# Virginia HB353: Benefits consortium; sponsoring association.

Virginia HB353, Benefits consortium; sponsoring association., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Katrina Callsen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0120)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB353-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB353
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Benefits consortium; sponsoring association.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-12
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0120)
- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (321 yes, 1 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

Benefits consortium; sponsoring association. Provides that the sponsoring association of a benefits consortium that offers health benefit plans to the members of such sponsoring association may operate as a nonprofit entity under § 501(c)(3), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under current law, such a sponsoring association may only operate under § 501(c)(5) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- When individual policies count as group: benefit, medium. The law covers group health plans and some individual policies sold to employees of small employers. An individual policy counts as group coverage when the employer pays any part of premiums or benefits. It also counts when the employer reimburses premiums, allows payroll deduction while paying any…
- Standards for association-sponsored health plans: benefit, low. The law sets rules for associations that sponsor coverage. A bona fide association must exist at least five years, have real purposes beyond insurance, and cannot limit membership by health. A sponsoring association must be a Virginia nonstock nonprofit under 501(c)(3), (5), or (6), be active five…
- Preexisting condition and waiting-period rules: mixed, medium. Genetic information alone is not a preexisting condition unless you have a related diagnosis. Past coverage that counts as creditable includes group plans, Medicare Part A or B, Medicaid (with some exceptions), TRICARE, Indian Health Service, federal employee plans, state risk pools, Peace Corps pl…
- Who counts for small-group coverage: mixed, medium. The law defines a small employer as averaging 1 to 50 employees last year and having at least one on the plan’s first day. An eligible employee works 30 or more hours a week, completes any waiting period, and is not part-time, temporary, or a substitute. A sole proprietor can count as self-employed…
- Which plans and payments this law covers: mixed, low. A health insurance issuer is a Virginia-licensed insurer, including HMOs; group health plans are not issuers. Premium means all money employers and employees pay for coverage, including fees and other contributions. Some limited-benefit products are not subject to these rules, like accident-only, l…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-23 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 1 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 9 | 0 |   |

## Actions (28)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0120) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 120 (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 State Corporation Commission (HB353) (House)
- 2026-03-03: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB353ER) (House)
- 2026-03-03: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-03: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-26: Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Reported from Commerce and Labor (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House (House)
- 2026-02-04: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 1-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read second time and engrossed (House)
- 2026-02-02: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-29: Reported from Labor and Commerce (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-27: Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-25: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB353) (House)
- 2026-01-19: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #1 (House)
- 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101926D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216408.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216407.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187048.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187047.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083977.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083976.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/1216408.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216407.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187048.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187047.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083977.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083976.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-HB353-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).