republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/sb-85.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; definition of 'caregiver,' remote participation in meetings.	Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definition of "caregiver"; remote participation in meetings by persons with disabilities and caregivers; remote voting. Provides that for purposes of determining whether a quorum is physically assembled, an individual member of a public body who is a person with a disability or a caregiver, defined in the bill, and uses remote participation counts toward the quorum as if the individual was physically present. The bill also provides that the participation policy adopted by a public body, as required by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, shall not prohibit or restrict any individual member of a public body who is participating in an all-virtual meeting or who is using remote participation from voting on matters before the public body. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is identical to HB 1040.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	SB 85	Virginia SB 85 (2024)	bill		enacted	Barbara A. Favola	4	29	5	2024-01-01	2024-04-08	openstates	ocd-bill/49b9f0ae-194f-49c5-b222-0af62b4d5020	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB85	7a4749cd94760556269f5f1366d6ec38f795998eeb6875885dc23205aadd943e	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 85 (2024) — Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definition of 'caregiver,' remote participation in meetings.

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; definition of "caregiver"; remote participation in meetings by persons with disabilities and caregivers; remote voting. Provides that for purposes of determining whether a quorum is physically assembled, an individual member of a public body who is a person with a disability or a caregiver, defined in the bill, and uses remote participation counts toward the quorum as if the individual was physically present. The bill also provides that the participation policy adopted by a public body, as required by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, shall not prohibit or restrict any individual member of a public body who is participating in an all-virtual meeting or who is using remote participation from voting on matters before the public body. As introduced, the bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This bill is identical to HB 1040.

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0617 (committee substitute) — source
2. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101421D (committee substitute) — source
3. Printed as engrossed 24101421D-E (committee substitute) — source
4. SB85ER (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N) — 37–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (95-Y 3-N) — 94–3 (pass) · lower
• Read third time and passed Senate (28-Y 11-N) — 28–11 (pass) · upper
• Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) — 21–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from General Laws and Technology (14-Y 0-N 1-A) — 14–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Barbara A. Favola — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2024-01-01 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101421D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-01 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology referral-committee
• 2024-01-15 Impact statement from DPB (SB85)
• 2024-01-17 Reported from General Laws and Technology (14-Y 0-N 1-A) committee-passage
• 2024-01-19 Constitutional reading dispensed (37-Y 0-N)
• 2024-01-22 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-01-22 Reading of amendment waived
• 2024-01-22 Amendment by Senator Favola agreed to amendment-passage
• 2024-01-22 Engrossed by Senate as amended SB85E
• 2024-01-22 Printed as engrossed 24101421D-E
• 2024-01-23 Read third time and passed Senate (28-Y 11-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-01-24 Impact statement from DPB (SB85E)
• 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
• 2024-02-20 Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-22 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-02-23 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-23 Passed House (95-Y 3-N) passage
• 2024-02-23 VOTE: Passage (95-Y 3-N) passage
• 2024-02-28 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-02-28 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB85ER) passage
• 2024-02-28 Impact statement from DPB (SB85ER)
• 2024-02-28 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-03-02 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
• 2024-04-08 Approved by Governor-Chapter 617 (effective 7/1/24) executive-signature
• 2024-04-08 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0617)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/49b9f0ae-194f-49c5-b222-0af62b4d5020. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).