# Virginia SB127: Chatham, Town of; amending charter, updating or removing outdated provisions.

Virginia SB127, Chatham, Town of; amending charter, updating or removing outdated provisions., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Tammy Brankley Mulchi (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0259)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB127-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB127
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Chatham, Town of; amending charter, updating or removing outdated provisions.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-06
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0259)
- Sponsor: Tammy Brankley Mulchi (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (213 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 7

## Summary

Charter; Town of Chatham. Amends the charter for the Town of Chatham in Pittsylvania County by updating or removing outdated provisions. This bill is identical to HB 1050.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Chatham charter language includes all genders: benefit, low. Chatham’s charter and related official documents must be read and applied in a gender-neutral way. References to people, officers, and pronouns include all genders. Singular and plural words include one another when the context requires.
- Chatham drops goods transport authority: benefit, low. Chatham’s charter no longer gives the town specific power to regulate goods transported through town streets. This removes that charter-based authority over people and businesses moving goods. The law sets no replacement rule or direct payment change.
- Chatham removes residency limit on expulsions: cost, low. Chatham’s stated expulsion powers no longer apply only to people who have lived in town for less than 12 months. Covered groups include people with no visible means of support and people described as paupers. They also include people considered dangerous to town peace and safety or guilty of specif…
- Chatham updates police and confinement duties: cost, low. The chief of police replaces the town sergeant in these arrest and work-delivery duties. Warrantless arrests cover town-ordinance or Virginia-law violations committed in the officer’s presence; arrested people must go before the proper authority. The chief must seek an arrest warrant when there is…
- Chatham drops direct care authority: cost, low. Chatham’s charter no longer gives the town power to directly provide care, support, and maintenance for children and vulnerable residents. Covered adults include people who are sick, older, mentally ill, poor, or without basic resources. The town retains its separate power to contribute to care org…
- Chatham removes mayor and council pay caps: cost, low. The charter removes annual salary caps of $600 for each council member and $1,200 for the mayor. The council can set their salaries and decide when and how they are paid, subject to state law. The law also removes the rule allowing the mayor’s salary to replace fees for serving as municipal court j…
- Chatham drops goods and scale inspection powers: cost, low. Chatham’s charter no longer gives the town power to inspect, test, measure, or weigh goods used in town. It also removes charter powers to establish, regulate, license, and inspect weights, meters, measures, and scales. These changes remove a stated source of local oversight of goods and measuring…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Tammy Brankley Mulchi (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-25 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-20 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns | pass | 21 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-22 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-21 | Senate | Local Government Amendments agreed to (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-21 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate as amended Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-20 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-20 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-19 | Senate | Reported from Local Government with amendments | pass | 15 | 0 |   |

## Actions (26)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0259) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 259 (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 (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB127ER) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-25: Passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-25: Read third time (House)
- 2026-02-24: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-20: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-22: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Engrossed by Senate as amended Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Local Government Amendments agreed to (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Reported from Local Government with amendments (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-06: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate)
- 2026-01-06: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102020D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217523.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217522.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181469.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181468.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090096.HTML)
- Engrossed, 2026-01-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092655.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092654.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-20: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091400.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082943.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082942.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/1217523.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217522.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181469.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181468.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090096.HTML)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092655.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092654.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091400.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082943.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082942.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB127-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).