HB 711 VA

0likes☆Favorite🔕SubscribeShare

To Executive

Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. The bill requires localities to furnish the State Corporation Commission with a record of special exception decisions reached pursuant to these provisions that includes (i) the reason for any adverse decision, (ii) any finding of nonconformity with the local comprehensive plan, and (iii) the date of the last revision to the comprehensive plan. The bill further requires the State Corporation Commission to compile and maintain on the Commission's public website a searchable database of all solar special exception decisions and the reasons for any adverse decisions made over a period of not less than five years. Finally, the bill states that its provisions shall apply to any ground-mounted solar facility with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more for which an application for local approval is filed on or after July 1, 2026, and any such project shall not be governed by any local ordinances inconsistent with the bill; however, any application for a solar energy facility that has been received and accepted by the relevant authority prior to July 1, 2026, shall be subject to any applicable local ordinances in place at the time the initial application was filed. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 347.

• Charniele L. Herring Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104367D · lower
2. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns · lower
3. Jan 28, 2026 Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2 · lower
4. Jan 29, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
5. Jan 29, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N) · lower
6. Jan 30, 2026 Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (15-Y 5-N) · lower
7. Jan 30, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26106588D-H1 · lower
8. Feb 3, 2026 Read first time · lower
9. Feb 4, 2026 Read second time · lower
10. Feb 4, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
11. Feb 4, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
12. Feb 5, 2026 Read third time and passed House (63-Y 33-N 0-A) · lower
13. Feb 5, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB711) · lower
14. Feb 6, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
15. Feb 6, 2026 Referred to Committee on Local Government · upper
16. Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Local Government (9-Y 6-N) · upper
17. Mar 3, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
18. Mar 3, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
19. Mar 3, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
20. Mar 4, 2026 Read third time · upper
21. Mar 4, 2026 Passed Senate (22-Y 18-N 0-A) · upper
22. Mar 11, 2026 Enrolled · lower
23. Mar 11, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB711ER) · lower
24. Mar 11, 2026 Signed by President · upper
25. Mar 12, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
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 6, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB711) · lower
29. Apr 13, 2026 Governor's recommendation received by House · 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
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · PDF
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · HTML
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · PDF
• Counties, Cities and Towns Substitute · HTML
• Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML