Virginia's Great Outdoors Act; established, creates data center land conservation tax.
Sponsored By: Russet Perry (Democratic)
Passed
Summary
Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; land preservation distributions and appropriations. Creates a data center land preservation tax on and after January 1, 2027, in an amount equal to $3 per square foot of each data center facility footprint, as defined in the bill, and directs no less than $250 million of revenues from the tax to be distributed for various land protection and preservation purposes, including into the Virginia Tribal Commitment Fund, as created in the bill. The bill also repeals provisions requiring the Governor to include in the budget bill or in his amendments to the general appropriation act a recommended appropriation from the general fund, up to $20 million, for land preservation as follows: (i) 80 percent of the unissued credits to the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, of which at least 50 percent must be used for acquisitions with public access; (ii) 10 percent to the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund; and (iii) 10 percent to the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund.
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Bill Overview
No Economic Impacts Identified for this Bill
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Russet Perry
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Continued from last session
7/21/2026SenateContinued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2/10/2026SenateRereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
2/3/2026SenatePassed by indefinitely in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (9-Y 4-N)
1/27/2026SenateRereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
1/27/2026SenateReferred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
1/13/2026SenatePrefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105162D
1/13/2026Senate
Bill Text
Introduced
1/13/2026
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