# Virginia SB1046: Data centers; noise abatement.

Virginia SB1046, Data centers; noise abatement., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Danica A. Roem (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-01-27 (Failed to report from Local Government with substitute (5-Y 6-N 4-A)) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1046-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB1046
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Data centers; noise abatement.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-07
- Last action: 2025-01-27, Failed to report from Local Government with substitute (5-Y 6-N 4-A)
- Sponsor: Danica A. Roem (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (5 yes, 6 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Data centers; noise abatement. Provides that any local government land use application required for the siting of a data center shall be approved only in accordance with certain notice and noise abatement requirements. The bill provides that residents within a half-mile radius of the parcel shall receive notice of the proposed data center and that the data center operator shall hold two neighborhood meetings. The bill requires a data center operator to design and build the data center to incorporate sound mitigation methods sufficient to prevent the sound levels emanating from the data center from exceeding the ambient noise levels that were observed in a baseline study, as determined by a third-party acoustic engineer. The bill also provides that upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy, and for five years thereafter, the data center operator shall conduct a noise study performed by a third-party acoustical engineer to document noise levels emanating from the data center measured at the property line of the nearest property to the data center property that is planned or zoned for residential land uses, or other noise-sensitive use as reasonably determined by the locality, during peak operation of the data center mechanical equipment. The bill also provides that if the data center operator intends to use backup power generators on the parcel, the operator shall maintain a public website announcing the times when the generators will be in operation. Finally, the bill provides that any noise ordinance adopted by a locality shall set maximum allowable sound levels for data centers, including by (i) using alternative low frequency noise metrics and (ii) setting noise rules and enforcement mechanisms in its zoning ordinance, separate from existing noise ordinances.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Danica A. Roem (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-01-27 | Senate | Failed to report from Local Government with substitute | fail | 5 | 6 | 4 |

## Actions (3)

- 2025-01-27: Failed to report from Local Government with substitute (5-Y 6-N 4-A) (Senate)
- 2025-01-07: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate)
- 2025-01-07: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25104257D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2025-01-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1030074.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1030073.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-01-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1017636.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1017633.PDF)

## Related bills

- HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted)
- SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed)
- HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed)
- HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed)
- SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed)
- HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1030074.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1030073.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1017636.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1017633.PDF)

## Related
- [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025)
- [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025)
- [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025)
- [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025)
- [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025)
- [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025)
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- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1046-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).