HB 549 VA

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Conservation and replacement of trees during development process; work group; report. Expands certain existing local government authority to plant or replace trees during the development process by expanding such authority statewide. The bill allows localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages based on density per acre. The bill also alters the current process for granting exceptions to a local ordinance by modifying a provision that requires the granting of an exception when the strict application of the ordinance would result in unnecessary or unreasonable hardship to the developer, and replacing it with a requirement that the locality concur with such a determination. The bill permits localities to monitor and assess the condition and coverage of tree canopies at development sites during a period of up to 20 years after the trees are planted. The bill also allows any town within Planning District 8 belonging to an eight-hour nonattainment area for air quality standards to require, by ordinance, that a subdivision or development provide for the preservation or replacement of trees on the development site such that the minimum tree canopy or cover 10 years after development is projected to meet specified coverage criteria. Under current law, the criteria apply to tree canopy coverage 20 years after development. Finally, the bill directs the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the tree canopy laws and regulations and report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill incorporates HB 995 and is identical to SB 589.

• Patrick A. Hope Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102406D · lower
2. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns · lower
3. Jan 28, 2026 Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #3 · lower
4. Feb 6, 2026 House committee offered · lower
5. Feb 6, 2026 House committee offered · lower
6. Feb 6, 2026 Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (16-Y 4-N 1-A) · lower
7. Feb 6, 2026 Incorporates HB995 (Seibold) · lower
8. Feb 7, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26106579D-H1 · lower
9. Feb 10, 2026 Read first time · lower
10. Feb 11, 2026 Read second time · lower
11. Feb 11, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
12. Feb 11, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
13. Feb 12, 2026 Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
14. Feb 13, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
15. Feb 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Local Government · upper
16. Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Local Government with substitute (9-Y 6-N) · upper
17. Mar 3, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26109044D-S1 · upper
18. Mar 3, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
19. Mar 3, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
20. Mar 3, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
21. Mar 4, 2026 Read third time · upper
22. Mar 4, 2026 Local Government Substitute agreed to · upper
23. Mar 4, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
24. Mar 4, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (24-Y 16-N 0-A) · upper
25. Mar 6, 2026 Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N 0-A) · lower
26. Mar 10, 2026 Senate insisted on substitute (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
27. Mar 10, 2026 Senate requested conference committee · upper
28. Mar 11, 2026 House acceded to request · lower
29. Mar 11, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
30. Mar 11, 2026 House Conferees: Hope, Helmer, Tata · lower
31. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
32. Mar 12, 2026 Senate Conferees: Salim, Srinivasan, Suetterlein · upper
33. Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
34. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
35. Mar 14, 2026 House requested second conference committee · lower
36. Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
37. Mar 14, 2026 Senate acceded to request for second conference committee (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
38. Mar 14, 2026 Second conferees appointed by Senate · upper
39. Mar 14, 2026 Senate Conferees: Salim, Srinivasan, Suetterlein · upper
40. Mar 14, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
41. Mar 14, 2026 House Conferees: Hope, McClure, Tata · lower
42. Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
43. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
44. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
45. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · lower
46. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB549ER) · lower
47. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
48. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
49. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · lower
50. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
51. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 626 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
52. Apr 13, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0626) · 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.

• Chaptered · PDF
• Chaptered · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• Local Government Substitute · PDF
• Local Government Substitute · HTML
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · PDF
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · HTML
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · PDF
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · HTML
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · PDF
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML