# Virginia SB857: Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of DCR, rights and requirements of dam owners, civil penalty. Virginia SB857, Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of DCR, rights and requirements of dam owners, civil penalty., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Timmy French (Republican); status to governor, last action 2025-03-21 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0241)) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB857-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB857 - State: Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of DCR, rights and requirements of dam owners, civil penalty. - Status: to governor - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-03 - Last action: 2025-03-21, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0241) - Sponsor: Timmy French (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (256 yes, 6 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance; Dam Safety Act; powers and duties of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; rights and requirements of dam owners; civil penalty. Amends various provisions of the Dam Safety Act to streamline the Department of Conservation and Recreation's enforcement powers for impounding structures under the Act and clarifies the Department's powers and duties during an active dam failure. The bill also makes changes to a dam owner's responsibilities under the Act, including adding requirements to obtain a general permit for a low hazard impounding structure, making a dam owner responsible for ensuring that his impounding structure that presents an imminent danger has a safety inspection performed as provided in the bill, and allowing a dam owner to identify the dam break inundation zone of his impounding structure by providing the limits of the dam break inundation zone in lieu of filing a map. The bill also changes certain criteria for applicants to receive funds from the Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund, including the project match requirements for grants or loans. Finally, the bill repeals the provisions providing civil penalties for violating the provisions of the Act and makes technical amendments related to such repeal. This bill is identical to HB 2000. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Timmy French (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-18 | Senate | House Amendments agreed to by Senate | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-02-17 | House | Passed House with amendments | pass | 89 | 6 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with amendment(s) | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2025-01-24 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2025-01-22 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-01-21 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 14 | 0 | | | 2025-01-14 | Senate | Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 13 | 0 | | ## Actions (35) - 2025-03-21: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0241) (Governor) - 2025-03-21: Approved by Governor-Chapter 241 (Effective 07/01/25) (Governor) - 2025-03-05: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor) - 2025-03-05: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 5, 2025 (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB857) (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB857ER) (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-02-18: House Amendments agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-17: Passed House with amendments (89-Y 6-N) (House) - 2025-02-17: Engrossed by House as amended (House) - 2025-02-17: Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Amendments agreed to (House) - 2025-02-17: Read third time (House) - 2025-02-17: Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar (House) - 2025-02-14: Read second time (House) - 2025-02-12: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (House) - 2025-02-05: Read first time (House) - 2025-02-05: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2025-01-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB857) (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Printed as engrossed 25103214D-E (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Amendments agreed to (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Reading of amendments waived (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Read second time (Senate) - 2025-01-22: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-22: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2025-01-22: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-01-21: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-15: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB857) (Senate) - 2025-01-14: Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-03: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (Senate) - 2025-01-03: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25103214D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2025-03-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072596.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072595.PDF) - Enrolled, 2025-02-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1060698.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1060697.PDF) - Amendment, 2025-02-17: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1055084.HTML) - Amendment, 2025-02-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1048425.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047737.HTML) - Engrossed, 2025-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1026506.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1026505.PDF) - Amendment, 2025-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020143.HTML) - Introduced, 2025-01-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013628.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013627.PDF) ## Related bills - HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted) - SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed) - HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed) - HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed) - SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed) - HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor) ## Sources - [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072596.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072595.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1060698.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1060697.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1055084.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1048425.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047737.HTML) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1026506.HTML) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1026505.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020143.HTML) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013628.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1013627.PDF) ## Related - [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025) - [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025) - [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025) - [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025) - [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025) - [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025) - [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-SB857-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).