---
type: "Bill"
title: "Transit buses; exempts a manufacturer, etc., engaged in distribution from certain requirements."
description: "Transit buses. Exempts a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or factory or distributor representative engaged in the manufacture or distribution of transit buses from the requirements of obtaining a license from the Department of Motor Vehicles to engage in business. The bill also exempts transit buses from dealer's license plate and temporary license plate requirements."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2022"
identifier: "SB 281"
citation: "Virginia SB 281 (2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Adam P. Ebbin"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 43
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2022-01-11"
last_action: "2022-04-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d91a45bc-62f2-44f0-a66e-faeadd7f1bff"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+sum+SB281"
source_hash: "5eec3c85944836616ad8d6cd861ff39a602898c79bd1d4c2061561665f2b8836"
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 281 (2022) — Transit buses; exempts a manufacturer, etc., engaged in distribution from certain requirements.

Transit buses. Exempts a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or factory or distributor representative engaged in the manufacture or distribution of transit buses from the requirements of obtaining a license from the Department of Motor Vehicles to engage in business. The bill also exempts transit buses from dealer's license plate and temporary license plate requirements.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0718** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0718)
2. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22100708D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB281)
3. **Printed as engrossed 22100708D-E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB281E)
4. **SB281ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB281ER)
5. **SB281ER2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB281ER2)

## Votes

- VOTE: Adoption (100-Y 0-N) — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Transportation with amendments (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- House amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Transportation with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (9-Y 0-N) — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Adam P. Ebbin — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-01-11** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22100708D `introduction`
- **2022-01-11** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2022-01-27** Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-01-27** Reported from Transportation with amendments (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-01-28** Impact statement from DPB (SB281)
- **2022-01-31** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-01** Printed as engrossed 22100708D-E
- **2022-02-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-02-01** Reading of amendments waived
- **2022-02-01** Committee amendments agreed to
- **2022-02-01** Engrossed by Senate as amended SB281E
- **2022-02-02** Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-22** Placed on Calendar
- **2022-02-22** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2022-02-22** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-22** Assigned Transportation sub: Subcommittee #1 Department of Motor Vehicles `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-01** House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2022-03-01** Impact statement from DPB (SB281E)
- **2022-03-01** Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (9-Y 0-N)
- **2022-03-01** Reported from Transportation with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-03-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-03-04** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2022-03-04** Committee amendments agreed to
- **2022-03-04** Engrossed by House as amended
- **2022-03-04** Passed House with amendments BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2022-03-04** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N)
- **2022-03-08** House amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N)
- **2022-03-10** Enrolled
- **2022-03-10** Signed by President
- **2022-03-10** Signed by Speaker
- **2022-03-11** Impact statement from DPB (SB281ER)
- **2022-03-22** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 22, 2022
- **2022-03-22** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2022
- **2022-04-11** Governor's recommendation received by Senate
- **2022-04-27** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-04-27** House concurred in Governor's recommendation BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N)
- **2022-04-27** VOTE: Adoption (100-Y 0-N)
- **2022-04-27** Governor's recommendation adopted
- **2022-04-27** Reenrolled
- **2022-04-27** Reenrolled bill text (SB281ER2)
- **2022-04-27** Signed by President as reenrolled
- **2022-04-27** Signed by Speaker as reenrolled
- **2022-04-27** Enacted, Chapter 718 (effective 7/1/22) `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d91a45bc-62f2-44f0-a66e-faeadd7f1bff`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).