---
type: "Bill"
title: "Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within 3-year period for water utilities."
description: "Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within three-year period for water utilities. Prohibits a public utility authorized to furnish water or water and sewer service from filing an application for a rate increase more frequently than once in any three-year period. The bill provides exceptions to such prohibition for the utility to file an application (i) for a decrease in rates; (ii) limited to a rate adjustment clause, rider, or surcharge; (iii) for a temporary emergency increase in rates; or (iv) for an increase upon a finding by the State Corporation Commission that extraordinary circumstances exist. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 422"
citation: "Virginia HB 422 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Nicole Cole"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 31
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2026-01-12"
last_action: "2026-04-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/062e8bac-6e3e-42bb-b8b8-1330bce34c5c"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB422"
source_hash: "3f249488e8dbe52d3f2e8577a8c293c46697c1e5eccd48e7cf13d68e86495265"
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 422 (2026) — Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within 3-year period for water utilities.

Water utilities; prohibition of multiple rate increases within three-year period for water utilities. Prohibits a public utility authorized to furnish water or water and sewer service from filing an application for a rate increase more frequently than once in any three-year period. The bill provides exceptions to such prohibition for the utility to file an application (i) for a decrease in rates; (ii) limited to a rate adjustment clause, rider, or surcharge; (iii) for a temporary emergency increase in rates; or (iv) for an increase upon a finding by the State Corporation Commission that extraordinary circumstances exist. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.

## 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/1084364.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217798.PDF)
3. **Labor and Commerce Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103533.PDF)
4. **Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098979.PDF)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212247.PDF)

## Votes

- H VOTE: — **69–29** (pass) · lower
- Passage R — **28–12** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **6–1** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute — **15–7** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Commerce and Labor — **14–1** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **26–12** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Nicole Cole — primary (person)
- Bonita G. Anthony — cosponsor (person)
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker — cosponsor (person)
- Irene Shin — cosponsor (person)
- Joshua G. Cole — cosponsor (person)
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price — cosponsor (person)
- May Nivar — cosponsor (person)
- Michael B. Feggans — cosponsor (person)
- Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)
- Stacey Annie Carroll — cosponsor (person)
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-12** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103989D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-12** Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB422)
- **2026-01-27** House subcommittee offered
- **2026-01-27** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 1-N) `substitution`
- **2026-01-29** Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (15-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-29** Committee substitute printed 26106002D-H1 `substitution`
- **2026-02-02** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-02** Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB422)
- **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 (69-Y 29-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-05** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-05** Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-09** Reported from Commerce and Labor (14-Y 1-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-10** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-10** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-10** Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-11** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-11** Passed Senate (28-Y 12-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-30** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-30** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB422ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-30** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-31** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-31** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-31** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-06** Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB422)
- **2026-04-08** Approved by Governor-Chapter 390 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-08** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0390)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/062e8bac-6e3e-42bb-b8b8-1330bce34c5c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).