VirginiaComprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.
What it does
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.
More detail
This bill is identical to SB 425.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 13Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0581)Latest
- Apr 13Approved by Governor Abigail Spanberger-Chapter 581 (effective 7/1/2026)Became Law
- Mar 14Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 14Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026Minor
- Mar 13Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 13Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 13Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB256ER)Major
- Mar 13EnrolledMinor
- Mar 6Senate substitute agreed to by House (63-Y 35-N 0-A)Major
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 4Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 4Engrossed by Senate - committee substituteMajor
- Mar 4Local Government Substitute agreed to
- Mar 4Read third timeMinor
- Mar 3Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 3Rules suspended
- Mar 2Committee substitute printed 26109038D-S1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Local Government with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 2Reported from Local Government with substitute (8-Y 7-N)Minor
- Feb 24Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government (13-Y 0-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 4Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural ResourcesMinor
- Feb 4Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 3Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 2Read second time and engrossedMinor
- Jan 30Read first timeMinor
- Jan 28Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (15-Y 7-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 21Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 19Assigned HACNR sub: Natural ResourcesMinor
- Jan 9Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural ResourcesMinor
- Jan 9Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103226DIntroduced