General Laws

Thursday, January 29, 2026·15m·▶ Watch / Listen

The General Laws Committee advanced over a dozen bills across gaming, procurement, FOIA, and data privacy, with the most contested items — HB 1046 (public works labor requirements), HB 1161 (restrictions on sharing personal data with the federal government), and HB 791 (athletic event drawings) — drawing split votes, while HB 850 (apprentice labor hour mandate) was passed by for the day amid unresolved procedural questions.

Key Actions

·HB 354 – Commissioner of Veterans Services; Online PortalPassed

+ 13 more actions

Controversies

HB 354 – Procedural separation of reconsideration and referral motions

The Vice Chair (name not stated in transcript) made a combined motion to reconsider HB 354 and refer it to Appropriations simultaneously. The Chair intervened, clarifying that these were two separate motions that needed to be voted on individually, and the committee proceeded accordingly.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“House Bill 145. It imposes a 10% tax on fantasy contest operator fantasy contest revenue. With 5% of the tax revenue being allocated to the problem Gaming treatment and support fund and the remaining 95% being allocated to the general fund.”
Chair Torreon — Chair Torreon, reporting from the ABC Gaming subcommittee, described HB 145, a bill that would tax fantasy sports operators and direct a portion of revenue to problem gambling treatment.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Strike HB 1177 from the docketPassed

Motion to reconsider HB 354Passed

Report and refer HB 354 to AppropriationsPassed

Report and refer HB 145 to AppropriationsPassed

Report HB 218, HB 1045, and HB 1237 in a blockPassed

Report HB 791Passed

Carry over HB 1181 to the 2027 sessionPassed

Adopt substitute on HB 1046Passed

Report with substitute HB 1046 and refer to AppropriationsPassed

Report HB 346, HB 644, and HB 1308 in a blockPassed

Adopt substitute on HB 850Passed

Pass HB 850 by for the dayPassed

Report HB 1161Passed

Continue HB 463, HB 842, and HB 1044 to 2027 in a blockPassed

Unlock the full summary

Subscribe to see all key actions, controversies, quotes, and what's next.

TranscriptPreview

Signify by saying aye. No. Okay, the ayes have it. We're going to send those over to HHS. The last block is delegates Ayres, HB 680, and that is going to Committee on Public Safety. Do I have a motion? It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor signify saying aye. Opposed? Okay, we are sending it off. And the last administrative item is delegate Cole. HB 1177 has asked us to strike her bill. And. And that is a recorded vote. The clerk will open the rol. The clerk will close the roll. That bill is stricken from the docket 21 to 0. And now we go to Chair Torreon with its ABC Gaming subcommittee report. I'm sorry. We have one bill to delegate. We have one more bill. Thank you. Vice Chair. We have a bill to be reconsidered. Vice Chair, do you have a. Mr. Chair, having voted on the prevailing side by which we reported HB 354, I moved to reconsider HB 354. This was a unanimous. The vote was unanimous to report, so I motioned to report and refer it to HB 354 to Appropriations. Well, you got. Yeah, you got it to first.…

Subscribe to unlock the full transcript, summary, and search across all Virginia committee hearings.