Compensation and Retirement Subcommittee

Monday, February 9, 2026·34m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Appropriations Compensation and Retirement Subcommittee advanced two bills — a firefighter cancer workers' compensation measure (HB 858) and an opioid antagonist insurance coverage bill (HB 795) — both by 7-0 votes, while tabling four others and carrying over a Line of Duty Act expansion (HB 1317) to 2027 after a contested procedural vote.

Key Actions

·Delegate Hope's 490 Bill – Passed by for the dayPassed

+ 4 more actions

Controversies

HB 987 – Tabling despite expressed subcommittee support for CTE

Delegate Garrett argued with 'total sincerity' that studying ways to incentivize people to become CTE instructors is worthwhile, while Delegate Willett acknowledged 'CTE is super important and we've got to do look out for those teachers. We need more of them' but nonetheless moved to table the bill. The vote was 5 to 2, indicating two members voted against tabling.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Occupational cancer is the number one cause of death among firefighters through repeated exposure to pfas and carcinogenic materials released while fighting fires. Firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general public.”
Delegate Cousins — Delegate Cousins made this statement while presenting HB 858, which would add lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to the list of presumptive conditions covered under workers' compensation for Virginia firefighters.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Pass by for the day — Delegate Hope's 490 billPassed

Gently lay HB 227 on the table (Delegate Wyatt)No Vote

Gently lay HB 1296 on the table (Delegate Willett)No Vote

Gently lay HB 1488 on the table (Delegate Weller)No Vote

Adopt substitute for HB 987 (Delegate Garrett)No Vote

Lay the substitute for HB 987 on the table (Delegate Willett)Failed

Report HB 858 (Delegate Willett) — Chair referenced 'House Bill 867' (possible transcript error)No Vote

Move amendment adding enactment clause delaying HB 1317 to January 1, 2027 (Delegate Willett)No Vote

Carry over HB 1317 to 2027 (first attempt — recorded vote)No Vote

Carry over HB 1317 to 2027 (second attempt — voice vote)No Vote

Report HB 795 (Delegate Hayes)No Vote

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TranscriptPreview

Good afternoon. This meeting of Appropriations Compensation and Retirement subcommittee will come to order. We first take the role. Madam Clerk, you please open the roll so we can take attendance. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We do have a quorum. We have a few meetings this afternoon. So we will try to move this move through this expeditiously. So what we will do first is take up Delegate Hope's 490bill. We are continuing to work on this. So what we'll do this afternoon is passes by for the day and that is a voice vote. So move. Mr. Chair. Second. All right. There's been a motion with proper second to pass by for they all as a favor. Any opposed hearing? None. We will pass this by for the day. Second, we will take up Delegate Cornet's bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the subcommittee. This bill, HB227 comes directly from my district and from conversations with families who have lived through a line of duty tragedy in Smith County. The loss of Deputy Hunter Reedy made painfully clear how difficult the days and weeks after a tragedy can be for families. Left behind. When a first responder is…

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