HB 256 VA

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Became Law

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. This bill is identical to SB 425.

• Shelly A. Simonds Democratic · primary

1. Jan 9, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103226D · lower
2. Jan 9, 2026 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources · lower
3. Jan 19, 2026 Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources · lower
4. Jan 21, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N) · lower
5. Jan 28, 2026 Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (15-Y 7-N) · lower
6. Jan 30, 2026 Read first time · lower
7. Feb 2, 2026 Read second time and engrossed · lower
8. Feb 3, 2026 Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) · lower
9. Feb 4, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
10. Feb 4, 2026 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources · upper
11. Feb 24, 2026 Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government (13-Y 0-N) · upper
12. Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Local Government with substitute (8-Y 7-N) · upper
13. Mar 2, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26109038D-S1 · upper
14. Mar 3, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
15. Mar 3, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
16. Mar 3, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
17. Mar 4, 2026 Read third time · upper
18. Mar 4, 2026 Local Government Substitute agreed to · upper
19. Mar 4, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
20. Mar 4, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
21. Mar 6, 2026 Senate substitute agreed to by House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) · lower
22. Mar 13, 2026 Enrolled · lower
23. Mar 13, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB256ER) · lower
24. Mar 13, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
25. Mar 13, 2026 Signed by President · upper
26. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 · lower
27. Mar 14, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
28. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 581 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
29. Apr 13, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0581) · 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
• Local Government Substitute · PDF
• Local Government Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML