# Virginia HB1234: Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date.

Virginia HB1234, Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Briana D. Sewell (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0757)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1234-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1234
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-14
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0757)
- Sponsor: Briana D. Sewell (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (232 yes, 78 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Land development; solar canopies in parking areas. Provides that any locality may include in its land development ordinances a provision that requires that an applicant must install a solar canopy over designated surface parking areas. Such provisions shall apply only to nonresidential parking areas with 100 or more new off-street contiguous parking spaces and may require coverage of up to 50 percent of the surface parking area. The bill provides that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this bill shall be subject to various additional requirements and shall allow for deviations, in whole or in part, from the requirements of the ordinance when its strict application would prevent the development of uses and densities otherwise allowed by the locality's zoning or development ordinance or when a property owner shows that the solar canopy, if installed as otherwise required under the ordinance, will generate less than 75 percent of the electricity that would be expected, given the nameplate capacity of the solar modules installed on such canopy, if the canopy were to be installed at another location in the locality without surrounding impediments to insolation such as buildings or shading vegetation. Finally, the bill provides that the applicant or owner may use the electric energy generated from such solar canopy to offset the consumption of the parking lot or adjoining building served under the same account. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill incorporates HB 457 and is identical to SB 26.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Permitting breaks for solar canopies: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2027, areas under solar canopies do not count as extra impervious surface if the ground is already impervious and counted for stormwater. The ordinance also drops landscaping and tree-canopy requirements for space covered by canopies. These changes can cut site work and compliance…
- Own, use, and connect canopy power: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2027, canopy ownership can be separate from the land by contract, deed, or lease. Electricity from the canopy may offset the parking lot or an adjoining building if they share the same account. The owner or customer may connect under state rules 20VAC5-314 or 20VAC5-315.
- Localities can require parking-lot solar canopies: mixed, high. Beginning July 1, 2027, localities can require solar canopies over up to 50% of large new surface parking. The rule applies to new or expanded lots with 100 or more new contiguous off-street spaces serving a nonresidential site. It must apply equally to public lots, including localities, schools, a…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Briana D. Sewell (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 67 | 30 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 21 | 18 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Local Government Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Reported from Local Government with substitute | pass | 8 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 76 | 22 |   |
| 2026-02-06 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute | pass | 20 | 1 |   |

## Actions (32)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0757) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 757 (Effective 7/1/2027) (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-13: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1234ER) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-06: Senate substitute agreed to by House (67-Y 30-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Local Government Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Committee substitute printed 26109040D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Local Government with substitute (8-Y 7-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Read third time and passed House (76-Y 22-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-11: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-11: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-10: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-06: Committee substitute printed 26107392D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-06: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-02-06: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (20-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Incorporates HB457 (Krizek) (House)
- 2026-01-28: Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (House)
- 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102478D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222563.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222562.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203643.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203642.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190316.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190315.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132193.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132681.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132192.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132680.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087852.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087851.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222563.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222562.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203643.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203642.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190316.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190315.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132193.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132681.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132192.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132680.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087852.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087851.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1234-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).