SB 645 VA

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Became Law

Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report. Provides that for the purposes of a permit by rule for a small renewable energy project under existing law, a small renewable energy project includes an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, to (i) assess all practicable technologies available to waste-to-energy facilities to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions, (ii) assess technologies to create biomethane, and (iii) recommend any legislative changes necessary to create market conditions to ensure the viability of such program. The bill also directs the Department to report its findings to the Air Pollution Control Board by December 1, 2026.

• Scott A. Surovell Democratic · primary

1. Jan 14, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102504D · upper
2. Jan 14, 2026 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources · upper
3. Feb 10, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645) · upper
4. Feb 10, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
5. Feb 10, 2026 Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (15-Y 0-N) · upper
6. Feb 12, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107665D-S1 · upper
7. Feb 12, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
8. Feb 12, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
9. Feb 12, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
10. Feb 13, 2026 Read second time · upper
11. Feb 13, 2026 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute agreed to · upper
12. Feb 13, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
13. Feb 13, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
14. Feb 13, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
15. Feb 13, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
16. Feb 16, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645) · upper
17. Feb 19, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
18. Feb 19, 2026 Read first time · lower
19. Feb 19, 2026 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources · lower
20. Feb 24, 2026 Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources · lower
21. Feb 25, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N) · lower
22. Feb 25, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
23. Feb 25, 2026 Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N) · lower
24. Feb 25, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108639D-H1 · lower
25. Feb 26, 2026 Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources · lower
26. Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N) · lower
27. Mar 2, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108798D-H2 · lower
28. Mar 4, 2026 Read second time · lower
29. Mar 5, 2026 Read third time · lower
30. Mar 5, 2026 committee substitute rejected · lower
31. Mar 5, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
32. Mar 5, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
33. Mar 5, 2026 Passed House with substitute (93-Y 5-N 0-A) · lower
34. Mar 9, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645) · upper
35. Mar 9, 2026 House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A) · upper
36. Mar 10, 2026 House insisted on substitute · lower
37. Mar 10, 2026 House requested conference committee · lower
38. Mar 11, 2026 Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
39. Mar 11, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
40. Mar 11, 2026 Senate Conferees: Surovell, Williams Graves, Pekarsky · upper
41. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
42. Mar 12, 2026 House Conferees: Tran, Simonds, Ware · lower
43. Mar 13, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
44. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (87-Y 10-N 0-A) · lower
45. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
46. Mar 20, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645) · upper
47. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · upper
48. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB645ER) · upper
49. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
50. Mar 31, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645) · upper
51. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
52. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · upper
53. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
54. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 901 (effective 7/1/2026) · 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.

• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Conference Report · HTML
• Conference Report Substitute · PDF
• Conference Report Substitute · HTML
• Appropriations Substitute · PDF
• Appropriations Substitute · HTML
• Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute · PDF
• Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute · HTML
• Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute · PDF
• Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute · HTML
• Natural Resources Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• Natural Resources Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute · PDF
• Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute · HTML
• Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute · PDF
• Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML