SB 542 VA

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Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. Establishes a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill provides that no retail sales may occur prior to January 1, 2027. Effective January 1, 2027, the bill also moves oversight of the retail sale of certain regulated hemp products from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. This bill incorporates SB 671 and SB 826 and is identical to HB 642.

• Lashrecse D. Aird Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104073D · upper
2. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services · upper
3. Jan 20, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/20/2026 1:49 pm) · upper
4. Jan 23, 2026 Incorporates SB671 (Rouse) · upper
5. Jan 23, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
6. Jan 23, 2026 Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Courts of Justice (8-Y 7-N) · upper
7. Jan 23, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/23/2026 4:45 pm) · upper
8. Feb 4, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
9. Feb 4, 2026 Senate committee amendments offered · upper
10. Feb 4, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) · upper
11. Feb 5, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
12. Feb 6, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107341D-S2 · upper
13. Feb 6, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/6/2026 2:10 pm) · upper
14. Feb 12, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (7-Y 5-N 3-A) · upper
15. Feb 12, 2026 Incorporates SB826 (Lucas) · upper
16. Feb 13, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
17. Feb 13, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
18. Feb 13, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107979D-S3 · upper
19. Feb 13, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
20. Feb 13, 2026 Substitute bill reprinted 26107979D · upper
21. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · upper
22. Feb 16, 2026 Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote) · upper
23. Feb 16, 2026 Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote) · upper
24. Feb 16, 2026 Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) · upper
25. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) · upper
26. Feb 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 8:52 am) · upper
27. Feb 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB542) · upper
28. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 1-A) · upper
29. Feb 17, 2026 Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
30. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
31. Feb 23, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
32. Feb 23, 2026 Read first time · lower
33. Feb 23, 2026 Referred to Committee on General Laws · lower
34. Feb 24, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB542) · upper
35. Feb 24, 2026 House committee offered · lower
36. Feb 24, 2026 Reported from General Laws with substitute and referred to Appropriations (16-Y 4-N) · lower
37. Feb 25, 2026 Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety · lower
38. Feb 25, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108519D-H1 · lower
39. Feb 25, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/25/2026 1:08 pm) · upper
40. Feb 27, 2026 Reported from Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 6-N) · lower
41. Feb 27, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108819D-H2 · lower
42. Feb 27, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/27/2026 3:37 pm) · upper
43. Mar 3, 2026 Read second time · lower
44. Mar 4, 2026 Read third time · lower
45. Mar 4, 2026 committee substitute rejected · lower
46. Mar 4, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
47. Mar 4, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
48. Mar 4, 2026 Passed House with substitute (66-Y 33-N 0-A) · lower
49. Mar 4, 2026 House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A) · upper
50. Mar 4, 2026 House insisted on substitute · lower
51. Mar 4, 2026 House requested conference committee · lower
52. Mar 4, 2026 Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
53. Mar 4, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
54. Mar 4, 2026 Senate Conferees: Aird, VanValkenburg, Rouse, Head, Lucas · upper
55. Mar 4, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
56. Mar 4, 2026 House Conferees: Krizek, Herring, Morefield · lower
57. Mar 13, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
58. Mar 13, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/13/2026 7:32 pm) · upper
59. Mar 13, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · upper
60. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A) · lower
61. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · upper
62. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB542ER) · upper
63. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
64. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
65. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · upper
66. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
67. Apr 13, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB542) · upper
68. Apr 13, 2026 Governor's recommendation received by Senate · executive
69. Apr 14, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (4/14/2026 4:24 pm) · upper
70. Apr 14, 2026 Substitute bill reprinted 26110453D · upper

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 Substitute · PDF
• Governor Substitute · HTML
• Governor's Recommendation · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• Appropriations Substitute · PDF
• Appropriations Substitute · HTML
• General Laws Substitute · PDF
• General Laws Substitute · HTML
• General Laws Substitute · PDF
• General Laws Substitute · HTML
• Finance and Appropriations Substitute · PDF
• Finance and Appropriations Substitute · HTML
• Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute · PDF
• Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute · HTML
• Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute · PDF
• Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Amendment · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML