# Virginia HB401: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board.

Virginia HB401, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Alex Q. Askew (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0387)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB401-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB401
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-12
- Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0387)
- Sponsor: Alex Q. Askew (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 9 (317 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Public institutions of higher education; other educational and cultural institutions; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; powers of the board. Amends the enumerated powers of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by replacing the authority to adopt regulations to establish classes of membership in the Museum with the authority to adopt regulations and set fees relating to the use and visitation of properties under the control of the board. The bill clarifies that the regulations on museum and grounds use and access set forth in the Virginia Administrative Code shall continue in effect and be deemed to constitute the regulations adopted pursuant to the bill.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Virginia museum board can set visitor fees: cost, low. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts board can set rules and fees for using or visiting properties it controls. The law sets no fee amounts, so visitor costs depend on what the board sets. It removes language allowing regulations to create museum membership classes. Existing museum and grounds use and…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Alex Q. Askew (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Senate amendment agreed to by House | pass | 96 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Committee amendment agreed to (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendment Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with amendment | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Reported from Education | pass | 21 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 10 | 0 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0387) (Governor)
- 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 387 (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: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB401) (House)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-11: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB401ER) (House)
- 2026-03-11: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Senate amendment agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-02: Passed Senate with amendment Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Committee amendment agreed to (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Reported from Education and Health with amendment (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Assigned Education sub: Higher Education (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-03: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-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 Education (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-27: Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Assigned HED sub: Higher Education (House)
- 2026-01-20: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB401) (House)
- 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101735D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217787.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217786.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199324.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199323.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189032.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186190.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-26: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181963.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084298.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084297.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/1217787.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217786.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199324.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199323.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189032.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186190.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181963.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084298.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084297.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-HB401-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).