SB 648 VA

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Local government; certain towns; suspension of officers, study, remedial plan, and meeting requirements. Provides that any member of a governing body in any locality, who has been employed by any governmental agency that is a component part of and that is subject to the ultimate control of the governing body of which he is a member, is deemed to have continuing personal interest in that agency for a period of two years following the termination of such employment. The bill also requires the court, in a criminal proceeding against an officer of any town in Planning District 8 with a population between 8,000 and 10,000 alleging the commission of a felony offense, to enter an order suspending the officer pending the resolution of such proceeding and any related proceeding for the officer's removal. The bill requires any such town to also procure a study by a public institution of higher education to evaluate the condition and status of the town's debt, infrastructure, utilities, and other significant liability risks. Such town is required to adopt a plan consistent with the study to address such town's needs, as identified in the study, in a fiscally appropriate manner that does not jeopardize the town's bond rating. The bill also prohibits the town council of any such town from voting on matters that have not been properly published at least three days prior to the vote as part of a town council agenda or otherwise approved as additional agenda items or as amendments to existing agenda items by a three-fourths vote of all the members of the council at the start of the meeting. The bill requires that any full-time town manager of such town must be a resident of the Commonwealth unless the town council has waived such requirement by a majority vote. This bill is identical to HB 505.

• Russet Perry Democratic · primary

1. Jan 14, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105059D · upper
2. Jan 14, 2026 Referred to Committee on Local Government · upper
3. Jan 26, 2026 Reported from Local Government (9-Y 5-N) · upper
4. Jan 27, 2026 Read first time · upper
5. Jan 27, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
6. Jan 27, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
7. Jan 27, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
8. Jan 27, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
9. Jan 28, 2026 Read second time · upper
10. Jan 28, 2026 Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) · upper
11. Jan 29, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (30-Y 9-N 1-A) · upper
12. Feb 4, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
13. Feb 4, 2026 Read first time · lower
14. Feb 4, 2026 Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns · lower
15. Feb 20, 2026 Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (16-Y 5-N) · lower
16. Feb 20, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108337D-H1 · lower
17. Feb 24, 2026 Read second time · lower
18. Feb 25, 2026 Read third time · lower
19. Feb 25, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
20. Feb 25, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
21. Feb 25, 2026 Passed House with substitute (70-Y 26-N 0-A) · lower
22. Feb 27, 2026 House substitute rejected by Senate · upper
23. Mar 2, 2026 House insisted on substitute · lower
24. Mar 2, 2026 House requested conference committee · lower
25. Mar 4, 2026 Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
26. Mar 4, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
27. Mar 4, 2026 Senate Conferees: Perry, Srinivasan, Diggs · upper
28. Mar 6, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
29. Mar 6, 2026 House Conferees: McAuliff, Reid, Cherry · lower
30. Mar 11, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
31. Mar 12, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
32. Mar 12, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
33. Mar 12, 2026 Passed by for the day · lower
34. Mar 13, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (31-Y 6-N 0-A) · upper
35. Mar 13, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (66-Y 28-N 0-A) · lower
36. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · upper
37. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB648ER) · upper
38. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
39. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
40. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · upper
41. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
42. Apr 13, 2026 Governor's recommendation received by Senate · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Governor's Recommendation · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · PDF
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML