01.26.01

By Laura K. Davis

The House Appropriations Committee met last Tuesday afternoon to hear reports from the House Natural Resources Subcommittee and the House Compensation and Retirement Subcommittee.

Bills reported out of committee included three concerning the care of confederate cemeteries and graves in Carroll County, Richmond and Orange County.

Another bill discussed in the meeting eliminates the requirement that local governments pay registration charges when voluntarily remediating their properties.

And by creating the Virginia Voluntary Remediation Fund, the bill also would provide grants to local governments to encourage remediation of contaminated properties.

Delegate Anne G. Rhodes, R-Richmond, said she was concerned because many funds similar to this one have been created in bills in many committees.

"We know we have no money, and we’ve been setting up an awful lot of funds into which we put no money," she said. "Setting up all these funds and letting them sit there – it concerns me."

Delegate Larry P. Bryant, R-Lynchburg, followed with comments about how he had a similar bill last year, and that if no funds or gifts were deposited into this fund in three years, it would sunset.

"That might be a compromise," he said.

The Appropriations Committee reported the bill dealing with voluntary remediation of contaminated properties out with a sunset amendment.

The committee also reported out a package of Virginia Retirement System bills.

Ten bills were rolled into one fiscal service bill proposed by Delegate Marvin K. Cox, R-Colonial Heights in subcommittee. The committee then adopted this bill, which was rewritten to allow retirement credit, as a substitute.

This Virginia Retirement System bill reported out of committee makes changes concerning the purchase of retirement credit for prior military service. It enables retired military members to buy their prior service credit, even if it’s part of another retirement system.

"Essentially, the whole purpose of the bill," he said, "was to attempt to get people that were 25 who purchase some credit to buy as early as possible. Possibly, that helps the system."

Other Virginia Retirement System bills were reported out as a package of bills.

One bill, patroned by Delegate Robert Tata, R-Virginia Beach, and reported out, makes additional death and dismemberment benefits available, such as a felonious death benefit. This benefit, addressing workplace violence, would give $50,000 to the keeper of an estate, for example, if a teacher was assaulted in the classroom and died.

Another bill brought up in committee sets up a Virginia Firefighters’ and Rescue Squad Workers’ Service as an award or fund.