FOIA Fees Legislation Advances
SB 1029 (Roem) is a revised version of past bills introduced by the patron and opposed by VACo to provide free or reduced requester fees for FOIA requests to public bodies. The introduced version is based on a workgroup of stakeholders that held several meetings over the past year under the umbrella of the Freedom […]
Money Committees Release Budget Proposals
The House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees met on Sunday to report their respective budget proposals. Further details on both budgets will be available later today, and VACo will be providing more analysis later this week. Overall, the two budgets are in accord on several major items, including tax relief proposals and the […]
ACTION ITEM: Oppose Bill to Mandate Statewide Standards for Solar Facilities
HB 2438 (Mundon King) requires that, unless otherwise permitted “by right,” a locality shall require a “special exception” (aka special use permit) for any a solar or energy storage project. The legislation then includes the following criteria to be adopted in local zoning ordinances: Setback distances between (1) 150 and 300 feet from houses on […]
Bills to Mandate Counties put State Targets for Utility-Scale Solar in Comprehensive Plans Fail
SB 1190 (Deeds) and HB 2126 (Sullivan), legislation to mandate that every locality incorporate into its comprehensive plan targets for utility-scale solar energy production, failed to pass in their respective chambers. SB 1190 failed to pass on the Senate floor after being passed by for the day on the final day before “crossover” when all […]
Water Reporting Bills Amended in VACo’s Favor
HB 2407 (Scott, P.A.) and SB 1408 (Reeves), as introduced, would require waterworks to report any operational anomaly, regardless of severity, that could affect water quality, public health, or service continuity to the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water (the Office) within 24 hours of discovery. This would include instances of pump failures, […]
Bill that Would Repeal Local Authority Related to Towing is in Better Posture
SB 1332 (Marsden) and HB 2214 (McQuinn) as introduced, would repeal the authority for localities to establish trespass towing fees, with exceptions, and require the State Corporation Commission to establish such fees statewide and adjust such fees annually. VACo opposed SB 1332 and HB 2214 as introduced because these bills stripped localities of little authority […]
Two Short-Term Rental Bills Advance and Two Fail to Move Forward
HB 2383 (Mundon King) and SB 1402 (Surovell), which reflect a compromise between Airbnb and Commissioners of the Revenue, have passed their respective originating chambers. Airbnb has agreed to comply with current law requiring monthly reporting of property addresses and gross receipts for all accommodations facilitated by in each locality. This information will allow transient […]
Inter-Basin Water Transfer Bill Defeated
SB 923 (Stuart), as substituted and amended, would prohibit the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) from issuing a Virginia Water Protection Permit for a surface water withdrawal if more than 6 million gallons of water per day would be returned to a different river basin. SB 923 imposes strict limitations on the ability of water utilities […]
Finance Roundup
As the 2025 session approaches the crossover deadline for bills to emerge from their chambers of origin, several finance-related bills of interest have advanced, as outlined below: Property tax exemptions: HB 1896 (Willett) relates to certain property that is tax-exempt by classification (such as property owned by the Commonwealth or by religious institutions, or nonprofit […]
Additional Bills of Interest
The following are bills that VACo has been monitoring, as they will affect local government operations fiscally or operationally. Eminent Domain Bills Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings. SB 1158 (Obenshain) adds additional responsibilities to parties who condemn property, primarily relating to procedures in condemnation and the transfer of a defeasible title by certificate. The bill sets forth […]
ACTION ITEM: Oppose Bill to Create “Housing Approval Board” with Authority to Overturn Local Land Use Decisions
HB 2641 (Helmer) establishes a three-member Housing Approval Board with authority to overturn local land use decisions and to automatically approve such applications that will have the effect of increasing the supply of housing in a locality, if a locality has not made a “good faith effort” to meet required housing targets over a five-year […]
ACTION ITEM: Transportation Services Mandate Heads to House and Senate Floors for Vote
SB 919 (Salim) / HB 2619 (Helmer), two problematic bills, are headed for floor votes in the House and Senate. ACTION REQUIRED: Contact members of the House of Delegates (HOUSE OF DELEGATES 1 | HOUSE OF DELEGATES 2) and Senate of Virginia today to strongly oppose. SB 919 and HB 2619 would require the governing body of […]
BPOL Legislation Needs Thorough Review
HB 1743 (Watts) deals with the ability of businesses to deduct gross receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country from taxation under the BPOL tax. Under current law, receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country in which the taxpayer is liable for an income tax or other […]
Local Authority to Appoint School Boards Preemption Bill Defeated
On January 30, SB 1404 (Pekarsky), which requires election as the method of selecting the members of each school board in the Commonwealth and makes several changes to eliminate provisions relating to appointed school boards, was defeated in the Senate Education and Health Committee by failing to report on a vote of 6-7-2. As previously […]
Affordable Housing Assessment Legislation Improved
HB 2245 (Callsen), as introduced, would require affordable housing property operated under certain federal housing programs to be assessed using the income approach, based on the analysis of certain enumerated data points. Under current law, in valuing affordable housing properties, assessors are required to consider the contract rent and the impact of applicable rent restrictions; […]
Bills to Eliminate Grocery Tax, Restrict Meals Tax Authority Fail
HB 2006 (McNamara) and SB 1172 (Suetterlein), similar bills that would have eliminated the 1 percent local option sales and use tax on groceries, have failed to emerge from their respective committees. VACo opposed both bills; although the legislation proposed to replace the lost revenue with a state appropriation based on each city and county’s […]