All Roll Calls
Yes: 206 • No: 20
Sponsored By: Kimberly Pope Adams (Democratic)
Became Law
Removal of clutter; cutting of grass; agricultural use exemption; Planning District 19. Exempts localities located in Planning District 19 from provisions that exclude agricultural land from requirements relating to the removal of clutter and cutting of grass when such land is one acre or less and located in an area that is used for a residential purpose. This bill is identical to SB 742.
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6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Localities can fine you up to $50 for a first offense and up to $200 for later, different offenses within 12 months. Each business day a violation continues counts as a new offense. Total fines in 12 months are capped at $3,000, or $6,000 for industrial or commercial property. Normally these are civil fines, not crimes. But after three civil penalties in 24 months for the same or similar issue (not from the same incident), later violations can be charged as a Class 3 misdemeanor, and no civil fine can be added for that same act.
In Planning Districts 6, 19, and 22, land zoned for agriculture is generally exempt from local clutter and cutting rules. The exemption ends if the lot is one acre or less and is used as a home. In Planning District 19, clutter‑removal rules follow the same one‑acre residential exception. This protects most larger farm parcels from these local requirements.
Localities can require you to remove trash and clutter from your property and to dispose of it only in approved bins or facilities. They can also require you to cut grass, weeds, running bamboo, and other growth. For vegetation, one written notice per growing season is enough before the locality may cut and bill you. Farm‑zoned or active farming land is generally exempt. If you do not pay cleanup or cutting charges, the unpaid amount becomes a lien like local property taxes; a lien can be waived only for an unrelated buyer with no business ties, and the debt remains your personal obligation from when it was imposed.
County rules under this law do not apply inside a town’s corporate limits. In counties with fewer than 500 people per square mile, county rules only apply in platted subdivisions or areas zoned residential, business, commercial, or industrial. This limits where counties can enforce nuisance and yard rules.
In Planning District 23, local rules can require you to cut overgrown shrubs and trees, not just grass and weeds. If you do not keep vegetation trimmed under local timelines, the locality can arrange cutting and bill you.
Owners of land used to bury human remains must cut grass, weeds, and running bamboo when the locality sets the times. One written notice each growing season is enough before the locality may cut and bill the owner, with costs recoverable as taxes. This rule does not apply if the land is owned by an individual, a family, a property owners’ association, or a church.
Kimberly Pope Adams
Democratic • House
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
All Roll Calls
Yes: 206 • No: 20
Senate vote • 3/4/2026
Passed Senate Block Vote
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/3/2026
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/3/2026
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/2/2026
Reported from Local Government
Yes: 13 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/24/2026
Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government
Yes: 14 • No: 0
House vote • 2/12/2026
Read third time and passed House
Yes: 80 • No: 18
House vote • 2/6/2026
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns
Yes: 19 • No: 2
House vote • 1/28/2026
Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Counties, Cities and Towns (Voice Vote)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0294)
Approved by Governor-Chapter 294 (effective 7/1/2026)
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
Signed by Speaker
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1316ER)
Enrolled
Signed by President
Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
Read third time
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
Rules suspended
Reported from Local Government (13-Y 0-N)
Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government (14-Y 0-N)
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
Read third time and passed House (80-Y 18-N 0-A)
Read second time and engrossed
Read first time
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (19-Y 2-N)
Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Counties, Cities and Towns (Voice Vote)
Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Presented and ordered printed 26105635D
Chaptered
4/6/2026
Enrolled
3/11/2026
Introduced
1/16/2026
SB767 — Motor vehicles; glass repair and replacement, emissions inspections, penalties, repeals.
Motor vehicle glass repair and replacement; emissions inspection; penalties. Establishes various notice requirements for motor vehicle glass repair shops, defined in the bill, and provides that a violation of such requirements is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. The bill permits a motor vehicle to qualify for an emissions inspection waiver if such vehicle has failed an inspection and the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system is in a not-ready condition to be tested when presented for reinspection. This bill is identical to HB 312.
SB803 — Virginia Fair Housing Law; regulations defining terms related to unlawful conduct.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; unlawful conduct. Directs the Fair Housing Board to promulgate regulations defining "quid pro quo harassment," "hostile environment harassment," and other terms related to unlawful conduct under the Virginia Fair Housing Law. The bill directs the Fair Housing Board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
SB731 — Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections.
Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections; report. Requires the governing body of any county or city that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services to (i) require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the compensation and benefits provided to a public employee, as defined in the bill, with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service; (ii) provide transportation services through such company's own employees; and (iii) if such county or city subsequently elects to provide its own system of public transportation, adopt an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining and ensure all employees of such private company are offered employment with such subsequent public transportation system without loss of compensation or benefits. The bill clarifies that the bill only applies to actions occurring on or after the effective date and excludes any action taken, contract signed, liability incurred, or right accrued prior to July 1, 2026, from the requirements. Finally, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to convene a work group to develop recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the bill and requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 547.
SB620 — Va. ABC Authority; permitting of retail tobacco product retailers, etc.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; permitting of retail tobacco product retailers; purchase, possession, and sale of retail tobacco products; penalties; report. Transitions and provides a more comprehensive structure for the current licensing and enforcement responsibilities related to liquid nicotine and retail tobacco products from the Department of Taxation to a permitting system administered by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill requires the Board of Directors of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage and Control Authority to conduct an unannounced buyer operation at least once every 24 months to verify that a permittee, defined in the bill, is not selling retail tobacco products to persons under 21 years of age. Portions of the bill have a delayed effective date of October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 308.
SB666 — Residential land development and construction; fee transparency, local housing development.
Department of Housing and Community Development; housing development database. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to collect from each locality and make available to the public, localities, state agencies, and other state and regional public entities in a centralized, machine-readable, screen reader compatible database various data for each new and existing housing development in each locality in the Commonwealth, including data related to the number of housing development plans submitted and approved by the locality and the average approval timeline for housing development plans.
SB599 — Va. Opioid Use Red. & Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Trtmt. and Transition Fund; grant procedure.
Virginia Opioid Use Reduction and Jail-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Fund; grant procedures. Requires the grant procedure to govern funds awarded to local and regional jails for the planning or operation of substance use disorder treatment services and transition services for persons with substance use disorder who are incarcerated in local and regional jails to include requirements that (i) any grant awarded shall be made for up to three years and (ii) an applicant for a grant submit a plan demonstrating how such applicant will become independently financially viable within the time period for which the grant is awarded. This bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care and is identical to HB 455.