of organizations may use “other opioid antagonists” in addition to naloxone.

- SB 1105 (right to contraception; codification): Passed, Ayes 54, Noes 41. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Price (Newport News). The committee substitute codifies an individual’s right to access FDA-approved contraceptives and related services and prevents state or local action that would infringe that access.

- SB 1308 (motor vehicle dealers; warranty/recalled parts): Passed, Ayes 95, Noes 0. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Sewell (Prince William). The bill makes technical and substantive changes to dealer franchise law, including warranty reimbursement provisions and right-of-first-refusal notice changes.

- SB 1348 (transportation network companies; disclosure): Passed, Ayes 55, Noes 41. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Singh (Loudoun). The bill increases transparency obligations for ride-hailing apps and drivers.

- SB 1393 (pregnancy mobile application; DMAS substitute): Passed, Ayes 80, Noes 16. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate Sickles (Fairfax). The House adopted a floor amendment to direct the Department of Medical Assistance Services to contract for a mobile app available to prenatal and postpartum Medicaid recipients.

- SB 1418 (postpartum doula care; Medicaid coverage expansion): Passed, Ayes 87, Noes 9. Sponsor on the floor: Delegate McClure (Arlington). The bill increases postpartum doula visits covered by Medicaid from four to six and extends the eligibility window from six months to 12 months under the substitute language.

In addition to the bills above, the House agreed to a number of Senate substitutes and adopted several conference or conferee appointments later in the day.

Context: several bills were handled in uncontested calendar blocks with committee substitutes. Where the House agreed to Senate substitutes, the clerk announced the action and members recorded their votes. Several of the measures are cognates to House bills that passed earlier and were taken up as companion Senate bills on the House floor.

Ending: The House adjourned until Monday, Feb. 17 at noon; conferee appointments and committee schedules for next week were announced at the close of Friday’s session.

","On Feb. 14, 2025 the Virginia House of Delegates approved a block of bills on third reading, including measures on reproductive/health data privacy, aircraft registration fees, opioid antagonist access, contraception rights, dealer warranties and postpartum doula coverage. Several companion bills and minor-substitute amendments were adopted.","actionData","errors"]

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Delegates clash over whether many bills were denied hearings as session nears deadlines

House passes a slate of health, consumer protection and transport bills; votes at a glance