---
type: "Bill"
title: "Voting; restrictions on the basis of race."
description: "Voting restrictions on the basis of race. Repeals several Acts of Assembly that implemented and enforced a state poll tax and provided for separate registration records on the basis of race. This bill is identical to HB 1086."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 555"
citation: "Virginia SB 555 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Lionell Spruill, Sr."]
version_count: 3
action_count: 24
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-07"
last_action: "2020-03-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3af6a872-7da2-45b9-be27-2cca51556e27"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB555"
source_hash: "6030d4d5ec2c0cc71a01604feba23c8b32953791a013128478f1d30537099b4d"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 555 (2020) — Voting; restrictions on the basis of race.

Voting restrictions on the basis of race. Repeals several Acts of Assembly that implemented and enforced a state poll tax and provided for separate registration records on the basis of race. This bill is identical to HB 1086.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0377)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0377)
2. **Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB555ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB555ER)
3. **Impact statement from DPB (SB555)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB555)

## Votes

- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (100-Y 0-N) — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N) — **6–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Privileges and Elections (20-Y 0-N) — **20–0** (pass) · lower
- Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Lionell Spruill, Sr. — primary (person)
- Adam P. Ebbin — cosponsor (person)
- David R. Suetterlein — cosponsor (person)
- Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-07** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102509D `introduction`
- **2020-01-07** Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-28** Impact statement from DPB (SB555)
- **2020-01-28** Reported from Privileges and Elections (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-30** Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
- **2020-01-31** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-02-03** Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-02-13** Placed on Calendar
- **2020-02-13** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-13** Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-14** Assigned P & E sub: Elections `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-18** Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-21** Reported from Privileges and Elections (20-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-26** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-26** Passed House BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-26** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (100-Y 0-N)
- **2020-03-03** Enrolled
- **2020-03-03** Impact statement from DPB (SB555ER)
- **2020-03-03** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-03-04** Signed by President
- **2020-03-12** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 12, 2020
- **2020-03-12** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
- **2020-03-18** Approved by Governor-Chapter 377 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3af6a872-7da2-45b9-be27-2cca51556e27`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).