# Virginia HB950: Unmanned aircraft systems; use by public bodies, search warrant required, exceptions.

Virginia HB950, Unmanned aircraft systems; use by public bodies, search warrant required, exceptions., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Alfonso H. Lopez (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0245)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB950-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB950
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Unmanned aircraft systems; use by public bodies, search warrant required, exceptions.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0245)
- Sponsor: Alfonso H. Lopez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 7 (175 yes, 45 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

Use of unmanned aircraft systems by public bodies; search warrant required; exceptions. Adds the Department of Environmental Quality to the list of exceptions to the warrant requirement for the use of an unmanned aircraft system by public bodies for the implementation and civil enforcement of the Virginia Water Resources and Wetlands Protection Program, the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Act, and erosion and sediment control in localities without a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program against a permittee.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Military drone training stays exempt: benefit, low. The U.S. Armed Forces and the Virginia National Guard are exempt from these drone limits during training to keep federal mission readiness. They are also exempt when they help train other Defense units. This does not change the rules for civilian agencies.
- Non-police drone uses allowed: benefit, low. The warrant rule does not apply when drones support the state or a locality for non-police tasks. Examples include damage checks, traffic reviews, flood stage checks, and wildfire assessment. The law also allows private, commercial, and research drone use by colleges and research groups.
- Weaponized drones banned for agencies: benefit, low. State and local agencies and police cannot deploy or help use weaponized drones in Virginia. An exception allows such operations at the Space Port and Naval/Aegis sites at Wallops Island. Drones built and used only to disable another drone are not treated as weaponized.
- Police drones need warrants, with exceptions: mixed, low. The law requires police and other enforcement agencies to use drones only with a search warrant or an inspection warrant. It lists narrow times when no warrant is needed, such as Amber, Senior, or Blue Alerts; to stop an immediate danger; to reconstruct crashes that need a report (including DOT hel…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Alfonso H. Lopez (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026-02-10 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 63 | 35 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | 6 | 3 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0245) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 245 (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)
- 2026-03-09: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB950) (House)
- 2026-03-09: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB950ER) (House)
- 2026-03-09: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-09: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-02: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N 1-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB950) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-09: committee amendments agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-09: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-06: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-04: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-02-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB950) (House)
- 2026-01-28: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102887D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217066.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217065.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194335.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194334.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1129869.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1129868.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127468.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101902.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086644.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086643.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/1217066.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217065.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194335.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194334.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1129869.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1129868.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127468.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101902.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086644.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086643.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-HB950-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).