Counties Cities And Towns
Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Affordable housing; purchase of development rights. [HB-878]
Purchase of development rights for affordable housing. Permits any local government to purchase development rights or accept the donation of development rights in an effort to preserve and provide affordable housing. The bill grants local governments the powers necessary to carry out the purchase of such development rights. The bill prohibits the conversion or diversion of such affordable housing once the development rights are purchased unless the local government determines that such diversion is essential to the development and growth of the
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Sponsored by: Rep. Alfonso Lopez
Continued To 2025 In General Laws And Technology (15-y 0-n) on 02/28/2024
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Gettr Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Distressed localities; JLARC to study potential effects of revising distribution of 599 funding. [HJR-33]
Study; JLARC; potential effects of revising the distribution of 599 funding to distressed localities with high crime and poverty rates; report. Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the potential effects of revising the distribution of 599 funding to distressed localities with high crime and poverty rates.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kim Taylor
Left In Rules on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local Environmental Impact Fund; localities to create a permanent and perpetual fund. [HB-953]
Local Environmental Impact Fund. Allows localities to create a permanent and perpetual fund to be known as the Local Environmental Impact Fund. The bill provides that the Fund shall consist exclusively of appropriated local moneys and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf and that the Fund is to be created for the purpose of granting funds to residents or locally owned businesses for the mitigation of environmental impacts. Such grants from the Fund shall be used only for the purchase of energy efficient
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Sponsored by: Rep. Sam Rasoul
House Sustained Governor's Veto on 04/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local government ordinances related to fire departments; billing on behalf of volunteer fire depts. [HB-852]
Local government ordinances related to fire departments; billing on behalf of volunteer fire departments. Provides that the governing body of any county, city, or town in which a fire department or fire company is established may make such ordinances in relation to the powers and duties of such fire departments or fire companies as it deems proper, including billing on behalf of volunteer fire departments for the support of a licensed emergency medical services agency. Local government ordinances related to fire departments; billing on behalf of
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Sponsored by: Rep. Wren Williams
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0823) on 04/17/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. [SB-366]
Local anti-rent gouging authority; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. The bill provides for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of such ordinance and specifies that all landlords who are under the ordinance may be required to give at least two months' written notice of a rent increase and cannot increase the rent by more than the locality's calculated allowance, described in the bill as the maximum amount a landlord can increase a tenant's rent during any 12-month period,
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Sponsored by: Sen. Jennifer Boysko
Failed To Report (defeated) In General Laws And Technology (5-y 8-n 2-a) on 02/07/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
C-PACE loans; removes an exclusion for residential dwellings and condominiums. [HB-952]
C-PACE loans; residential dwellings and condominiums. Removes an exclusion for residential dwellings with fewer than five dwelling units and condominium projects from certain requirements related to a voluntary special assessment lien that secures a loan for the initial acquisition and installation of clean energy, resiliency, or stormwater management improvements.
Sponsored by: Rep. Alfonso Lopez
Continued To 2025 In Counties, Cities And Towns By Voice Vote on 01/26/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Elections; allows for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. [HB-841]
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election
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Sponsored by: Rep. Sam Rasoul
Left In Rules on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Land use proceedings; disclosure, statewide application. [HB-1011]
Disclosure in land use proceedings; statewide application. Alters certain land use disclosure requirements applicable to officials in any county with the urban county executive form of government (Fairfax County) by replacing "relationship of employee-employer, agent-principal, or attorney-client" with the broader phrase of "business or financial interest." The bill makes the same change to existing provisions that currently apply only to Loudoun County and applies the change statewide.
Sponsored by: Rep. Ian Lovejoy
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Zoning ordinance; civil penalties for violations. [HB-1034]
Civil penalties for violations of zoning ordinance; short-term rentals. Allows any locality to adopt a uniform schedule of civil penalties for the violation of provisions of the zoning ordinance related to short-term rentals. The schedule of civil penalties shall not exceed (i) $500 for the initial violation, (ii) $1,000 for the second violation, or (iii) $1,500 for the third or subsequent violation, with each day during which the violation is found to have existed constituting a separate offense. The bill provides that designation of a particular
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Sponsored by: Rep. Robert Bloxom
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Land value; DHCD to study tax implications of local governing bodies implementing a tax. [HJR-40]
Study; Department of Housing and Community Development; Study; Department of Housing and Community Development; tax implications of implementing a land value tax; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to study tax implications of local governing bodies implementing a land value tax.
Sponsored by: Rep. Irene Shin
Continued To 2025 In Rules By Voice Vote on 02/01/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local government; alternative and conventional onsite sewage systems. [HB-1052]
Department of Health; local government; alternative and conventional onsite sewage systems. Requires localities to review the Department of Health's database prior to notifying the owners of an alternative or conventional onsite sewage system about their maintenance responsibility. Department of Health; local government; alternative and conventional onsite sewage systems. Requires localities to review the Department of Health's database prior to notifying the owners of an alternative or conventional onsite sewage system about their maintenance
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Sponsored by: Rep. Amanda Batten
Defeated By Senate (18-y 21-n) on 02/28/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Local officials; travel expenses to be paid from public funds that are anticipated to exceed $2,500. [HB-710]
Travel expenses; local officials. Provides that any travel expense of a local official, as defined in the bill, to be paid from public funds that is anticipated to exceed $2,500 shall be subject to approval in advance by a vote of the local governing body in an open meeting. If the final travel expense exceeds the previously approved amount, such expense shall be reported to the governing body and noted in the meeting agenda or meeting minutes within 60 days of the determination. Travel expenses; local officials. Provides that any travel expense
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Sponsored by: Rep. Michael Webert
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Localities; liability for owning or operating vehicle. [HB-704]
Localities; liability for owning or operating vehicle. Provides that in any case in which a locality is the owner of, or operator through medium of a driver of, or otherwise is the insured under the policy upon a vehicle involved in an accident, or is self-insured, the defense of governmental immunity shall not be a bar to action or recovery of damages arising from such accident against such locality.
Sponsored by: Rep. Michael Webert
Left In Courts Of Justice on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Residential dwelling units; rentals for 30 consecutive days or longer. [SB-308]
Residential dwelling units; rentals for 30 consecutive days or longer. Prohibits a locality from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that bans the rental of residential dwelling units for 30 consecutive days or longer. The bill allows a locality by ordinance to regulate such rental if such regulations (i) are reasonable and (ii) do not exceed the requirements for an owner-occupied residential property or a residential property rented for a lease term of 12 months or more in the same zoning district.
Sponsored by: Sen. Jeremy McPike
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0347) on 04/02/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Siting of data centers; site assessment. [SB-285]
Siting of data centers; site assessment. Requires a locality, prior to any approval for the siting of a data center, to require disclosure of water and power usage at full build-out and perform a site assessment to examine the effect of the data center on water usage, the regional electric grid, and carbon emissions as well as any impacts on agricultural, historic, and cultural resources within the locality.
Sponsored by: Sen. Danica Roem
Continued To 2025 In General Laws And Technology (13-y 2-n) on 02/07/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Elections; allows for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. [HB-658]
Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report. Allows elections for any local or constitutional office to be conducted by ranked choice voting. Under current law, only elections of members of a county board of supervisors or a city council are allowed to be conducted by ranked choice voting. The bill also clarifies requirements for conducting elections using ranked choice voting and requires results for elections conducted by ranked choice voting to be reported along with other results reported on election
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Sponsored by: Rep. Joshua Cole
Continued To 2025 In Privileges And Elections By Voice Vote on 01/26/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Zoning appeals, board of; appeal to general district court. [HB-683]
Board of zoning appeals; appeal to general district court. Provides that in the case of an appeal from the board of zoning appeals of an order, requirement, decision, or determination of a zoning administrator, a person aggrieved by any such order, requirement, decision, or determination may file the petition with the clerk of the general district court that shall have jurisdiction to hear such appeal.
Sponsored by: Rep. James Leftwich
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Zoning; solar photovoltaic and energy storage projects. [HB-650]
Zoning; residential and electrical generation projects; period of validity. Provides that the conditions of a special exception or special use permit may include a period of validity; however, in the case of a special exception or special use permit for residential and electrical generation projects, the period of validity shall be no fewer than three years. The bill provides that for so long as a special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit remains valid, no change or amendment to any local ordinance, map, resolution, rule,
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Sponsored by: Rep. Carrie Coyner
Governor: Acts Of Assembly Chapter Text (chap0301) on 04/02/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Gas-powered leaf blowers; local prohibition or regulation, civil penalty. [HB-644]
Local prohibition or regulation of gas-powered leaf blowers; civil penalty. Provides that any locality may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The ordinance may include provisions for a civil penalty.
Sponsored by: Rep. Patrick Hope
Left In Counties, Cities And Towns on 02/13/2024
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Virginia 2024 Regular Session
Siting of data centers; impacts on resources and historically significant sites. [SB-284]
Siting of data centers; impacts on resources and historically significant sites. Provides that any local government land use application required for the siting of a data center shall only be approved in areas where the data center will (i) have a minimal impact on historic, agricultural, and cultural resources and (ii) not be within one mile of a national park, state park, or other historically significant site.
Sponsored by: Sen. Danica Roem
Continued To 2025 In General Laws And Technology (13-y 2-n) on 02/07/2024