# Virginia HB256: Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.

Virginia HB256, Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0581)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB256-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB256
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-09
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0581)
- Sponsor: Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 10 (230 yes, 106 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, beginning July 1, 2026, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill, and to establish baseline environmental and health conditions to characterize any disproportionate public health conditions in the identified fenceline communities. This bill is identical to SB 425.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Large localities must weigh environmental justice: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, cities over 20,000 people and counties over 100,000 must, at their next and future comprehensive plan reviews, consider adding an environmental justice strategy. If included, the strategy identifies environmental justice and fenceline areas using current census data and may…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 63 | 35 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 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 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government | pass | 13 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 63 | 35 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-21 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 7 | 3 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0581) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 581 (effective 7/1/2026) (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 (HB256ER) (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 (63-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-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: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Committee substitute printed 26109038D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Local Government with substitute (8-Y 7-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government (13-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-03: Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-02: Read second time and engrossed (House)
- 2026-01-30: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-28: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-21: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-01-19: Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-01-09: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-01-09: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103226D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218870.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218869.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203509.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203508.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189879.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189878.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083303.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083302.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/1218870.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218869.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203509.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203508.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189879.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189878.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083303.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083302.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB256-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).