# Virginia HB165: Contractors, Board for; examinations available in alternative languages. Virginia HB165, Contractors, Board for; examinations available in alternative languages., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joshua E. Thomas (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0080)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB165-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB165 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Contractors, Board for; examinations available in alternative languages. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-06 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0080) - Sponsor: Joshua E. Thomas (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 9 (297 yes, 17 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary Board for Contractors; examinations; alternative languages. Provides that any exam offered by the Board for Contractors that averaged over 50 administrations per year over the preceding four-year period shall be made available in any language that meets the threshold for having election materials printed in that language pursuant to state election law. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More language options for contractor exams: benefit, low. The law requires the Virginia Board for Contractors to offer some exams in other languages. It applies to exams that averaged more than 50 test sessions per year over the last four years. Those exams must be offered in any language that Virginia already prints election materials in under state law.… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joshua E. Thomas (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-25 | House | Senate amendment agreed to by House | pass | 92 | 4 | | | 2026-02-23 | Senate | General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-23 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendment | pass | 31 | 7 | | | 2026-02-20 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-20 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-18 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment | pass | 12 | 0 | 2 | | 2026-02-02 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 92 | 6 | | | 2026-01-27 | House | Reported from General Laws | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 9 | 0 | | ## Actions (31) - 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0080) (Governor) - 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 80 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB165) (House) - 2026-03-02: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB165ER) (House) - 2026-03-02: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-02-25: Senate amendment agreed to by House (92-Y 4-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-23: Passed Senate with amendment (31-Y 7-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-23: General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Senate committee offered (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (12-Y 0-N 2-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-02: Read third time and passed House (92-Y 6-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-01-30: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-01-30: Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar (House) - 2026-01-29: Read first time (House) - 2026-01-28: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB165) (House) - 2026-01-27: Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-22: Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-19: Assigned HGL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process (House) - 2026-01-06: Referred to Committee on General Laws (House) - 2026-01-06: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101338D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216299.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216298.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181698.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181697.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-02-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177204.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-02-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170751.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-02-18: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169146.HTML) - Introduced, 2026-01-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082684.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082683.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/1216299.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216298.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181698.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181697.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177204.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170751.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169146.HTML) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082684.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082683.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-HB165-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).