The Virginia House of Delegates on Feb. 22 adopted the conference report on the biennial budget, House Bill 1,600, and approved dozens of other conference reports finalizing legislation for the 2025 session.

The budget conference report was presented on the floor and the House voted to adopt it after conferees said the package addressed House priorities while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Delegate Torrey, who spoke for the floor on the budget conference report, thanked conferees and staff before moving adoption of the report.

Why it matters: Adoption of conference reports completes negotiations between the House and Senate and sends final language to the governor. The bills approved on the floor that day included measures touching state spending, health-care program administration, utility regulation and several criminal-justice and administrative reforms.

What passed and how: The House disposed of a long printed calendar of conference reports. Several measures received little floor debate and were approved largely on voice votes or quick recorded tallies; others drew floor remarks from patrons and conferees outlining key compromises. Notable actions included:

- Adoption of the conference report on House Bill 1,600 (biennial budget). Conferees said the report addresses House priorities; the House adopted the conference report by recorded vote (Ayes 81, Noes 18).

- House Bill 26 10 / Senate bill cognates (Pharmacy Benefits Manager for Medicaid): The House adopted the conference report that creates a state-contracted pharmacy benefits manager for Medicaid with a phased implementation and study provisions; the House recorded the vote (Ayes 95, Noes 2).

- House Bill 26 21 / Senate cognates (Phase 1 utilities, securitized storm costs and customer protections): The House adopted a multi-part compromise intended to provide consumer protections for Appalachian Power Company customers (moratoriums on certain fees, consideration of seasonal rates, public input requirements). The conference report passed (Ayes 98, Noes 0).

- House Bill 27 64 / Senate cognates (collective bargaining for public employees): The House adopted a compromise expanding collective bargaining rights and establishing a public employee relations board, with specific clarifications for law enforcement and local ordinances; recorded vote was close (Ayes 49, Noes 46).

- House Bill 16 01 / Senate cognates (data center siting and assessments): The House adopted the conference report after conferees removed a provision on electric generating units to secure final agreement; recorded vote (Ayes 55, Noes 44).

- Criminal justice and sentencing reforms: The House adopted conference reports on bills related to probation credit reductions and other probation reforms (conference reports agreed; one recorded vote Ayes 67, Noes 30 where specified).

- Other enacted conference reports: The House disposed of conference reports on a range of bills, including unemployment-benefit increases, compensation for wrongful incarceration, victim compensation expansions, student-support and school-safety measures, exemptions for aviation maintenance parts, and technical changes to parole-board procedures. Many of these were adopted unanimously or by large bipartisan margins (multiple recorded tallies listed below).

Votes at a glance (selected conference reports taken on Feb. 22, 2025)

- HB 1,600 — Biennial budget: Conference report adopted (Ayes 81, Noes 18).
- HB 26 10 / SB 875 — State Pharmacy Benefits Manager (Medicaid PBM): Conference report adopted (Ayes 95, Noes 2).
- HB 26 21 / SB 1076 — Phase 1 utilities, securitization, consumer protections: Conference report adopted (Ayes 98, Noes 0 / matched SB conference report Ayes 97, Noes 0).
- HB 27 64 / SB 917 — Collective bargaining for public employees; public employee relations board: Conference report adopted (Ayes 49, Noes 46 in the House; corresponding Senate conference report later agreed 51–45).
- HB 25 20 / SB 947 — Virginia military forces sexual offense prevention and response (military protective orders language and related provisions): Conference report taken up and adopted after floor questions and temporary tabling; final recorded tally (Ayes 49, Noes 47 on adoption vote noted when taken up).
- HB 16 01 / SB 1449 — Data-center siting, site assessment for high-energy facilities: Conference report adopted (Ayes 55, Noes 44).
- HB 22 52 / SB 936 — Probation credit reductions and work group implementation language: Conference report adopted (Ayes 67, Noes 30 when recorded).
- HB 21 98 — Pediatric extended care centers licensing/regulation (delayed enactment clause): Conference report adopted (Ayes 99, Noes 0).
- HB 17 12 / SB 1194 — Training for law-enforcement officers on arrest discretion and encounters with people in crisis (DCJS training): Conference report adopted (Ayes 60, Noes 39 in the House; matching SB conference report recorded Ayes 58, Noes 39).
- HB 17 29 / SB 942 — Sales and use tax exemption for aircraft components (sunset extension and weight-class change): Conference report adopted (Ayes 98, Noes 1 in the House; corresponding Senate vote Ayes 95, Noes 2).
- HB 19 14 — Compensation for wrongfully incarcerated individuals (clarifying language on payments): Conference report adopted (Ayes 99, Noes 0).
- HB 15 83 — Threats to discharge a firearm at buildings or transportation; conference report adopted (Ayes 99, Noes 0).
- HB 15 95 / SB 1106 — Virginia National Guard tuition assistance alignment: Conference report adopted (Ayes 99, Noes 0).

(Several additional conference reports were presented and agreed to on the calendar; the clerk reported that the chamber had received and disposed of scores of conference reports the same day. A fuller roll of conference reports and the official recorded votes is available in the House Journal and on the General Assembly website.)

Process and next steps: Adoption of a conference report by both chambers finalizes the bill text for submission to the governor. In some cases the conference reports included delayed effective dates (for example, a July 2026 delayed enactment clause noted for the pediatric extended care centers bill) or reenactment language to enable future study and implementation steps. The House clerk reminded members to file any remaining conference reports promptly, noting there were no more conference reports expected that day.

Floor tone and debate: Most conference reports were approved after brief floor statements from the bill patrons or conferees summarizing technical amendments and the compromises reached in conference. A handful of measures drew questions or requests for tabling for additional review (for example, questions were raised about due-process elements in the military protective-order language); in those cases the House paused briefly but ultimately adopted the conference reports.

What wasn’t decided: The House did not take up further amendments to the adopted conference reports on the floor; items sent to conference and reported back to the chamber were taken as final within the scope of the conference reports presented.

Ending: With the adoption of the budget and the slate of conference reports, the House closed out its printed calendar for the day and adjourned sine die for that sitting.