The Virginia House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee met Feb. 14, 2025, and voted to report a series of city- and town-charter bills and other local measures to the full legislature, including a 13-8 vote to report Senate Bill 1489, which would allow localities to require successor service employers to retain incumbent service employees for a transition period.

Why this matters: several measures change municipal charters or create local authority on zoning, fines and employment transitions; most passed unanimously in committee, meaning they will move to the next stage in the legislative process.

Committee business and context: The committee opened noting it was likely the panel’s final meeting of the session and recognized staff and retiring Clerk Claude for their service. Members primarily adopted subcommittee recommendations to report bills to the full legislature. Much of the work consisted of reporting identical or cognate bills that amend local charters for individual localities; those items drew little debate on the floor and were advanced on unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Votes at a glance: Senate Bill 935 (charter amendment for City of Chesapeake; cognate HB 1645) — reported by voice/roll on a vote of 20-0. Senate Bill 873 (amends charter for a locality in Tazewell County; cognate HB 2199) — reported 20-0. Senate Bill 987 (amends the charter for the City of Norfolk; cognate HB 1696) — reported 20-0. Senate Bill 1206 (establishes a new charter for the City of Danville; cognate HB 1971) — reported 20-0. Senate Bill 1444 (technical and clarifying changes to Manassas Park charter, including boundary update and ordinance enforcement provisions) — reported 20-0. Senate Bill 992 (enhanced civil penalties in Planning District 23 for repeat nonpermitted commercial use) — reported with amendment on a vote of 21-0. Senate Bill 1422 (allows zoning ordinances to set appeal periods of 10–30 days for violations involving nonagricultural excavation material, waste and debris, and increases fines) — reported 21-0. Senate Bill 1489 (permits localities to require successor service employers to retain incumbent service employees during a transition period of up to 90 days; excludes buildings owned by the Commonwealth or institutions of higher education) — reported on a vote of 13-8.

Details on the successor-employer bill: Senate Bill 1489, presented in subcommittee number 3, would permit any county, city or town to adopt by local ordinance or resolution provisions that require successor service employers to retain incumbent service employees during a transition period (the bill text discussed a 90-day transition example). The committee record indicates the provisions apply to employees who perform work connected with property care or maintenance, airport services, and food-preparation services at schools; the bill explicitly did not include buildings owned by the Commonwealth or institutions of higher education. The committee voted to report the bill to the full committee on a 13-8 roll call. The transcript records the subcommittee recommendation and the final tally; no further amendments or conditions were recorded in the meeting transcript.

Procedure and next steps: For each reported bill, committee members either moved and seconded the motion to report (moves were recorded generally by the presenting subcommittee chair) or voted on subcommittee recommendations and amendments. Where the transcript recorded only vote tallies, the committee clerk opened the roll and reported numeric results; the record does not list individual member roll-call votes in the transcript excerpt provided. Reported measures will proceed according to the legislative calendar and rules of the respective chamber.

Meeting close: The committee adjourned after completing its agenda, with members thanking staff and noting Clerk Claude’s retirement.