HB256
Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.
Status:
Passed
Latest Action:
March 14, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Chief Patron:
Shelly Simonds (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Introduced. Comprehensive plan; environmental justice strategy.
Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties with populations greater than 100,000 to consider, at the next and all subsequent reviews of the comprehensive plan, adopting an environmental justice strategy. The bill provides that the locality's strategy shall be to identify environmental justice and fenceline communities within the ... (More) jurisdiction of the local planning commission and identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks, to promote civic engagement, and to prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice and fenceline communities, as those terms are defined in the bill. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/09/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103226D
- 01/09/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
- 01/19/2026 - House: Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources
- 01/20/2026 - House: Placed on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Agenda
- 01/21/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)
- 01/27/2026 - House: Placed on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Agenda
- 01/28/2026 - House: Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (15-Y 7-N)
- 01/30/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/02/2026 - House: Read second time and engrossed
- 02/03/2026 - House: Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 02/04/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/04/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
- 02/24/2026 - Senate: Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Local Government (13-Y 0-N)
- 02/24/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Local Government
- 03/02/2026 - Senate: Reported from Local Government with substitute (8-Y 7-N)
- 03/02/2026 - Senate: Committee substitute printed 26109038D-S1
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Read third time
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Local Government Substitute agreed to
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 03/06/2026 - House: Senate substitute agreed to by House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 03/13/2026 - House: Enrolled
- 03/13/2026 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB256ER)
- 03/13/2026 - House: Signed by Speaker
- 03/13/2026 - Senate: Signed by President
- 03/14/2026 - House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
- 03/14/2026 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
