A House subcommittee voted 5-3 to lay on the table HB 15 54, a bill that would have raised the minimum state-funded deputy sheriff ratio for certain rural localities.

Delegate Patrick Williams, the bill's patron, described the measure as a response to staffing shortages in large, sparsely populated counties. "Oftentimes you'll have 2, maybe 3 deputies covering 500 or 400 square miles," Williams said, describing situations in which backup can be more than an hour away.

The bill would have required the compensation board to fund either one deputy per 1,500 residents or one deputy for every 25 square miles, whichever yielded more deputies for a locality. Dylan Bishop, representing the Virginia Sheriffs' Association, told the subcommittee that fiscally distressed localities often cannot hire deputies locally and rely on the sheriff's office to provide policing. "Because these localities are fiscally distressed, they often cannot fund, or pay for unfunded deputies," Bishop said.

Committee members asked about the fiscal impact. One member said the estimated cost was "$13,500,000" (figure offered during discussion), and the chair confirmed that if the bill were reported it would be referred to the Appropriations Committee.

Delegate Adelio Simons moved to lay the bill on the table; the motion carried 5-3. The committee record shows the action as a tabling with a 5-3 tally; the transcript does not identify individual yes/no votes by name.

Supporters said the measure aimed to improve officer availability and training opportunities in rural jurisdictions. Opponents and undecided members cited cost concerns and the budgetary impact on the Commonwealth.

HB 15 54 is now effectively paused in this subcommittee; no further committee action was recorded at the meeting.