republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-816.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	FOIA; meetings held through electronic communication during declared states of emergency.	Virginia Freedom of Information Act; effective date of procedures for conducting meetings held through electronic communication means during declared states of emergency. Provides that the provisions for conducting a meeting by electronic means due to a state of emergency stated in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are declarative of existing law since March 20, 2020, with respect to the Governor's declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Under the bill, any meeting by a public body using electronic communication means occurring from that date until July 1, 2021, and any otherwise lawful action taken at it is validated with respect to FOIA if the body provided public notice, public access, and public comment commensurate with the requirements of existing FOIA provisions regarding electronic and closed meetings. The bill is a response to the case Berry v. Bd. of Supervisors (Va. 2023) and is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is identical to SB 244.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	HB 816	Virginia HB 816 (2024)	bill		enacted	Mike A. Cherry	3	25	6	2024-01-09	2024-04-02	openstates	ocd-bill/51f1f067-5da7-46fa-94c8-f9cecbeb20f3	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB816	54df1314c0bf93af30aa5e39c3081a587df68f6d8876ae28875fac8601202103	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 816 (2024) — FOIA; meetings held through electronic communication during declared states of emergency.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; effective date of procedures for conducting meetings held through electronic communication means during declared states of emergency. Provides that the provisions for conducting a meeting by electronic means due to a state of emergency stated in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are declarative of existing law since March 20, 2020, with respect to the Governor's declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Under the bill, any meeting by a public body using electronic communication means occurring from that date until July 1, 2021, and any otherwise lawful action taken at it is validated with respect to FOIA if the body provided public notice, public access, and public comment commensurate with the requirements of existing FOIA provisions regarding electronic and closed meetings. The bill is a response to the case Berry v. Bd. of Supervisors (Va. 2023) and is a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is identical to SB 244.

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0305 (committee substitute) — source
2. HB816ER (committee substitute) — source
3. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104450D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Reported from General Laws (20-Y 0-N) — 20–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from General Laws and Technology (9-Y 0-N) — 9–0 (pass) · upper
• Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — 38–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) — 98–0 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N) — 7–0 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Mike A. Cherry — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2024-01-09 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104450D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-09 Referred to Committee on General Laws referral-committee
• 2024-01-18 Impact statement from DPB (HB816)
• 2024-01-26 Assigned GL sub: Procurement/Open Government referral-committee
• 2024-02-06 Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)
• 2024-02-08 Reported from General Laws (20-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-11 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-02-12 Read second time and engrossed reading-2
• 2024-02-13 Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-13 VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-14 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2024-02-14 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology referral-committee
• 2024-02-21 Reported from General Laws and Technology (9-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-23 Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
• 2024-02-26 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-26 Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-29 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-02-29 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB816ER) passage
• 2024-02-29 Impact statement from DPB (HB816ER)
• 2024-02-29 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-03-03 Signed by President passage
• 2024-03-11 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2024-03-11 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-04-02 Approved by Governor-Chapter 305 (effective 7/1/24) executive-signature
• 2024-04-02 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0305)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/51f1f067-5da7-46fa-94c8-f9cecbeb20f3. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).