---
type: "Bill"
title: "Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings."
description: "Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings. Makes various changes to provisions governing eminent domain, primarily relating to procedures in condemnation proceedings and the transfer of a defeasible title by certificate. The bill specifies that, in a condemnation proceeding initiated by an authorized condemnor or the Commissioner of Highways, a certificate transferring a defeasible title shall include certain information describing the property and any rights to the property being taken or damaged. Finally, the bill repeals the requirement that the court refer a matter initiating a condemnation proceeding to a dispute resolution orientation."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 1158"
citation: "Virginia SB 1158 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mark D. Obenshain"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 45
vote_count: 11
first_action: "2025-01-07"
last_action: "2025-04-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5ba17809-6f6f-44c0-9097-337f7e49f57a"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1158"
source_hash: "a509227098dc3865d08d9481e62ad7a6896a8cdc8f4a1c216fd0e44bfa91f565"
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 1158 (2025) — Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings.

Eminent domain; condemnation proceedings. Makes various changes to provisions governing eminent domain, primarily relating to procedures in condemnation proceedings and the transfer of a defeasible title by certificate. The bill specifies that, in a condemnation proceeding initiated by an authorized condemnor or the Commissioner of Highways, a certificate transferring a defeasible title shall include certain information describing the property and any rights to the property being taken or damaged. Finally, the bill repeals the requirement that the court refer a matter initiating a condemnation proceeding to a dispute resolution orientation.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1018400.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079235.PDF)
3. **Courts of Justice Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1026370.PDF)
4. **Courts of Justice Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1053814.HTML)
5. **Governor's Recommendation** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073910.HTML)
6. **House Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1061592.HTML)
7. **Reenrolled** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1075366.PDF)
8. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068608.PDF)

## Votes

- House concurred in Governor's recommendation (96-Y 0-N) — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 1-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- House Amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 1-N) — **39–1** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N) — **7–1** (pass) · lower
- Passed House (97-Y 0-N) — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Mark D. Obenshain — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-07** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25102949D `filing, introduction`
- **2025-01-07** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-22** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-22** Committee substitute printed 25105772D-S1 `substitution`
- **2025-01-28** Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-29** Rules suspended
- **2025-01-29** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N)
- **2025-01-29** Passed by for the day
- **2025-01-30** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-01-30** Reading of substitute waived
- **2025-01-30** Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
- **2025-01-30** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2025-01-30** Rules suspended
- **2025-01-30** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 1-N)
- **2025-01-30** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-04** Placed on Calendar
- **2025-02-04** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2025-02-04** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-04** Assigned Courts sub: Civil `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-05** Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N)
- **2025-02-14** Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-18** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2025-02-19** Courts of Justice Amendments agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2025-02-19** Engrossed by House as amended
- **2025-02-19** Passed House with amendments (97-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-19** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1158)
- **2025-02-20** House Amendments agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N) `amendment-passage`
- **2025-03-07** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-03-07** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1158ER) `passage`
- **2025-03-07** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-03-10** Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-03-11** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 `enrolled`
- **2025-03-11** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 `executive-receipt`
- **2025-03-12** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1158)
- **2025-03-24** Governor's recommendation received by Senate `executive-veto-line-item`
- **2025-04-02** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
- **2025-04-02** House concurred in Governor's recommendation (96-Y 0-N)
- **2025-04-02** Governor's recommendation adopted `executive-signature`
- **2025-04-02** Reenrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-04-02** Reenrolled bill text (SB1158ER2) `enrolled`
- **2025-04-02** Signed by President as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
- **2025-04-02** Signed by Speaker as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
- **2025-04-02** Enacted, Chapter 617 (Effective 07/01/2025 - see bill) `became-law`
- **2025-04-02** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0617)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5ba17809-6f6f-44c0-9097-337f7e49f57a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).