# Virginia HB341: Plastic bag tax; distribution to towns.

Virginia HB341, Plastic bag tax; distribution to towns., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Marty Martinez (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0112)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB341-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB341
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Plastic bag tax; distribution to towns.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-12
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0112)
- Sponsor: Marty Martinez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 6 (157 yes, 63 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

Plastic bag tax; distribution to towns. Requires that any town located within a county that has imposed a disposable plastic bag tax receive a distribution of revenues collected by the county based on the local sales tax distribution formula for appropriations to towns. The bill restricts a town's use of such revenues to the same purposes allowable for a county or city.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Bag tax funds cleanup and towns: benefit, low. All bag tax money must go to environmental cleanup, waste education, cutting pollution and litter, or giving reusable bags to SNAP or WIC recipients. Towns inside a county that collects the tax get a share using the state’s local sales tax formula. Payments come on the same schedule as local sales…
- Rules to start local bag tax: benefit, low. A local bag tax must start on the first day of a calendar quarter. It cannot start before January 1, 2021. The locality must send a certified copy of its ordinance to the Virginia Tax Commissioner at least three months before the start date.
- Five-cent bag charge for shoppers: cost, low. In places that adopt this tax, you pay $0.05 for each disposable plastic bag. It applies at grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores, even if the bag is free. To estimate your yearly cost, multiply $0.05 by how many disposable bags your household uses.
- Retailers must collect bag tax: cost, low. When a county or city adopts the bag tax, grocery, convenience, and drugstore retailers must collect it at checkout. They add $0.05 per disposable plastic bag to the bill and remit the tax to the locality.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Marty Martinez (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-19 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 22 | 16 |   |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 5 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 67 | 32 |   |
| 2026-01-21 | House | Reported from Finance | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-20 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 7 | 3 |   |

## Actions (27)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0112) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 112 (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)
- 2026-02-24: Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (2/24/2026 7:43 am) (House)
- 2026-02-23: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB341ER) (House)
- 2026-02-23: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-02-23: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-19: Passed Senate (22-Y 16-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-19: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 5-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Read third time and passed House (67-Y 32-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-01-26: Read second time and engrossed (House)
- 2026-01-23: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-21: Reported from Finance (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-20: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-01-19: Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (1/19/2026 10:03 pm) (House)
- 2026-01-16: Assigned HFIN sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Finance (House)
- 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100399D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216443.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216442.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-02-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171556.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171555.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083917.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083916.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/1216443.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216442.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171556.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171555.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083917.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083916.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-HB341-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).