Counties Cities And Towns
Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Zoning; enhanced civil penalties for violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses. [SB-171]
Zoning; civil penalties; commercial uses. Allows enhanced civil penalties for zoning violations involving nonpermitted commercial uses. The bill also requires that for any violation involving nonpermitted commercial uses, a person who admits liability shall be required to abate or remedy the nonpermitted commercial use violation within a period of time specified by the locality that is no less than 30 days but no more than 24 months from the date of admission of liability.
Sponsored by: Sen. Angelia Williams Graves
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 11/18/2024
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Gettr Virginia 2025 Regular Session
Siting of data centers; locality may perform site assessment before approval. [HB-338]
Siting of data centers; site assessment. Allows a locality, prior to any approval for the siting of a data center, to perform a site assessment to examine the effect of the data center on water usage and carbon emissions within the locality.
Sponsored by: Rep. Michael Webert
Left In General Laws And Technology on 11/19/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Meals tax; statute of limitations, penalties and interest. [HB-1483]
Local tax; penalties and interest. Requires localities to apply voluntary payments made by a taxpayer to the tax return that accompanies such payment or according to instructions sent with such payment. The bill also states that a city's director of finance may waive a taxpayer's local tax penalties and interest when in the best interest of the locality. The bill contains an emergency clause. Local tax; penalties and interest. Requires localities to apply voluntary payments made by a taxpayer to the tax return that accompanies such payment or according
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Sponsored by: Rep. Betsy Carr
Passed By Indefinitely In Finance And Appropriations (15-y 0-n) on 02/27/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Zoning; local review of decisions. [SB-715]
Local review of zoning decisions. Clarifies that a locality may schedule regular reviews of previous zoning decisions in order to determine whether provisions of the zoning ordinance (i) continue to meet the general purpose of promoting the health, safety, or general welfare of the public and (ii) are compatible with changes in land use patterns.
Sponsored by: Sen. Glen Sturtevant
Stricken At Request Of Patron In Local Government (13-y 0-n) on 02/05/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Sanctuary policies; prohibited. [SB-720]
Sanctuary policies prohibited. Provides that no locality shall adopt any ordinance, procedure, or policy intended to restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The bill also requires an official in charge of a correctional facility to transfer custody of certain persons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon receipt of a detainer. Under current law, the official may make such transfer.
Sponsored by: Sen. John McGuire
Passed By Indefinitely In Courts Of Justice (9-y 6-n) on 02/07/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, etc. [HB-1488]
Local government; standardization of public notice requirements for certain meetings, hearings, or intended actions. Standardizes the frequency with which and length of time in which notices of certain meetings, hearings, and other intended actions of localities must be published. The notice provisions included in the bill are organized into three groups: (i) publication required at least seven days before the meeting, hearing, or intended action; (ii) publication required twice, with the first notice appearing no more than 28 days before and the
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Sponsored by: Rep. Rozia Henson
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0225) on 03/28/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Southside Regional Recreation Authority; changes name to Southside Regional Recreation Authority. [HB-1544]
Southside Regional Recreation Authority.
Sponsored by: Rep. Wren Williams
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Solar and energy facilities; local regulation. [SB-697]
Solar and energy facilities; local regulation. Prohibits a locality from including in an ordinance (i) limits on the total amount, density, or size of any ground-mounted solar facility or energy storage facility until such time that the total area under panels within the locality exceeds four percent of the total area within the locality or (ii) any prohibitions on the use of solar panels that comply with generally accepted national environmental protection and product safety standards, provided that such installation is in compliance with any provisions
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Sponsored by: Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg
Continued To 2025 In Counties, Cities And Towns By Voice Vote on 02/28/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Mines and mineral mines; local zoning regulations in Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia). [HB-1533]
Local zoning regulations related to mines; Planning District 8. Provides that localities in Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia) may establish standards and adopt zoning regulations related to mines and mineral mines that exceed standards and regulations adopted by the Director of the Department of Energy, including the prohibition of all mining and mineral mining activity in any area of the locality zoned for residential use. Local zoning regulations related to mines; Planning District 8. Provides that localities in Planning District 8 (Northern
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Sponsored by: Rep. Irene Shin
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Surveillance technology; reporting by state & local law-enforcement agencies, etc. [HB-1496]
Surveillance technology reporting by state and local law-enforcement agencies and sheriff's departments. Requires all state and local law-enforcement agencies and sheriff's departments to provide to the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department) a list of surveillance technologies, defined in the bill, procured by such agencies and departments on an annual basis by November 1 of each year. The bill requires the Department to provide such information to the Virginia State Crime Commission and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.
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Sponsored by: Rep. Sam Rasoul
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0614) on 04/08/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Assisted living facilities and group homes; location in localities. [HB-1522]
Location of assisted living facilities and group homes. Prohibits localities from allowing certain assisted living facilities and group homes with eight or fewer residents approved by the locality on or after July 1, 2024, to be located within one mile of a similar pre-existing assisted living facility or group home, provided such enforcement is in compliance with applicable state and federal fair housing laws.
Sponsored by: Rep. Geary Higgins
Stricken From Docket By Counties, Cities And Towns (20-y 0-n) on 01/26/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Russell County Industrial Development Authority; appointments. [SB-727]
Russell County Industrial Development Authority; appointments. Clarifies that the board of supervisors of Russell County may appoint nine members to its industrial development authority, which shall consist of two members from the governing body of a town that has used its borrowing capacity to borrow $2 million or more for industrial development and such other members as the board of supervisors shall agree upon. Under current law, two of the members must come from a town that has used its borrowing capacity to borrow $2 million or more for industrial
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Sponsored by: Sen. Todd Pillion
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0520) on 04/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Cash proffers; development rights. [HB-1501]
Cash proffers; development rights. Provides that cash payments proffered pursuant to § 15.2-2298, 15.2-2303, or 15.2-2303.1 may be used for the purpose of extinguishing development rights elsewhere in the locality if the development rights to be extinguished are greater than the development rights being granted and the extinguishing of those development rights results in a perpetual conservation easement. The bill also provides that cash payments proffered may be used to seek matching funds from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and the
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Sponsored by: Rep. Paul Milde
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund; established, report. [SB-718]
Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund established; report. Establishes the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority as a political subdivision charged with financing the construction of a sports and entertainment campus. The Authority is composed of nine members, six of whom are appointed by the Governor and three of whom are appointed by the governing body of the City of Alexandria. Each appointed member is subject to specific criteria for appointment. The bill authorizes the Authority to hire independent contractors,
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Sponsored by: Sen. Scott Surovell
Left In Finance And Appropriations on 02/14/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Clerks' offices; days of operation, clerks' authority to close office. [SB-736]
Days of operation of clerks' offices; clerks' authority to close office. Allows the clerk of the circuit court of any county or city to close the clerk's office on (i) Christmas Eve; (ii) any day or portion of a day that the Governor declares as a holiday for state employees; and (iii) any day or portion of a day on which the Governor, Supreme Court, or Judicial Council authorizes state offices to be closed. Under current law, the clerk may only close the clerk's office once a judge authorizes such clerk to do so in these circumstances.
Sponsored by: Sen. Ryan McDougle
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0521) on 04/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Elections; each locality to have a chief deputy and other deputy registrars. [HB-1530]
Elections; administration; chief deputy and other deputy registrars. Requires that each locality have one chief deputy registrar. The bill requires any chief deputy registrar serving on a full-time basis to be paid not less than 60 percent of the salary paid to the general registrar. The bill requires that any chief deputy registrar of a locality whose population is greater than 10,000 serve on a full-time basis and gives the general registrar in a locality whose population is 10,000 or less the authority to determine whether the chief deputy registrar
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Sponsored by: Rep. Israel O'Quinn
Passed By Indefinitely In Privileges And Elections (18-y 4-n) on 02/09/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund; established, report. [HB-1514]
Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund established; report. Establishes the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority as a political subdivision charged with financing the construction of a sports and entertainment campus. The Authority is composed of nine members, six of whom are appointed by the Governor and three of whom are appointed by the governing body of the City of Alexandria. Each appointed member is subject to specific criteria for appointment. The bill authorizes the Authority to hire independent contractors,
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Sponsored by: Rep. Terry Kilgore
Left In Finance And Appropriations on 03/09/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Vested rights; building permits. [SB-701]
Vested rights; building permits. Provides that if a locality has issued a building permit, despite nonconformance with the zoning ordinance, and a property owner, relying in good faith on the issuance of the building permit, incurs extensive obligations or substantial expenses in diligent pursuit of a building project that is in conformance with the building permit and the Uniform Statewide Building Code, the locality shall not treat such building as an illegal use but rather as a legal nonconforming use. Current law requires that such project be
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Sponsored by: Sen. Angelia Williams Graves
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0605) on 04/05/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Omitted taxes; installment agreements. [HB-1503]
Omitted taxes; installment agreements. Allows the governing body of a locality to allow its treasurer or other collecting official to enter into an installment agreement lasting up to 72 months for payment of taxes by a taxpayer who has been assessed with omitted taxes. Omitted taxes; installment agreements. Allows the governing body of a locality to allow its treasurer or other collecting official to enter into an installment agreement lasting up to 72 months for payment of taxes by a taxpayer who has been assessed with omitted taxes.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kelly Convirs-Fowler
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0488) on 04/04/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Vacant buildings; registration. [HB-1486]
Vacant buildings; registration. Permits any county, city, or town to require, by ordinance, the owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to register such building annually. Under current law, any city and certain towns are permitted to require the owner of any building that has been vacant
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Sponsored by: Rep. Joshua Thomas
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0613) on 04/08/2024