SB 589 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 is identical to HB 549.

• Saddam Azlan Salim Democratic · primary

1. Jan 14, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101913D · upper
2. Jan 14, 2026 Referred to Committee on Local Government · upper
3. Jan 26, 2026 Reported from Local Government (10-Y 4-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 (24-Y 16-N 0-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 13, 2026 House committee offered · lower
16. Feb 13, 2026 Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (16-Y 5-N) · lower
17. Feb 13, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107965D-H1 · lower
18. Feb 15, 2026 Read second time · lower
19. Feb 16, 2026 Read third time · lower
20. Feb 16, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
21. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
22. Feb 16, 2026 Passed House with substitute (64-Y 34-N 0-A) · lower
23. Feb 18, 2026 House substitute rejected by Senate · upper
24. Feb 19, 2026 House insisted on substitute · lower
25. Feb 19, 2026 House requested conference committee · lower
26. Feb 23, 2026 Senate acceded to request (38-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
27. Feb 23, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
28. Feb 23, 2026 Senate Conferees: Salim, Srinivasan, Suetterlein · upper
29. Feb 24, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
30. Feb 24, 2026 House Conferees: Hope, McClure, Tata · lower
31. Mar 13, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
32. Mar 14, 2026 House requested second conference committee · lower
33. Mar 14, 2026 Senate acceded to request for second conference committee (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
34. Mar 14, 2026 Second conferees appointed by Senate · upper
35. Mar 14, 2026 Senate Conferees: Salim, Srinivasan, Suetterlein · upper
36. Mar 14, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
37. Mar 14, 2026 House Conferees: Hope, McClure, Tata · lower
38. Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
39. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 33-N 0-A) · lower
40. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
41. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · upper
42. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB589ER) · upper
43. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
44. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
45. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · upper
46. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
47. Apr 8, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 511 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
48. Apr 8, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0511) · 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
• 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