---
type: "Bill"
title: "Constitutional amendment; marriage between two adult persons, repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition."
description: "Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that requires the equal treatment under the law of a lawful marriage between two adult persons regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The amendment also repeals the current provision that defines marriage as only a union between one man and one woman. This bill is identical to SB 311."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 612"
citation: "Virginia HB 612 (2026)"
classification: ["constitutional amendment"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Laura Jane Cohen"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 26
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2026-01-13"
last_action: "2026-02-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4d17fef5-5a21-4d40-870c-e3753d147618"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB612"
source_hash: "56012fc0306a8d50f3c9d222e874a801b3c4c30d934ca666d8407fd30eab724a"
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 612 (2026) — Constitutional amendment; marriage between two adult persons, repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that requires the equal treatment under the law of a lawful marriage between two adult persons regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The amendment also repeals the current provision that defines marriage as only a union between one man and one woman. This bill is identical to SB 311.

## 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/1085171.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169217.PDF)
3. **Privileges and Elections Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1094918.PDF)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108645.PDF)

## Votes

- H VOTE: — **66–32** (pass) · lower
- Passage R — **24–16** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute — **16–6** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Privileges and Elections — **8–5** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Laura Jane Cohen — primary (person)
- Amy J. Laufer — cosponsor (person)
- Atoosa R. Reaser — cosponsor (person)
- Betsy B. Carr — cosponsor (person)
- Garrett McGuire — cosponsor (person)
- Jackie H. Glass — cosponsor (person)
- Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-13** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101672D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** House committee offered
- **2026-01-22** House committee offered
- **2026-01-23** Committee substitute printed 26105972D-H1 `substitution`
- **2026-01-23** Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (16-Y 6-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-27** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-01-28** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-01-28** committee substitute agreed to `substitution`
- **2026-01-28** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2026-01-29** Read third time and passed House (66-Y 32-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-01-29** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-01-29** Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-30** Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 5-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-30** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-02** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-02-02** Passed Senate (24-Y 16-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-02-04** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-02-04** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB612ER) `passage`
- **2026-02-04** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-02-04** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-02-04** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 04, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-02-04** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., February 11, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-02-06** Approved by Governor-Chapter 1 (effective July 1, 2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-02-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0001)
- **2026-02-11** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB612)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4d17fef5-5a21-4d40-870c-e3753d147618`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).