# Virginia HB594: Affordable housing developments, certain; expedited approval.

Virginia HB594, Affordable housing developments, certain; expedited approval., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0406)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB594-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB594
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Affordable housing developments, certain; expedited approval.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0406)
- Sponsor: Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 9 (276 yes, 39 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Expedited approval for certain affordable housing developments. Allows a locality, by ordinance, to authorize a zoning administrator to use an administrative process to approve rezoning applications for certain affordable housing developments. The bill requires that the affordable housing development comply with the Virginia Fair Housing Law, connect to a public or community water supply or sewage system, and be located within or adjacent to an area identified by the locality that could support increased density development and provide access to services. The bill also requires the locality, prior to the adoption of such ordinance, to advertise its intention to propose such ordinance within a certain period of time in a newspaper having a general circulation in the locality. The bill allows the Department of Housing and Community Development to give a locality priority for any grants or loans administered by the Department if such locality demonstrates to the Department's satisfaction that its ordinance has met the provisions of the bill. Finally, the bill requires certain localities that adopt such ordinance to include in their annual local housing policy report to the Department a summary of the ordinance.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Faster approvals for affordable housing projects: benefit, medium. Localities can set an administrative process to rezone qualifying affordable housing projects. At least 75% of units must be affordable, and projects must follow Virginia fair housing rules. Projects must connect to a public or community water or sewer system and sit in or next to an area the local…
- State grant priority for adopting localities: benefit, low. The state housing department may give priority for its grants or loans to localities that adopt the expedited affordable housing ordinance. The locality must show its ordinance meets the law’s requirements. The law does not set award amounts; the department decides who gets priority.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 81 | 15 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Local Government Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 28 | 12 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Reported from Local Government with substitute | pass | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 89 | 10 |   |
| 2026-01-23 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns | pass | 20 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-22 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 8 | 0 |   |

## Actions (33)

- 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0406) (Governor)
- 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 406 (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 (HB594) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB594ER) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB594) (House)
- 2026-03-06: Senate substitute agreed to by House (81-Y 15-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed Senate with substitute (28-Y 12-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Local Government Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Committee substitute printed 26108916D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Local Government with substitute (10-Y 2-N 3-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-30: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate)
- 2026-01-30: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Read third time and passed House (89-Y 10-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-01-28: Read second time and engrossed (House)
- 2026-01-28: Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-27: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB594) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (20-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-22: Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-20: Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104652D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217827.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217826.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203431.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203430.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189887.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187504.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189886.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187503.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085102.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085101.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/1217827.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217826.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203431.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203430.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189887.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187504.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189886.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187503.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085102.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085101.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB594-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).