# Virginia HB319: Back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration; work group to study implementation.

Virginia HB319, Back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration; work group to study implementation., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Phil M. Hernandez (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0589)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB319-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB319
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration; work group to study implementation.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-10
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0589)
- Sponsor: Phil M. Hernandez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 12 (272 yes, 212 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Secretary of Administration; work group on automatic voter registration. Directs the Department of Elections to convene a work group for the purpose of studying the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration (AVR) in the Commonwealth. The work group shall include representatives of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General, in addition to members of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections, general registrars, and organizations advocating for or working on voting rights and data privacy. The work group is tasked with considering the effectiveness, efficiency, and security of back-end, opt-out AVR as compared to Virginia's current front-end, opt-out process and identifying the costs and benefits of moving to such a system. The Secretary of Administration is required to submit a report of the work group's findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 658.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Phil M. Hernandez (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-13 | Senate | Conference report agreed to by Senate | pass | 21 | 16 |   |
| 2026-03-13 | House | Conference report agreed to by House | pass | 61 | 31 |   |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate insisted on amendments Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Senate substitute rejected by House | fail | 0 | 96 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute | pass | 8 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 61 | 35 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | House | Reported from Privileges and Elections | pass | 15 | 6 |   |
| 2026-02-09 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 5 | 2 |   |

## Actions (45)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0589) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 589 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB319) (House)
- 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB319ER) (House)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-16: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB319) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Conference report agreed to by House (61-Y 31-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 16-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Conference Report released
- 2026-03-12: House Conferees: Hernandez, Price, Cherry (House)
- 2026-03-12: Conferees appointed by House (House)
- 2026-03-10: Conferees appointed by Senate (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Senate Conferees: Rouse, Deeds, Williams Graves (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: House acceded to request (House)
- 2026-03-06: Senate insisted on amendments Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Senate requested conference committee (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-02: Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB319) (House)
- 2026-03-02: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Committee substitute printed 26108498D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (8-Y 7-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House (61-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time and engrossed (House)
- 2026-02-15: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 6-N) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Assigned HPE sub: Election Administration (House)
- 2026-02-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB319) (House)
- 2026-01-10: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House)
- 2026-01-10: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101442D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218952.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218951.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213715.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213714.PDF)
- Conference Report, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210028.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210025.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210024.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178717.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179130.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178716.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179129.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083850.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083849.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/1218952.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218951.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213715.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213714.PDF)
- [Conference Report (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210028.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210025.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210024.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178717.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179130.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178716.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179129.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083850.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083849.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-HB319-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).