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Finance Subcommittee #1

Monday, February 9, 2026·1h 54m·▶ Watch / Listen

Finance Subcommittee #1 advanced six data center bills — covering environmental conditions, transparency, land conservation taxes, and local revenue directives — to the full Finance Committee, while laying two housing and homebuilding tax credit bills on the table and carrying over several others, including solar incentives and sustainable aviation fuel credits, to 2027.

Key Actions

·HB 641 – Virginia's Great Outdoors Act / Data Center Land Conservation TaxPassed

+ 11 more actions

Controversies

Whether the state should mandate how localities spend data center tax revenue (HB 1132)

Katie Boyle of the Virginia Association of County [organization name unclear] argued 'this is the state stepping in to tell localities what to do with that revenue' and warned the precedent could extend to other types of economic development, while Delegate Reid confirmed the bill is mandatory — not permissive — and stated Virginia as a Dillon Rule state can direct localities, framing the revenue directive as benefiting residents bearing future rate increases.

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“My negotiations are premised on sort of the rhetorical question is what will the data center industry do in return? What will they do to make good on their representations to us? They're telling us in one way or another right now that they can't commit or won't commit to that better energy future, at least not in a way that I believe is there yet.”

Delegate Sullivan (bill patron, HB 897) — Sullivan was explaining to the subcommittee why HB 897 — which would condition the data center sales and use tax exemption on clean energy and emissions requirements — is still under active negotiation with the industry.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Lay HB 757 [bill number unclear] on the tablePassed
Lay HB 1135 on the table (moved by Delegate Anthony)Passed
Report HB 400 with amendmentPassed
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TranscriptPreview
Good morning, everyone. Nice to see you. Welcome to the next iteration of subcommittee number one of Finance Committee. We'll start by taking the roll. All right, we have got a quorum, so just a few housekeeping items to begin before I give some general thoughts about our busy docket today. First, HB 1258 from Philip Scott. Delegate Phillip Scott will be carried over for the day. Is there a motion for that? Okay, moved. And second, all in favor say aye. Any opposed? No? Okay, so that's by for the day. And then two other bills, at the request of the patrons, will be carried over to 2027. The first bill in this category is HB243 from delegate Josh Cole. And the second bill is HB946 from delegate Lily Franklin. It's been moved. Is there a second? Okay, moved and seconded for those bills to be carried over to 2027. All in support will say aye. Any opposed? Okay, those bills have been carried over, and our docket just got a little bit shorter. So the plan for today is that we are going to begin with the six data center bills that we have on our docket. And…
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