---
type: "Bill"
title: "Geologists; regulations, exemptions."
description: "Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists; exemptions. Exempts the practice of geology by any officer, employee, agent, or contractor of the United States of America when practicing solely as such from the licensing requirements for professional geologists."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 1291"
citation: "Virginia HB 1291 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bill Wiley"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 26
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-14"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/637d2e85-39cf-4c3b-8882-1dfddd414e5e"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1291"
source_hash: "44d3b7600bf35fb442411299eba26dd4795fb33c2adc624eaa688234f727c945"
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 1291 (2026) — Geologists; regulations, exemptions.

Professions and occupations; regulation of geologists; exemptions. Exempts the practice of geology by any officer, employee, agent, or contractor of the United States of America when practicing solely as such from the licensing requirements for professional geologists.

## 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/1088077.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217210.PDF)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209100.PDF)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from General Laws — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **95–1** (pass) · lower
- Reported from General Laws and Technology — **15–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bill Wiley — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-14** Presented and ordered printed 26101526D `introduction`
- **2026-01-14** Referred to Committee on General Laws `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-26** Assigned HGL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-28** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1291)
- **2026-01-29** Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
- **2026-02-03** Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-05** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-06** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-02-09** Read third time and passed House (95-Y 1-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-10** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-10** Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-04** Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-06** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-06** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-06** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-09** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-09** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-14** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-14** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1291ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-14** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-14** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-16** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1291)
- **2026-03-25** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-25** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-06** Approved by Governor-Chapter 282 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0282)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/637d2e85-39cf-4c3b-8882-1dfddd414e5e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).