# Virginia HB879: Public assistance; requests for records or information concerning applicants for and recipients.

Virginia HB879, Public assistance; requests for records or information concerning applicants for and recipients., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Irene Shin (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0689)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB879-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB879
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Public assistance; requests for records or information concerning applicants for and recipients.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0689)
- Sponsor: Irene Shin (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 7 (150 yes, 64 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Department of Social Services; requests for records or information concerning applicants for and recipients of public assistance; public notice required. Requires the Commissioner of Social Services to make a public notice available on the Department of Social Services' website within 10 days of receiving a request for a record or information concerning 25 or more applicants for or recipients of public assistance or child support for a purpose not directly connected to the administration of such programs. If a local department of social services receives a request for information that meets the requirements of the bill, such local department of social services is required to notify the Commissioner of such request. The bill establishes the form of such public notice and requires such notice to be made available (i) regardless of whether such information has been previously been shared; (ii) regardless of the identity of the requestor, unless such request is permitted under existing law; and (iii) even when a request is made in compliance with state and federal law and regulation.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Notice for big requests of assistance records: benefit, low. When someone asks for records on 25 or more applicants or recipients for a non-program reason, the Commissioner posts a public notice within 10 days if a law requires sharing. Local departments must send these bulk requests to the Commissioner for review. The website notice says what type of record…
- Stronger privacy for assistance records: benefit, low. Records about people who apply for or get public assistance or child support are confidential. Agencies can share them only when state or federal law allows it and to run the programs. The Commissioner and local directors must refuse requests that are not tied to program administration, unless a la…
- State oversight of assistance spending: benefit, low. Local boards and departments must let the Commissioner see records about how public assistance money is budgeted, spent, and distributed at any time. This gives the state constant oversight of local program operations.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Irene Shin (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 21 | 18 |   |
| 2026-02-23 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-23 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-20 | Senate | Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services | pass | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| 2026-02-09 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 62 | 34 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | 6 | 2 |   |

## Actions (30)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0689) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 689 (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)
- 2026-02-26: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB879) (House)
- 2026-02-26: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB879ER) (House)
- 2026-02-26: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-02-26: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-24: Passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-20: Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services (9-Y 3-N 3-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB879) (House)
- 2026-02-10: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Read third time and passed House (62-Y 34-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-06: committee amendments agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-06: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-05: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB879) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Assigned sub: Social Services (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104792D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222139.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222138.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-02-26: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179876.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179875.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115003.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115002.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1114772.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103186.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103419.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086294.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086293.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/1222139.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222138.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179876.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179875.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115003.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115002.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1114772.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103186.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103419.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086294.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086293.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-HB879-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).