# Virginia SB650: Public utilities; water and sewerage companies, discounted rates for low-income customers.

Virginia SB650, Public utilities; water and sewerage companies, discounted rates for low-income customers., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by David W. Marsden (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB650)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB650-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB650
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Public utilities; water and sewerage companies, discounted rates for low-income customers.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-14
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB650)
- Sponsor: David W. Marsden (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 7 (170 yes, 79 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

Public utilities; water and sewerage companies; discounted rates for low-income customers. Provides that a public utility engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities may propose and the State Corporation Commission may approve rates and tariff provisions that provide discounted service to customers with an annual household income equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill permits the utility to recover the costs of providing such discounted service through its rates for commercial and industrial customers. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027, and is identical to HB 770.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Fairer rates for small water systems: benefit, medium. Starting January 1, 2027, small water and sewer companies (fewer than 10,000 accounts, including subsidiaries) must file a class cost-of-service study when they split costs among more than one customer group. The study must assign costs based on who causes them and credit customer or developer cons…
- Water bill discounts for low-income homes: mixed, medium. Beginning January 1, 2027, water and sewer utilities can offer discounted rates to households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, as set by the Department of Social Services. Discounts may be tiered. Utilities may recover the cost of these discounts through their base and gen…
- Phone service rules in competitive areas: mixed, low. Starting January 1, 2027, phone companies may meet service duties using wireline or terrestrial wireless service. They do not have to build new lines if one or more other providers already offer similar service at prevailing market rates (rates like those in competitive areas for the same service).…
- Faster rulings on electric rate tests: mixed, low. Beginning January 1, 2027, the Commission must issue a final order on an investor-owned electric utility’s voluntary rate or rate-design test within six months of filing, or within three months after any hearing, whichever is earlier. This speeds decisions on trial rate designs.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: David W. Marsden (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-10 | Senate | House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 23 | 17 |   |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Passed House with substitute | pass | 63 | 34 | 1 |
| 2026-03-03 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 23 | 17 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 35 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor | pass | 11 | 4 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2026-04-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB650) (Senate)
- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0218) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 218 (Effective 1/1/2027) (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 (SB650ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB650) (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: House substitute agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Passed House with substitute (63-Y 34-N 1-A) (House)
- 2026-03-06: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-03-06: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-03-06: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-05: Read second time (House)
- 2026-03-03: Committee substitute printed 26109086D-H1 (House)
- 2026-03-03: Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-02-24: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-02-24: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-24: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB650) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Reported from Commerce and Labor (11-Y 4-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103786D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216870.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216869.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209881.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209880.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191708.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191707.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091634.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091633.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/1216870.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216869.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209881.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209880.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191708.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191707.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091634.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091633.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB650-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).