The Virginia House Appropriations Committee voted to report seven Senate bills to the full House, advancing measures that range from licensing and mental-health training to changes in fiscal planning for the Commonwealth.

The committee moved all seven measures by roll-call votes; most were unanimous. The measures include a bill to direct the secretary of health and human resources to create oversight and credentialing guidelines for recovery residences and allow provisional certification by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; a bill establishing licensure criteria for anesthesiologist assistants; a substitute to transfer current judges and provide for newly elected judges beginning July 1, 2026; a National Guard grant-program bill identical to House Bill 1595; a measure to incentivize participation in the Commonwealth Mental Health First Aid Program; and two budget/fiscal bills that change reserve-fund language and require multiple revenue assumptions in the state six-year plan.

The committee reported Senate Bill 838 by Senator Van Valkenburg, which would direct the secretary of health and human resources to convene a work group to develop oversight and credentialing guidelines for recovery residences and would permit the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to issue provisional certifications. That measure was reported 19-0.

Senate Bill 882, sponsored by Senator Locke, would establish criteria for licensure of anesthesiologist assistants and direct the Board of Medicine to adopt implementing regulations. Delegate Douglas Sickles said he was the only member of the Health and Human Services committee who voted against the bill there and voiced concern that creating the new licensure category could worsen existing shortages of anesthesia professionals by increasing demand for scarce clinical training slots. "So I think if we pass this bill, we're just gonna make that problem worse if we, if, these new assistants need clinical training, which they will do in order to get licensure. So that's why I'm voting no," Sickles said. The Appropriations Committee reported SB 882, 16-1.

The committee adopted a substitute for Senate Bill 950 from Senator McDougall that would transfer current judges and provide for the election of new judges after July 1, 2026; that substitute was reported 20-0.

Senate Bill 1106 from Senator Hashmi, described to the committee as making changes to a National Guard grant program and identical to House Bill 1595 as filed, was reported 20-0.

Senate Bill 1377, also from Senator Hashmi, would direct the Department of Education to develop and implement a plan to incentivize participation in the Commonwealth Mental Health First Aid Program; it was reported 20-0.

Senate Bill 1472 from Senator Lucas was reported to the House with a substitute that removed language requiring a super deposit to the revenue stabilization fund and modified combined caps for two reserve funds; the substitute passed 20-0.

Senate Bill 1474, also from Senator Lucas and considered with a line amendment, would require three revenue assumptions—baseline, above-baseline and recessionary—to be included in the six-year financial plan. The committee reported SB 1474, as amended, 20-0.

The committee’s actions were procedural reports to send the bills to the full House; the transcript records no committee direction that would implement or execute the measures beyond the statutory processes those bills would trigger. After the votes the chair asked conferees to meet in the library and adjourned the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- SB 838 (Van Valkenburg): Recovery residences; reported 19-0.
- SB 882 (Locke): Licensure criteria for anesthesiologist assistants; reported 16-1. Dissent noted by Delegate Douglas Sickles regarding clinical training capacity.
- SB 950 (McDougall): Substitute to transfer current judges and elect new judges after 07/01/2026; reported 20-0.
- SB 1106 (Hashmi): National Guard grant program (identical to HB 1595 as filed); reported 20-0.
- SB 1377 (Hashmi): Incentives for participation in Commonwealth Mental Health First Aid Program; reported 20-0.
- SB 1472 (Lucas): Substitute modifies revenue-stabilization and reserve-cap language; reported 20-0.
- SB 1474 (Lucas): Requires three revenue assumptions in six-year plan; reported as amended 20-0.

No formal amendments that changed substantive policy outcomes were recorded in the committee transcript beyond the substitute and line-amendment motions noted above. Where committee debate occurred, it focused narrowly on implementation concerns (for example, clinical training capacity for anesthesiologist assistants).