# Virginia HB597: Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund; created, voluntary contributions, report. Virginia HB597, Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund; created, voluntary contributions, report., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0636)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB597-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB597 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund; created, voluntary contributions, report. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0636) - Sponsor: Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (160 yes, 61 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund established; voluntary contributions; report. Establishes the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that conserve or enhance wildlife corridors prioritized by the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and associated wildlife crossing infrastructure projects. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall administer the Fund in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Forestry, and the Department of Transportation. The Director of the Department of Wildlife Resources shall submit a report to the General Assembly by November 1 of each odd-numbered year concerning the amount of public and private funding received by the Fund, the awarding of grants from the Fund, and the progress of funded projects, including data on the use of project infrastructure by wildlife. The bill also provides mechanisms for individuals to make voluntary contributions to the Fund through a Department of Motor Vehicles electronic transaction and an individual income tax return. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Donate on tax return or DMV: benefit, low. You can donate to the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund on your Virginia income tax return. When you do DMV business online, DMV must offer a voluntary donation option and say it is voluntary. The state totals and sends these gifts to the Fund for wildlife corridor grants. You only give money if you cho… - New fund for wildlife corridor projects: benefit, low. The law creates the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund. Money stays in the Fund each year and earns interest. The Department of Wildlife Resources runs it and requests payments for grants. Grants can go to state agencies, planning groups, local governments, regional transportation authorities, tribes, no… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Shelly A. Simonds (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 25 | 15 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 10 | 5 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 65 | 32 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 15 | 7 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 5 | 2 | | ## Actions (26) - 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0636) (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 636 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-04-01: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB597) (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 (HB597ER) (House) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Passed Senate (25-Y 15-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House (65-Y 32-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-16: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-02-13: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB597) (House) - 2026-02-11: Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N) (House) - 2026-02-11: Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (House) - 2026-01-20: Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources (House) - 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Appropriations (House) - 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105131D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221668.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221667.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210778.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210777.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085123.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085122.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/1221668.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221667.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210778.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210777.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085123.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085122.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-HB597-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).