# Virginia HB39: Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants. Virginia HB39, Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Marcus B. Simon (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0359)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB39-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB39 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-12-23 - Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0359) - Sponsor: Marcus B. Simon (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 9 (323 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary Duty of settlement agent; restrictive covenants. Requires a settlement agent to notify the purchaser of any residential real property of the purchaser's right to remove a prohibited restrictive covenant that is contained in an instrument affecting the title of the property and disclosed as the result of the title search performed pursuant to the real estate transaction. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Homebuyers get title and covenant notices: benefit, low. In residential home deals, the settlement agent must tell the buyer that owner’s title insurance is available. If the title search for the deal shows a banned restrictive covenant in the chain of title, the agent must tell the buyer about the buyer’s right to remove it. - Faster, safer closings for buyers and sellers: mixed, low. Settlement agents must record the deed and other required documents. They must pay out settlement money within two business days of settlement. They may not disburse loan funds before recording. Exceptions allow returning overpayments, paying fees needed to record, or paying early only if the fund… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Marcus B. Simon (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-10 | House | Senate amendments agreed to by House | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendments Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-02-02 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2026-01-27 | House | Reported from General Laws | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 10 | 0 | | ## Actions (31) - 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0359) (Governor) - 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 359 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-04-01: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB39) (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 (HB39ER) (House) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Senate amendments agreed to by House (99-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-09: Passed Senate with amendments Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Assigned GL&T sub: Housing (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Senate subcommittee offered (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 Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-01-30: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-01-29: Read first time (House) - 2026-01-27: Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB39) (House) - 2026-01-22: Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-19: Assigned HGL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection (House) - 2025-12-23: Referred to Committee on General Laws (House) - 2025-12-23: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100583D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217667.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217666.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210584.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210583.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201663.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-03-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196385.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178885.HTML) - Introduced, 2025-12-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082069.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082067.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/1217667.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217666.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210584.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210583.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201663.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196385.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178885.HTML) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082069.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082067.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-HB39-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).