Behavioral Health Subcommittee

Thursday, January 29, 2026·1h 4m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Behavioral Health Subcommittee advanced several behavioral health and public safety bills while killing a food-freedom bill and failing to report a waterworks accountability measure, with heated disputes over uninspected meat sales and restaurant license revocation provisions dominating debate.

Key Actions

·HB699 – Food Establishment Inspection Exemptions; Private Homes and FarmsPassed

+ 5 more actions

Controversies

HB699 – Risk to Virginia's state meat inspection program from uninspected meat sales

Trey Davis (Virginia Agribusiness Council) argued that allowing the sale of uninspected meat at any level would put Virginia's state meat inspection program in danger, as it is approved through a cooperative agreement with the federal government. Delegate Sayre countered that the bill expands food freedom and reduces red tape without new costs or mandates, framing the right to choose food directly from producers as a fundamental freedom worth regaining.

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Our state meat inspection program, which this bill would kind of throw into a weird position, is approved by VDEX through a cooperative agreement with the federal government. So allowing the sale of uninspected meat, in particular, at any level, would put our own state inspection program in danger.”
Trey Davis, Virginia Agribusiness Council — Davis was opposing HB699, which would exempt private homes and farms from food inspection requirements for direct-to-consumer sales, arguing the exemption would jeopardize Virginia's federally approved meat inspection program.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Adopt amendment to HB699 (excluding meat, poultry, and dairy products from the exemption)No Vote

Pass HB699 by indefinitelyPassed

Adopt line amendment to HB225 (line 101)No Vote

Report HB225 as amended and refer to AppropriationsNo Vote

Adopt substitute for HB309No Vote

Report HB309 as substitutedNo Vote

Move the substitute for HB513No Vote

Report HB513 as substitutedNo Vote

Report HB681No Vote

Adopt substitute for HB695 (amendment in the nature of a substitute)No Vote

Pass HB695 by for the dayPassed

Adopt line amendment to HB1190 (line 26, strike 'private')No Vote

Report HB1190 as amendedFailed

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TranscriptPreview

Please indicate your presence by signing in on the roll. Close, please. Close the roll. Do we have a quorum? We have five. Quorum is present. We will get started. Excuse me. We welcome to Behavioral Health. We have an ambitious agenda to get to today before full committee, so we're going to try to keep this rolling along. Delegate Sayre, since you have a conflict, you ask if we could take your billboard. Take your bill first. Thank you, Madam Chair. There. What's your bill number, sir? Members of committee, the right to choose our food, to make that choice based on where it came from, how it was raised, who raised it, or whatever other factors are most important to the consumer, is a fundamental freedom worth regaining. This bill seeks to make that right available to all Virginians by expanding exemptions from state inspections for small scale homemade food production and sales in private homes and farms, thereby promoting freedom for low risk direct to consumer transactions. Current law exempts foods like jam, baked goods and certain pickles sold under strict conditions, but private residents and farmers from broader one on one sales at temporary events. HB699…

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