---
type: "Bill"
title: "Space Force; extension of certain benefits and privileges for persons serving in Armed Forces."
description: "Space Force; extension of certain benefits andprivileges for persons serving in a branch of the Armed Forces. Amends several provisions of law related to certain benefits andprivileges available to persons serving or having served in a branchof the Armed Forces to include the Space Force as an eligible branch."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 738"
citation: "Virginia HB 738 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Briana D. Sewell"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 37
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2024-01-09"
last_action: "2024-04-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2d4899b5-f1d3-4c4c-a58b-244cbbb75cd1"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB738"
source_hash: "7dbedabd017c5ef57a0253c559bcb0d3e5f9ff3b1e1d956b0cf94c9fcc7d1d06"
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 738 (2024) — Space Force; extension of certain benefits and privileges for persons serving in Armed Forces.

Space Force; extension of certain benefits andprivileges for persons serving in a branch of the Armed Forces. Amends several provisions of law related to certain benefits andprivileges available to persons serving or having served in a branchof the Armed Forces to include the Space Force as an eligible branch.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0817** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+CHAP0817)
2. **Governor's substitute printed 24108766D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB738H1)
3. **HB738ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB738ER)
4. **HB738ER2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB738ER2)
5. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101018D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB738)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- BLOCK VOTE: (100-Y 0-N) — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N) — **6–0** (pass) · lower
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Public Safety (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Briana D. Sewell — primary (person)
- Bill Wiley — cosponsor (person)
- Jackie H. Glass — cosponsor (person)
- Jason S. Ballard — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-09** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101018D `filing, introduction`
- **2024-01-09** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-19** Assigned PS sub: Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-25** Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N)
- **2024-01-26** Reported from Public Safety (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-01-30** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2024-01-31** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2024-02-01** Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-02-01** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2024-02-02** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2024-02-02** Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-12** Impact statement from DPB (HB738)
- **2024-02-14** Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-16** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2024-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2024-02-19** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2024-02-22** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2024-02-22** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB738ER) `passage`
- **2024-02-22** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2024-02-25** Signed by President `passage`
- **2024-02-28** Impact statement from DPB (HB738ER)
- **2024-03-01** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 1, 2024 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-01** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 8, 2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-08** Governor's recommendation received by House `executive-veto-line-item`
- **2024-03-08** Governor's substitute printed 24108766D-H1
- **2024-03-09** Placed on Calendar
- **2024-03-09** Passed by until Reconvene, Wednesday, April 17, 2024
- **2024-04-17** House concurred in Governor's recommendation BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N)
- **2024-04-17** BLOCK VOTE: (100-Y 0-N)
- **2024-04-17** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
- **2024-04-17** Governor's recommendation adopted `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-17** Reenrolled `enrolled`
- **2024-04-17** Reenrolled bill text (HB738ER2) `enrolled`
- **2024-04-17** Signed by Speaker as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
- **2024-04-17** Signed by President as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
- **2024-04-17** Enacted, Chapter 817 (effective 7/1/24) `became-law`
- **2024-04-17** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0817)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2d4899b5-f1d3-4c4c-a58b-244cbbb75cd1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).