SB 651 VA

0likes☆Favorite🔕SubscribeShare

Passed Legislature

Qualifying localities; underground electric distribution and transmission improvements; levy on utility customers by ordinance. Authorizes a qualifying locality, defined in the bill, to enter into an agreement with an electric utility to place new or proposed underground electric distribution or transmission lines and facilities or to relocate or convert existing overhead electric distribution or transmission lines and facilities underground. The bill requires any such agreement to provide that the locality pay to the utility its full additional costs of placing new or proposed electric distribution or transmission lines in the qualifying locality or relocating and converting that portion of a line located in the county underground rather than overhead, minus the net of relocation credits.The bill also provides that the qualifying locality may impose an additional levy on electric utility customers, which (i) shall not exceed $1 per month on residential customers; (ii) shall not exceed $10 per month on nonresidential customers; (iii) may be fixed at any amount on nonresidential customers that are major commercial energy consumers, defined in the bill; and (iv) shall be collected by the utility on behalf of the locality.

• Russet Perry Democratic · primary

1. Jan 14, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105147D · upper
2. Jan 14, 2026 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor · upper
3. Jan 31, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (1/31/2026 8:22 am) · upper
4. Feb 9, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
5. Feb 9, 2026 Reported from Commerce and Labor with amendments (11-Y 4-N) · upper
6. Feb 11, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
7. Feb 11, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
8. Feb 11, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
9. Feb 12, 2026 Read second time · upper
10. Feb 12, 2026 Commerce and Labor Amendments agreed to · upper
11. Feb 12, 2026 Engrossed by Senate as amended (Voice Vote) · upper
12. Feb 13, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A) · upper
13. Feb 19, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
14. Feb 19, 2026 Read first time · lower
15. Feb 19, 2026 Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce · lower
16. Feb 19, 2026 Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 · lower
17. Feb 21, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (2/21/2026 3:41 pm) · upper
18. Mar 3, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
19. Mar 3, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 3-N) · lower
20. Mar 5, 2026 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (14-Y 7-N) · lower
21. Mar 5, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26109186D-H1 · lower
22. Mar 9, 2026 Read second time · lower
23. Mar 10, 2026 Passed by for the day · lower
24. Mar 11, 2026 Read third time · lower
25. Mar 11, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
26. Mar 11, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
27. Mar 11, 2026 Passed House with substitute (63-Y 35-N 0-A) · lower
28. Mar 12, 2026 House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A) · upper
29. Mar 12, 2026 House insisted on substitute · lower
30. Mar 12, 2026 House requested conference committee · lower
31. Mar 12, 2026 Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
32. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
33. Mar 12, 2026 Senate Conferees: Perry, Marsden, McDougle · upper
34. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
35. Mar 12, 2026 House Conferees: Singh, Sullivan, O'Quinn · lower
36. Mar 12, 2026 Senate acceded to request · upper
37. Mar 14, 2026 No further action taken · upper
38. Mar 14, 2026 Failed to Pass from conference · upper
39. Mar 14, 2026 Failed to Pass from conference · 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.

• Labor and Commerce Substitute · PDF
• Labor and Commerce Substitute · HTML
• Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• Labor and Commerce Amendment · HTML
• Engrossed · PDF
• Engrossed · HTML
• Commerce and Labor Amendment · HTML
• Commerce and Labor Amendment · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML