---
type: "Bill"
title: "Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; expands authority to exercise power of eminent domain."
description: "An Act to amend and reenact §§ 25.1-108, 25.1-109, 28.2-628, 33.2-291, and 33.2-293 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; eminent domain."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 446"
citation: "Virginia HB 446 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Marcus B. Simon"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 37
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2026-01-12"
last_action: "2026-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/071bc6cb-2d3a-416a-8653-129e34de176f"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB446"
source_hash: "b972c4e67612cf885ffcf355cc522ae124cdb4a89e831d9bda0f9fe3ba3bf17b"
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 446 (2026) — Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; expands authority to exercise power of eminent domain.

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 25.1-108, 25.1-109, 28.2-628, 33.2-291, and 33.2-293 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Passenger Rail Authority; eminent domain.

## 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/1084472.PDF)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103022.PDF)
3. **Transportation Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1102015.HTML)
4. **Transportation Infrastructure and Funding Subcommittee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098062.HTML)
5. **Transportation Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186743.PDF)
6. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203382.PDF)

## Votes

- Reported from Transportation with amendment(s) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Transportation with substitute — **12–1** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **73–24** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **37–3** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **78–19** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) — **10–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Marcus B. Simon — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-12** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104511D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-12** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Assigned HTRAN sub: Transportation Infrastructure and Funding `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-27** House subcommittee offered
- **2026-01-27** Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
- **2026-01-29** Reported from Transportation with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-29** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB446)
- **2026-02-02** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-03** Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
- **2026-02-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-03** committee amendments agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-03** Engrossed by House as amended
- **2026-02-04** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB446)
- **2026-02-04** Read third time and passed House (73-Y 24-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-05** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-05** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-26** Senate committee offered
- **2026-02-26** Reported from Transportation with substitute and rereferred to Courts of Justice (12-Y 1-N 2-A) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-27** Committee substitute printed 26108677D-S1 `substitution`
- **2026-03-02** Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-03** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-03** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-03** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-03** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB446)
- **2026-03-04** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-04** Transportation Substitute agreed to
- **2026-03-04** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2026-03-04** Passed Senate with substitute (37-Y 3-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-06** Senate substitute agreed to by House (78-Y 19-N 0-A) `substitution`
- **2026-03-13** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-13** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB446ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB446)
- **2026-03-13** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-13** 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 924 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/071bc6cb-2d3a-416a-8653-129e34de176f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).