republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2018/hb-908.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Virginia Freedom of Information Act; meetings held by electronic communication means.	Removes the Freedom of Information Act requirement that the remote locations from which members of a public body participate in meetings through electronic communication means be open to the public. Instead, members of the public must be provided an electronic communication means substantially equivalent to that provided to members of the public body through which the public may witness the meeting. The bill provides that public access to remote locations from which members of the public body participate through electronic communication means shall be encouraged but not required; however, if three or more members are gathered at the same remote location, such remote location must be open to the public. The bill also amends the annual reporting requirements for public bodies that meet by electronic communication means. This bill is a recommendation of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2018	HB 908	Virginia HB 908 (2018)	bill	Administration of Government Computer Services and Uses Consumer Protection General Assembly	enacted	Roxann L. Robinson	3	15	6	2018-01-09	2018-02-28	openstates	ocd-bill/12caaa14-1c17-4077-8575-e130706fdf49	http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+sum+HB908	6ad3cf1203bdd380fdb2f7dd784119eda6c3f39689859329092c42198ef72e36	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 908 (2018) — Virginia Freedom of Information Act; meetings held by electronic communication means.

Removes the Freedom of Information Act requirement that the remote locations from which members of a public body participate in meetings through electronic communication means be open to the public. Instead, members of the public must be provided an electronic communication means substantially equivalent to that provided to members of the public body through which the public may witness the meeting. The bill provides that public access to remote locations from which members of the public body participate through electronic communication means shall be encouraged but not required; however, if three or more members are gathered at the same remote location, such remote location must be open to the public. The bill also amends the annual reporting requirements for public bodies that meet by electronic communication means. This bill is a recommendation of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0056) (committee substitute) — source
2. House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB908ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18100760D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Constitutional reading dispensed — 40–0 (pass) · legislature
• Reported from General Laws and Technology — 14–0 (pass) · legislature
• Reported from General Laws — 22–0 (pass) · legislature
• Read third time and passed House — 97–0 (pass) · legislature
• Subcommittee recommends reporting — 8–0 (pass) · legislature
• Passed Senate — 40–0 (pass) · legislature

Sponsors

• Roxann L. Robinson — primary (person)
• Kaye Kory — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2018-01-09 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18100760D introduction
• 2018-01-09 Referred to Committee on General Laws referral-committee
• 2018-01-19 Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #4 referral-committee
• 2018-01-29 Read first time reading-1
• 2018-01-30 Read second time and engrossed reading-2
• 2018-01-31 Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2018-02-01 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2018-02-01 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology referral-committee
• 2018-02-15 Read third time reading-3
• 2018-02-19 Enrolled
• 2018-02-19 Signed by Speaker
• 2018-02-21 Signed by President
• 2018-02-22 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/22/18
• 2018-02-22 Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 1, 2018
• 2018-02-28 Approved by Governor-Chapter 56 (effective 7/1/18) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/12caaa14-1c17-4077-8575-e130706fdf49. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).