# Virginia SB425: Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.

Virginia SB425, Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Lamont Bagby (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0582)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB425-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB425
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0582)
- Sponsor: Lamont Bagby (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 11 (268 yes, 155 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy. Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, beginning July 1, 2026, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill, and to establish baseline environmental and health conditions to characterize any disproportionate public health conditions in the identified fenceline communities. This bill is identical to HB 256.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Local plans must address environmental justice: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, cities over 20,000 people and counties over 100,000 must, at their next comprehensive plan review, consider adding an environmental justice strategy. The strategy identifies each environmental justice and fenceline community in the locality. It maps major pollution sources a…
- More investment in environmental justice areas: benefit, low. The strategy sets goals to cut health risks in environmental justice and fenceline neighborhoods. It calls for lower pollution exposure, better air and water, stronger emergency plans, and resilience to flooding and extreme heat. It requires policies to build civic engagement so residents can shape…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Lamont Bagby (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-13 | Senate | Conference report agreed to by Senate | pass | 21 | 18 |   |
| 2026-03-12 | House | Conference report agreed to by House | pass | 63 | 34 |   |
| 2026-02-23 | Senate | Senate acceded to request | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | House substitute rejected by Senate | fail | 0 | 38 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | House | Passed House with substitute | pass | 63 | 35 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute | pass | 15 | 6 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | Senate | Local Government Amendments agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Reported from Local Government with amendments | pass | 8 | 5 | 1 |

## Actions (43)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0582) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 582 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB425ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Conference report agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-12: Conference Report released
- 2026-02-24: House Conferees: Simonds, Clark, Kent (House)
- 2026-02-24: Conferees appointed by House (House)
- 2026-02-23: Senate acceded to request (38-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Senate Conferees: Bagby, Aird, Stanley (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Conferees appointed by Senate (Senate)
- 2026-02-19: House requested conference committee (House)
- 2026-02-19: House insisted on substitute (House)
- 2026-02-18: House substitute rejected by Senate (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Passed House with substitute (63-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read third time (House)
- 2026-02-15: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Committee substitute printed 26107960D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-13: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-02-13: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (15-Y 6-N) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (House)
- 2026-02-04: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-04: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-29: Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Local Government Amendments agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Local Government Amendments agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-01-28: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Read first time (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Reported from Local Government with amendments (8-Y 5-N 1-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100586D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218882.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218881.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213763.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213762.PDF)
- Conference Report, 2026-03-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207757.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-03-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207754.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207753.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145901.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146687.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146686.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145900.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-01-28: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1099005.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1099004.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097568.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090236.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090235.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/1218882.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218881.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213763.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213762.PDF)
- [Conference Report (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207757.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207754.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207753.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145901.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146687.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146686.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145900.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1099005.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1099004.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097568.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090236.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090235.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB425-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).