republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-1266.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	Environmental Justice in Permitting Process Guidance Memo; DEQ to publish an updated version.	Department of Environmental Quality; Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo; cumulative impacts. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to publish an updated version of the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo for public comment. The bill requires the updated memo to consider how to assess the cumulative impacts of the types of permits covered in the guidance memo and outreach strategies to engage communities impacted by any such permit. The bill requires the public comment period process to include two public town halls held no later than July 31, 2026, and requires the Department to respond to the public comments by October 31, 2026. The Department is required to issue the final guidance memo by December 31, 2026.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	HB 1266	Virginia HB 1266 (2026)	bill		enacted	Kathy K.L. Tran	8	45	9	2026-01-14	2026-04-08	openstates	ocd-bill/f634aa9a-1cbc-42bf-b747-e6bad87fe42b	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1266	36a7c5361536a3d56d0468c59204d47ffd3e9da54106e058f255098d0da9c68e	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 1266 (2026) — Environmental Justice in Permitting Process Guidance Memo; DEQ to publish an updated version.

Department of Environmental Quality; Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo; cumulative impacts. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to publish an updated version of the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo for public comment. The bill requires the updated memo to consider how to assess the cumulative impacts of the types of permits covered in the guidance memo and outreach strategies to engage communities impacted by any such permit. The bill requires the public comment period process to include two public town halls held no later than July 31, 2026, and requires the Department to respond to the public comments by October 31, 2026. The Department is required to issue the final guidance memo by December 31, 2026.

Version chain

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

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Substitute (committee substitute) — source
3. Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute (committee substitute) — source
4. Chaptered (committee substitute) — source
5. Delegate Tran Amendments (committee substitute) — source
6. Engrossed (committee substitute) — source
7. Natural Resources Subcommittee Substitute (committee substitute) — source
8. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Subcommittee recommends reporting — 5–2 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute — 9–5 (pass) · upper
• Passage R — 22–18 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 62–34 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Appropriations — 16–6 (pass) · lower
• H VOTE: — 65–34 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — 7–3 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute — 15–7 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Kathy K.L. Tran — primary (person)
• Rae Cousins — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2026-01-14 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103003D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-14 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2026-02-09 Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2026-02-10 House subcommittee offered
• 2026-02-11 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N) substitution
• 2026-02-11 Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-11 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1266)
• 2026-02-11 Committee substitute printed 26107166D-H1 substitution
• 2026-02-11 Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2026-02-13 Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N)
• 2026-02-13 Reported from Appropriations (16-Y 6-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-15 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-16 Floor offered Delegate Tran Amendments
• 2026-02-16 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-16 committee substitute agreed to substitution
• 2026-02-16 Delegate Tran Floor amendments agreed to amendment-passage
• 2026-02-16 Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended substitution
• 2026-02-16 Engrossed bill reprinted 26107166D
• 2026-02-17 Read third time and passed House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-18 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
• 2026-02-18 Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2026-02-23 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1266)
• 2026-03-03 Senate committee offered
• 2026-03-03 Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (9-Y 5-N 1-A) committee-passage
• 2026-03-04 Committee substitute printed 26109125D-S1 substitution
• 2026-03-05 Rules suspended
• 2026-03-05 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-03-05 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-03-06 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-03-09 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1266)
• 2026-03-09 Passed by for the day
• 2026-03-10 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-03-10 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute agreed to
• 2026-03-10 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-03-10 Passed Senate with substitute (22-Y 18-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-03-11 Senate substitute agreed to by House (65-Y 34-N 0-A) substitution
• 2026-03-30 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-30 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1266ER) passage
• 2026-03-30 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-31 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-31 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-31 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-01 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1266)
• 2026-04-08 Approved by Governor-Chapter 461 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature
• 2026-04-08 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0461)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/f634aa9a-1cbc-42bf-b747-e6bad87fe42b. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).