---
type: "Bill"
title: "Helmets; wearing whenever riding/carried on skateboard or scooter or nonmotorized scooter."
description: "Helmets; local authority. Permits localities to adopt ordinances requiring children 14 years of age or younger to wear protective helmets whenever riding or being carried on a motorized skateboard or scooter or a nonmotorized scooter. Current law authorizes localities to adopt such ordinances for riders of bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, toy vehicles, and electric power-assisted bicycles."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 343"
citation: "Virginia HB 343 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Marty Martinez"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 26
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2026-01-12"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/52281f51-d8ad-40be-947f-b47d454ce611"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB343"
source_hash: "7a921cbbc0dd693df0e67c00c47f1d47732ed0c9dac9799bf59e68dd07b19a2b"
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 HB 343 (2026) — Helmets; wearing whenever riding/carried on skateboard or scooter or nonmotorized scooter.

Helmets; local authority. Permits localities to adopt ordinances requiring children 14 years of age or younger to wear protective helmets whenever riding or being carried on a motorized skateboard or scooter or a nonmotorized scooter. Current law authorizes localities to adopt such ordinances for riders of bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices, toy vehicles, and electric power-assisted bicycles.

## 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/1083922.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216459.PDF)
3. **Transportation Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185497.HTML)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1197839.PDF)

## Votes

- S VOTE: — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- S VOTE: — **8–3** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **75–22** (pass) · lower
- Passage R — **21–19** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Transportation — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Transportation — **8–4** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Marty Martinez — primary (person)
- Jackie H. Glass — cosponsor (person)
- Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-12** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100504D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-12** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Assigned HTRAN sub: Highway Safety and Policy `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-21** Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
- **2026-01-22** Reported from Transportation (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-26** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-01-27** Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
- **2026-01-27** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-01-28** Read third time and passed House (75-Y 22-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-01-29** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-01-29** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-26** Reported from Transportation (8-Y 4-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-27** Senate committee offered
- **2026-03-02** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-02** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-02** Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-03** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-03** Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-10** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB343ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-14** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-06** Approved by Governor-Chapter 114 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0114)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/52281f51-d8ad-40be-947f-b47d454ce611`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).