# Virginia HB846: Virginia Land Conservation Foundation; purposes of Foundation, easements.

Virginia HB846, Virginia Land Conservation Foundation; purposes of Foundation, easements., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Hillary Pugh Kent (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0433)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB846-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB846
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Virginia Land Conservation Foundation; purposes of Foundation, easements.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0433)
- Sponsor: Hillary Pugh Kent (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 7 (221 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Allows the Virginia Land Conservation Board of Trustees to waive the requirement for a holder of a conservation easement to have such easement jointly held with a public body whenever such holder acquires any interest in land other than a fee simple interest from a grant or transfer from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, provided that such holder is accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission or meets a similar set of standards and practices adopted by the Board of Trustees and the easement contains a third party right of enforcement, as defined in relevant law, in favor of the Department of Conservation and Recreation or another public body.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Annual split of conservation dollars: benefit, medium. Each year, after admin costs, 25% of remaining unrestricted money goes to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Open‑Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund. If annual appropriations are under $10 million, the other 75% is split equally among four areas, and at least one‑third of that funds easements held…
- New fund backs land conservation: benefit, medium. The law creates the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, run by the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. The Fund can buy land or development rights to protect farms, forests, parks, habitat, and historic places. It also helps conserve and restore homelands for state‑recognized and federally recogniz…
- Guardrails on conservation fund dollars: mixed, low. The Fund holds state, federal, and private money, with restricted and unrestricted dollars tracked separately by the Comptroller. Money left at the end of a biennium stays in the Fund, and interest (except on bond proceeds) stays in the Fund. The Foundation can use up to $250,000 a year of interest…
- Stronger safeguards on conservation easements: mixed, low. When the Fund helps buy only part of a property, a public body must co‑hold the interest. The Board can waive this if the holder is accredited or meets Board standards and the easement gives a public body a third‑party enforcement right. When the Fund helps buy land in full, a public body must hold…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Hillary Pugh Kent (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-10 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 10 | 0 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0433) (Governor)
- 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 433 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB846) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB846ER) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-04: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-27: Passed Senate Block Vote (37-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB846) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-09: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-09: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-06: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-05: Committee substitute printed 26107146D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-04: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-02-04: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-28: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-28: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-26: Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104916D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217823.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217822.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191194.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191193.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128495.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128494.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115955.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115954.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-28: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100553.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098853.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100552.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098852.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086173.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086172.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/1217823.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217822.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191194.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191193.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128495.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128494.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115955.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115954.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100553.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098853.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100552.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098852.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086173.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086172.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-HB846-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).