RICHMOND — The Virginia House of Delegates on Feb. 7, 2025, approved a series of bills and resolutions, confirmed most gubernatorial appointments, and rejected several specific appointment lines during its floor session.

House members approved multiple measures on third reading, including a block of uncontested Senate bills and several other bills that drew recorded votes. The chamber also adopted ceremonial resolutions and acted on a slate of gubernatorial appointments, accepting most appointees but voting down several individual lines when taken separately.

Most immediately consequential were the floor votes on third-reading legislation and joint resolutions. A block of uncontested measures that included Senate Bill 785, Senate Bill 834, House Bill 1059 and Senate Bill 1089 passed by voice/roll call with an announced tally of 94-0. Later, the House approved Senate Bill 811 (removing the sunset on third-party alcohol delivery and technical clarifications) by a recorded vote of 86-7. The chamber narrowly approved Senate Bill 815, a change to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act related to landlord adverse actions and tenant remedies, by a 49-45 vote. The House also passed Senate Bill 830, which removes the expiration date for the eviction diversion pilot program in Danville, Hampton, Petersburg and Richmond, by 76-18.

On resolutions and appointments, the House adopted House Joint Resolution 581 commending the Alpha Gal Foundation, moved by Delegate Lovejoy, and House Resolution 589 commending Stan Holloway. The chamber considered several senate joint resolutions that confirm governor-appointed candidates to boards and commissions. The body agreed to SJR 273 but voted to reject specific lines (lines 469 and 470) when taken separately by a roll call (22-68). For SJR 275, the House agreed to the resolution with exceptions and subsequently rejected several severed lines (lines 279–285) in separate votes. SJR 274, SJR 276 and SJR 286 were agreed to unanimously (94-0) when called.

Several of the appointment-line votes were contested on the floor. For example, lines 279–280 (nominations to the Norfolk State University board of visitors and related items) and lines 282–283 and 284–285 (Old Dominion University board nominees) were rejected when considered separately, after the House first agreed to the broader resolution with those lines severed.

Procedurally, the House recessed its live calendar business and returned to the morning hour before adjourning. Delegates agreed to reconvene on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at noon.

Votes at a glance

- HJR 581 (commending Alpha Gal Foundation): adopted (motion to adopt moved by Delegate Lovejoy; recorded voice action: adopted).
- HR 589 (commending Stan Holloway): adopted (motion to adopt moved by Delegate Hayes; adopted by voice).
- Block vote — SB 785, SB 834, HB 1059, SB 1089 (uncontested third-reading block): passed (Ayes 94, No 0).
- SB 811 (third-party alcohol delivery technical amendments; removes sunset): passed (Ayes 86, No 7).
- SB 815 (amendments to landlord-tenant adverse action/tenant remedies): passed (Ayes 49, No 45).
- SB 830 (eviction diversion pilot program: repeal of expiration): passed (Ayes 76, No 18).
- SJR 273 (confirmation of multiple gubernatorial appointments): agreed to (Ayes 94, No 0); lines 469–470 taken separately and rejected (Ayes 22, No 68).
- SJR 274: agreed to (Ayes 94, No 0).
- SJR 275: agreed to with certain lines severed; severed lines 279–280, 282–283, and 284–285 were later rejected in separate votes (varied tallies; overall resolution agreed to with those exceptions).
- SJR 276: agreed to (Ayes 94, No 0).
- SJR 286: agreed to (Ayes 94, No 0).
- Adjournment motion to reconvene Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.: adopted (moved by Delegate Herring).

Context and significance

Several of the measures were routine or technical housekeeping bills reported from the Committee on General Laws and others; however, the close 49-45 vote on SB 815 signaled partisan division on landlord-tenant protections and tenant remedies. The vote to remove the sunset on third-party alcohol delivery (SB 811) enshrines an industry practice that had been operating under a temporary authorization. The removal of the eviction diversion pilot program's expiration (SB 830) extends a program that legislators described as helping to keep tenants housed while addressing landlords' financial concerns in specific localities.

What members said

Floor debate was limited on many measures. Delegates who moved the bills on the floor offered brief summaries of purpose and committee support when required by House rule. Where recorded votes occurred, the clerk announced tallies on the chamber's electronic board; specific roll-call vote lists were not read into the transcript for every item.

Next steps

Bills that passed the House will proceed to the Senate if they originated in the House or to the governor if originating in or already passed both chambers, as applicable. Appointees rejected on severed lines may be resubmitted by the governor or considered again later in a different form.

Ending

The House returned to the morning hour after completing live calendar business and adjourned until Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at 12 p.m.