---
type: "Bill"
title: "Data centers; Department of Energy shall lead efforts to accelerate use of waste heat, report."
description: "Department of Energy; use of waste heat from data centers; findings and recommendations; work group; report. Directs the Department of Energy to lead efforts to accelerate the use of waste heat from data centers in the Commonwealth by making certain findings and recommendations and convening a work group to provide expertise, assistance, and feedback on the Department's efforts. The bill requires the Department to submit a report of its efforts, findings, legislative proposals, and recommendations no later than September 1, 2026."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 323"
citation: "Virginia HB 323 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Richard C. \"Rip\" Sullivan, Jr."]
version_count: 5
action_count: 32
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2026-01-11"
last_action: "2026-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d8897c10-6c67-4c7e-aedb-1edf5dba55ab"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB323"
source_hash: "4ffd531a0da29a10732ddd53a8f51bad4f60b129ee3a51bfc8191bd85e0a891d"
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 323 (2026) — Data centers; Department of Energy shall lead efforts to accelerate use of waste heat, report.

Department of Energy; use of waste heat from data centers; findings and recommendations; work group; report. Directs the Department of Energy to lead efforts to accelerate the use of waste heat from data centers in the Commonwealth by making certain findings and recommendations and convening a work group to provide expertise, assistance, and feedback on the Department's efforts. The bill requires the Department to submit a report of its efforts, findings, legislative proposals, and recommendations no later than September 1, 2026.

## 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/1083848.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219027.PDF)
3. **Labor and Commerce Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103525.PDF)
4. **Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098975.PDF)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201090.PDF)

## Votes

- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **6–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Commerce and Labor — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **97–1** (pass) · lower
- Passage R — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. — primary (person)
- Amy J. Laufer — cosponsor (person)
- Nicole Cole — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-11** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101896D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-11** Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-27** House subcommittee offered
- **2026-01-27** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 0-N) `substitution`
- **2026-01-29** Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-29** Committee substitute printed 26106339D-H1 `substitution`
- **2026-02-02** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-03** committee substitute agreed to `substitution`
- **2026-02-03** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2026-02-04** Read third time and passed House (97-Y 1-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-04** Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
- **2026-02-04** Passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-02-05** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB323)
- **2026-02-05** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-05** Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-02** Reported from Commerce and Labor (13-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-04** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-04** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-04** Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-05** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-05** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-12** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB323ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB323)
- **2026-03-12** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-12** 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`
- **2026-04-13** Approved by Governor-Chapter 591 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-13** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0591)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d8897c10-6c67-4c7e-aedb-1edf5dba55ab`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).