# Virginia HB756: Death certificates; petitions to the court to amend, service upon State Registrar of Vital Records.

Virginia HB756, Death certificates; petitions to the court to amend, service upon State Registrar of Vital Records., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Chris S. Runion (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0215)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB756-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB756
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Death certificates; petitions to the court to amend, service upon State Registrar of Vital Records.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0215)
- Sponsor: Chris S. Runion (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 11 (431 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Amending death certificates; petitions to the court to amend; Electronic Death Registration System; service upon State Registrar of Vital Records. Requires funeral service licensees requesting an order to amend a death certificate through the Electronic Death Registration System to upload the required petition to the Electronic Death Registration System instead of serving such petition upon the State Registrar of Vital Records.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Court orders to correct death certificates: benefit, low. If a requested change is beyond the Registrar’s authority after 45 days, eligible people may ask a circuit court to order it. Eligible petitioners include the surviving spouse, immediate family (per Board rules), the funeral service licensee, or another reporting source. File where the decedent liv…
- Easier affidavit fixes to death certificates: benefit, low. Submit an affidavit and proof within 45 days of filing. The State Registrar updates the death certificate. After 45 days, the Registrar still corrects many facts with an affidavit and proof. These include name spellings; sex; age; race; birth date or place; citizenship; Social Security number; educ…
- Clear rules and labels for death‑certificate changes: mixed, low. Only the procedures in this law and Board of Health rules can change a death certificate. The Board sets the minimum proof required. Any changed death certificate is marked “amended,” with the amendment date. A short note about the supporting evidence is placed on or attached to the certificate.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Chris S. Runion (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Senate amendment agreed to by House | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Courts of Justice Amendment agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendment Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-19 | Senate | Rereferred from Education and Health to Courts of Justice | pass | 13 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 96 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 10 | 0 |   |

## Actions (38)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0215) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 215 (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 (HB756) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB756ER) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-06: Senate amendment agreed to by House (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed Senate with amendment Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Courts of Justice Amendment agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Engrossed by Senate as amended (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: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-19: Rereferred from Education and Health to Courts of Justice (13-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House (House)
- 2026-02-11: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-10: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-10: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-10: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-09: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB756) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-05: Committee substitute printed 26105529D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-05: Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB756) (House)
- 2026-02-03: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-21: Assigned sub: Health (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102960D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216849.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216848.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203526.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203525.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194497.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-03-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190919.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187419.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128583.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128582.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108720.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108719.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101931.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101930.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085772.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085771.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/1216849.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216848.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203526.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203525.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194497.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190919.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187419.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128583.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128582.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108720.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108719.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101931.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101930.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085772.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085771.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-HB756-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).
