# Virginia HB1238: Local ordinances; locality may regulate or prohibit sale of animals in a pet shop, effective clause. Virginia HB1238, Local ordinances; locality may regulate or prohibit sale of animals in a pet shop, effective clause., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Irene Shin (Democratic); status passed house, last action 2026-02-24 (Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals) (as of 2026-10-13). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1238-2026 - As of: 2026-10-13 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB1238 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Local ordinances; locality may regulate or prohibit sale of animals in a pet shop, effective clause. - Status: passed house - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-14 - Last action: 2026-02-24, Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals - Sponsor: Irene Shin (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Companion Animals - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (87 yes, 55 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Local ordinances; regulation of pet shops. Authorizes the governing body of any locality to, by ordinance, regulate or prohibit the sale of animals in a pet shop. Such ordinance may distinguish between certain types of pet shops and include provisions for special licensing, inspections, reporting, restrictions, or prohibitions on the sale of certain types of animals. The bill also includes certain existing statewide provisions related to pet shops in the list of sections for which a locality may adopt parallel or more stringent ordinances. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Irene Shin (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-24 | Senate | Failed to report (defeated) in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | fail | 6 | 8 | | | 2026-02-24 | Senate | Continued to 2027 in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | pass | 11 | 3 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 58 | 36 | | | 2026-02-13 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with amendment(s) | pass | 12 | 8 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Counties, Cities and Towns (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | ## Actions (16) - 2026-02-24: Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Continued to 2027 in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (11-Y 3-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Failed to report (defeated) in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (6-Y 8-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House (58-Y 36-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House as amended (House) - 2026-02-16: committee amendments agreed to (House) - 2026-02-16: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-15: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-13: House committee offered (House) - 2026-02-13: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with amendment(s) (12-Y 8-N) (House) - 2026-02-11: Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Counties, Cities and Towns (Voice Vote) (House) - 2026-01-30: Assigned HACNR sub: Agriculture (House) - 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House) - 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103643D (House) ## Bill text - Engrossed, 2026-02-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149169.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149168.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145807.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1147105.HTML) - Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087863.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087862.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 - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149169.HTML) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149168.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145807.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1147105.HTML) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087863.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087862.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) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1238-2026 (as of 2026-10-13).