republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/hb-554.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Zoning; wireless communications infrastructure."
description: "Zoning for wireless communications infrastructure. Authorizes a locality to disapprove an application submitted for an administrative review-eligible project or for any zoning approval required for a standard process project that proposes to locate a new structure, or to co-locate a wireless facility, in an area where all cable and public utility facilities are required to be placed underground by a date certain or encouraged to be undergrounded as part of a transportation improvement project or rezoning proceeding as set forth in objectives contained in a comprehensive plan, on grounds that an applicant has not given written notice to adjacent landowners at least 15 days before it applies to locate a new structure in the area."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 554"
citation: "Virginia HB 554 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Schuyler T. VanValkenburg"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 31
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-06"
last_action: "2020-03-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bd124f35-95f4-47af-914f-c17426460a42"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB554"
source_hash: "f1aa8ed00980591cbda9a8683cd9ac5ad964a2f134b09c510d1e7ad13affbda0"
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 554 (2020) — Zoning; wireless communications infrastructure.

Zoning for wireless communications infrastructure. Authorizes a locality to disapprove an application submitted for an administrative review-eligible project or for any zoning approval required for a standard process project that proposes to locate a new structure, or to co-locate a wireless facility, in an area where all cable and public utility facilities are required to be placed underground by a date certain or encouraged to be undergrounded as part of a transportation improvement project or rezoning proceeding as set forth in objectives contained in a comprehensive plan, on grounds that an applicant has not given written notice to adjacent landowners at least 15 days before it applies to locate a new structure in the area.

## Version chain

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

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0344)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0344)
2. **Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB554ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB554ER)
3. **Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB554H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB554H1)
4. **Impact statement from DHCD (HB554)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB554)

## Votes

- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Local Government (14-Y 0-N) — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Referred from Communications, Technology and Innovation — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Passed Senate (37-Y 0-N 1-A) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-01-06** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102447D `introduction`
- **2020-01-06** Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-18** Impact statement from DHCD (HB554)
- **2020-01-20** Referred from Communications, Technology and Innovation
- **2020-01-20** Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-21** Assigned CC & T sub: Land Use `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-30** House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2020-01-31** House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2020-01-31** Committee substitute printed 20107159D-H1 `substitution`
- **2020-01-31** Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-04** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-05** Committee substitute agreed to 20107159D-H1
- **2020-02-05** Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB554H1
- **2020-02-06** Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-02-06** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-07** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2020-02-07** Referred to Committee on Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-17** Reported from Local Government (14-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-18** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-19** Passed by for the day
- **2020-02-20** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-20** Passed by for the day
- **2020-02-21** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-21** Passed Senate (37-Y 0-N 1-A) `passage`
- **2020-02-26** Enrolled
- **2020-02-27** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-02-27** Signed by President
- **2020-03-05** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 5, 2020
- **2020-03-05** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 12, 2020
- **2020-03-12** Approved by Governor-Chapter 344 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bd124f35-95f4-47af-914f-c17426460a42`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).