Virginia 2027 Regular Session Status: In Committee

SB 80 — Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program; established, report.

Last action — Continued from last session

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced December 26, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 24% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 9 sponsors

    1 primary, 8 co-sponsors signed on.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill establishes a grant program to support localities in hiring firefighters and enhancing emergency services.

The Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program will provide funds to local governments for hiring firefighters and improving emergency medical services. The program aims to increase firefighter staffing and enhance necessary equipment and facilities but ensures that these funds will not replace existing state or local funding.

What this means for you
  • Workers: Local firefighters may benefit from increased hiring and recruitment efforts bolstered by these grants.
  • Families: Families may experience improved emergency services due to better-funded firefighters and equipment in their community.
  • Consumers: Consumers relying on emergency services could see enhancements in response times and service coverage as a result of this program.

Summary

Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of awarding grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The bill specifies that the Department of Fire Programs (the Department) shall administer the Program and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The second shall award grants to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services, including by acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the bill provides that funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually, beginning November 1, 2027, to the Governor and the General Assembly containing a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Continued from last session

  2. Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)

  3. Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

  4. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB80)

  5. Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

  6. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102575D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 139 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (139)

139 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 139 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 80 do?
Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of awarding grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The bill specifies that the Department of Fire Programs (the Department) shall administer the Program and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The second shall award grants to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services, including by acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the bill provides that funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually, beginning November 1, 2027, to the Governor and the General Assembly containing a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.
Who sponsors SB 80?
SB 80 is sponsored by Thomas C. Wright, Jr., Mark J. Peake, Emily M. Jordan, T. Travis Hackworth, J.D. "Danny" Diggs, R. Creigh Deeds, Luther Cifers, III, Christie New Craig, and Tammy Brankley Mulchi.
What is the current status of SB 80?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced December 26, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 80?
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