# Virginia SB163: Pesticide control; agencies or persons exempt or partially exempt. Virginia SB163, Pesticide control; agencies or persons exempt or partially exempt., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Ryan T. McDougle (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0335)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB163-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB163 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Pesticide control; agencies or persons exempt or partially exempt. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-07 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0335) - Sponsor: Ryan T. McDougle (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 9 (321 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary Pesticide control; agencies or persons exempt or partially exempt. Provides that volunteers associated with state agencies, municipal corporations, or other governmental agencies shall be certified as commercial applicators or registered technicians for the use of pesticides, provided that such certification is valid only when applying or supervising application of pesticides used by such governmental agencies. The bill also exempts from applicator certification requirements any unpaid volunteer who uses any nonrestricted herbicide with the express authorization of a state agency for the sole purpose of controlling invasive plants or noxious weeds on properties owned by such state agency. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Exemptions for doctors, janitors, labs, painters: benefit, low. Some people are exempt from pesticide certification. This includes lab researchers using restricted‑use pesticides in the lab. Doctors and veterinarians are exempt when they apply pesticides as drugs or to control pests in corpses. Janitorial and cleaning services are exempt if they use only nonres… - Supervised boat painters can skip certificates: benefit, low. A painter who applies restricted‑use marine antifoulant paint does not need their own certificate if a commercial applicator directly supervises them on site. One certified commercial applicator may supervise no more than eight painters at a time. - Volunteers can spray nonrestricted herbicides under supervision: benefit, low. Unpaid volunteers expressly authorized by a state or local agency can use nonrestricted herbicides to control invasive plants or noxious weeds on that agency’s property without certification. A certified commercial applicator must directly supervise the work. Before spraying, the agency must give t… - No certification for some workplace pesticide use: benefit, low. Employees do not need certification when they use only nonrestricted pesticides on property their employer owns or leases as part of their job. This exemption does not cover public areas at schools, health care, day care, or convalescent facilities. It also does not cover places with open food, or… - Government applicators need certification; agencies skip fees: mixed, low. Government employees, volunteers, and representatives who apply or supervise pesticides must be certified as commercial applicators or registered technicians. Their certification only covers pesticide work done for their agency. State and local government agencies do not pay pesticide certification… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ryan T. McDougle (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-02 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2026-03-02 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2026-02-25 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 10 | 0 | | | 2026-02-25 | House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2026-01-26 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2026-01-23 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-22 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-01-20 | Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | pass | 15 | 0 | | ## Actions (32) - 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0335) (Governor) - 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 335 (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) - 2026-03-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB163) (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB163ER) (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-02: Passed House Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-02: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House (House) - 2026-03-02: Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-02: Passed by temporarily (House) - 2026-03-02: Read third time (House) - 2026-02-27: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-25: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-25: Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-24: Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources (House) - 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House) - 2026-02-03: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-03: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-01-26: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Passed Senate (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Read first time (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB163) (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-07: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate) - 2026-01-07: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103024D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217539.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217538.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191374.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191373.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083611.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083610.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/1217539.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217538.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191374.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191373.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083611.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083610.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-SB163-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).