republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/sb-244.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 HB 816.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	SB 244	Virginia SB 244 (2024)	bill		enacted	Jeremy S. McPike	3	24	5	2024-01-09	2024-04-02	openstates	ocd-bill/c5e1739b-13d5-494e-86f3-92d6f192de91	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB244	c3f4b4323e97ee047b79e872e5bd68c787f89ba54579d9bc53b4fd07a5d5a906	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 244 (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 HB 816. 

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0344 (committee substitute) — source
2. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104842D (committee substitute) — source
3. SB244ER (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) — 97–0 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) — 37–0 (pass) · upper
• Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N) — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Jeremy S. McPike — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2024-01-09 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104842D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-09 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology referral-committee
• 2024-01-15 Impact statement from DPB (SB244)
• 2024-01-24 Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-01-26 Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
• 2024-01-29 Read second time and engrossed reading-2
• 2024-01-30 Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-13 Placed on Calendar
• 2024-02-13 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-02-13 Referred to Committee on General Laws referral-committee
• 2024-02-15 Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-19 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-02-20 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-20 Passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-20 VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-26 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-02-26 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB244ER) passage
• 2024-02-26 Impact statement from DPB (SB244ER)
• 2024-02-26 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-02-29 Signed by President passage
• 2024-03-11 Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 enrolled
• 2024-03-11 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-04-02 Approved by Governor-Chapter 344 (effective 7/1/24) executive-signature
• 2024-04-02 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0344)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/c5e1739b-13d5-494e-86f3-92d6f192de91. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).