# Virginia SB522: Forest Sustainability Fund; Office of Working Lands Preservation to manage. Virginia SB522, Forest Sustainability Fund; Office of Working Lands Preservation to manage., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0824)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB522-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB522 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Forest Sustainability Fund; Office of Working Lands Preservation to manage. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0824) - Sponsor: Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 8 (312 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Office of Working Lands Preservation; powers and duties; Forest Sustainability Fund. Adds management of the Forest Sustainability Fund to the powers and duties of the Office of Working Lands Preservation within the Department of Forestry. This bill is identical to HB 543. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Forest fund supports qualifying local governments: benefit, low. The law creates the Forest Sustainability Fund, managed by the Office; unspent money stays in the fund. Localities with an ordinance taxing forest land based on its use can apply annually by November 15. Applications must include the ordinance and total tax revenue forgone in the prior fiscal year.… - Preservation help for farms and localities: benefit, low. Virginia's Office of Working Lands Preservation develops model policies for local programs that buy land development rights. It provides public education and technical and professional help to farmers and local governments preserving farmland and forests. Help for localities covers land-use tax pro… - Local preservation grants require matching money: mixed, low. The Office certifies local programs for public funding and identifies revenue sources to buy farmland and forest conservation easements. It can award state grants to local programs that buy development rights, under its grant rules. Counties and cities generally must provide $1 in local money for e… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-02 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2026-03-02 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2026-02-25 | House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2026-02-02 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-01-30 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-29 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-01-29 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-27 | Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | pass | 13 | 0 | | ## Actions (29) - 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0824) (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 824 (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 (SB522) (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB522ER) (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: 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) - 2026-02-05: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House) - 2026-02-05: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-05: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-02: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (13-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB522) (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105419D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222843.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222842.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191591.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191590.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090659.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090658.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/1222843.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222842.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191591.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191590.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090659.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090658.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-SB522-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).