Richmond, VA – The Virginia General Assembly has passed the amendments to this year’s budget, which includes no new fees.

Delegate Scott Garrett (R) 23rd District, said it’s the first time in 50 years the House of Delegates unanimously passed a budget.

The budget amendment gives $30 million to a trust fund to transition the developmentally disabled out of state training centers and into community-based programs.  It also restores Medicaid funding, so hospitals and healthcare providers will avoid a 4 percent cut in reimbursement rates.  An extra $12 million will go to support police departments and sheriff’s offices across the state, including some in Central Virginia.

Garrett said the budget will prepare Virginia for tough times ahead.

“We’ve listened to our families, we’ve listened to our businesses. We understand we’ve got to get our citizens back to work. We understand that saving for a rainy day matters so we can avoid these huge swings that we just suffered through for the last two, three years,” he said.

The $80 billion budget also includes more money for public schools through June 2012.