# Virginia HB1638: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; affordable housing, criminal record screening model policy.

Virginia HB1638, Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; affordable housing, criminal record screening model policy., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. (Democratic); status to governor, last action 2025-04-02 (House sustained Governor's veto) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1638-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1638
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; affordable housing, criminal record screening model policy.
- Status: to governor
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Last action: 2025-04-02, House sustained Governor's veto
- Sponsor: C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 6 (189 yes, 116 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Department of Housing and Community Development; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; affordable housing; criminal record screening model policy. Requires the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, with input from a stakeholder group convened by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to develop a criminal record screening model policy for admitting or denying an applicant for affordable housing covered under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's guidance on the application of the federal Fair Housing Act and maintain such model policy on its website. The bill prohibits a landlord of an affordable housing unit from basing an adverse action, in whole or in part, on an applicant's criminal or arrest record unless the landlord does so in accordance with the criminal record screening model policy developed by the Department of Housing and Community Development and posted on its website and provides the applicant with a written copy of such policy. The provisions of the bill other than the creation of the stakeholder group have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-13 | House | Senate Amendment agreed to by House (Y-53 N-44 A-0) | pass | 53 | 44 |   |
| 2025-02-10 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendment | pass | 23 | 15 |   |
| 2025-02-07 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-05 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment | pass | 13 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-20 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 50 | 47 |   |
| 2025-01-14 | House | Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) | pass | 12 | 10 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2025-04-02: House sustained Governor's veto (House)
- 2025-03-24: Vetoed by Governor (Governor)
- 2025-03-03: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-03-03: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 3, 2024 (House)
- 2025-02-20: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1638) (House)
- 2025-02-18: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1638ER) (House)
- 2025-02-18: Enrolled (House)
- 2025-02-18: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-13: Senate Amendment agreed to by House (Y-53 N-44 A-0) (House)
- 2025-02-12: Passed by for the day (House)
- 2025-02-10: Passed Senate with amendment (23-Y 15-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Read third time (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (38-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (13-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1638) (House)
- 2025-01-21: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Read third time and passed House (50-Y 47-N) (House)
- 2025-01-17: Printed as engrossed 25102242D-E (House)
- 2025-01-17: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2025-01-17: General Laws Amendments agreed to (House)
- 2025-01-17: Read second time (House)
- 2025-01-16: Read first time (House)
- 2025-01-14: Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (12-Y 10-N) (House)
- 2025-01-03: Referred to Committee on General Laws (House)
- 2025-01-03: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25102242D (House)

## Bill text

- Veto Explanation, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073279.HTML)
- Enrolled, 2025-02-18: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052442.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052441.PDF)
- Amendment, 2025-02-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045054.HTML)
- Amendment, 2025-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1042775.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1042535.HTML)
- Engrossed, 2025-01-17: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1021421.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1021420.PDF)
- Amendment, 2025-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020373.HTML)
- Substitute, 2025-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020217.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020216.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-01-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012438.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012437.PDF)

## Related bills

- HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted)
- SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed)
- HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed)
- HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed)
- SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed)
- HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor)

## Sources
- [Veto Explanation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073279.HTML)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052442.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1052441.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045054.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1042775.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1042535.HTML)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1021421.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1021420.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020373.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020217.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020216.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012438.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012437.PDF)

## Related
- [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025)
- [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025)
- [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025)
- [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025)
- [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025)
- [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1638-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).