HB 2170 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund; distribution of certain funds, reports.

Summary
Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund; reallocation of certain funds for conservation practices. Allows until July 1, 2027, in any fiscal year, any funds previously distributed to the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program for the purpose of grants for agricultural best management practices that cannot be obligated by a soil and water conservation district by June 15 during the fiscal year to be reallocated by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board to any soil and water conservation district for conservation practices. The bill also allows the Board to reallocate the remaining previously distributed funds that cannot be obligated by June 15 to the soil and water conservation districts within the same watershed. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to include in its annual reports to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations relating to the clean-up plan for the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia waters the amounts of funds reappropriated between watersheds as provided in the bill.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Feb 14, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from its original introduced version to a House substitute version, significantly narrowing its scope from amending three sections of the Code of Virginia to only amending one section (§ 10.1-2128.1). The substitute version removes the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund and related definitions, focusing solely on the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund. Additionally, the substitute version modifies how unobligated funds are handled, extending the reallocation deadline from the end of the fiscal year to June 15 and changing the reallocation authority from the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board to include the ability to transfer funds within the same watershed.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed from three sections of the Code of Virginia to just one section, removing provisions related to the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund and the work group requirement.
SCOPE

Removed amendments to § 10.1-2127.1 (Definitions) and § 10.1-2128 (Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund), eliminating the original bill's focus on the broader water quality improvement fund structure.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for reallocation of unobligated funds from the end of the fiscal year to June 15 of the same fiscal year.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the reallocation authority to allow funds to be transferred to any soil and water conservation district within the same watershed, rather than only to districts with pending contracts.

TECHNICAL

Added a new provision allowing transfer of unobligated funds between districts within the same watershed within the same fiscal year.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2025

How they voted

990
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 100
Feb 4, 2025
D Democratic51
51 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican49
48 Yea 1
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
4
Committee
5
Feb 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House (99-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 28, 2025
Committee
Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Rob Bloxom
Rob Bloxom
RRepublican
VA
100