republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-88.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	Highway rights-of-way; invasive species.	Highway rights-of-way; invasive species. Prohibits the Commonwealth Transportation Board (the Board) and Commissioner of Highways from planting or causing or suffering to be planted any invasive plant on the list of invasive plants created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation on the right-of-way of any state highway. Current law prohibits the planting of three listed plants if the governing body of the locality declares such weeds or plants to be injurious and requires the Board to remove such plants. The bill removes such requirement for the Board to remove such plants and requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a review of the processes and resources that are necessary and appropriate to (i) determine the prevalence of invasive plants on the list of invasive plant species created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and develop options for establishing and implementing a plan to remove or control such plants and manage such plants on an ongoing basis.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	HB 88	Virginia HB 88 (2026)	bill		enacted	Amy J. Laufer	7	37	9	2026-01-01	2026-04-06	openstates	ocd-bill/5c45255d-0c41-40f4-a4c7-c3d4e3d72349	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB88	ef6f72acdbe2e30e1964c35f85f893ac2d4ee0bff33e2ee13005517f782d9653	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 88 (2026) — Highway rights-of-way; invasive species.

Highway rights-of-way; invasive species. Prohibits the Commonwealth Transportation Board (the Board) and Commissioner of Highways from planting or causing or suffering to be planted any invasive plant on the list of invasive plants created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation on the right-of-way of any state highway. Current law prohibits the planting of three listed plants if the governing body of the locality declares such weeds or plants to be injurious and requires the Board to remove such plants. The bill removes such requirement for the Board to remove such plants and requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a review of the processes and resources that are necessary and appropriate to (i) determine the prevalence of invasive plants on the list of invasive plant species created by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and develop options for establishing and implementing a plan to remove or control such plants and manage such plants on an ongoing basis.

Version chain

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

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Appropriations Substitute (committee substitute) — source
3. Chaptered (committee substitute) — source
4. Transportation & Public Safety Subcommittee Substitute (committee substitute) — source
5. Transportation Infrastructure and Funding Subcommittee Substitute (committee substitute) — source
6. Transportation Substitute (committee substitute) — source
7. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Reported from Transportation with substitute — 21–0 (pass) · lower
• Passage R — 37–0 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 98–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Transportation — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — 10–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Appropriations with substitute — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — 7–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Finance and Appropriations — 13–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Amy J. Laufer — primary (person)
• Holly M. Seibold — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2026-01-01 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102366D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-01 Referred to Committee on Transportation referral-committee
• 2026-01-19 Assigned HTRAN sub: Transportation Infrastructure and Funding referral-committee
• 2026-01-21 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB88)
• 2026-01-27 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2026-01-29 Reported from Transportation with substitute and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-01-29 Committee substitute printed 26106402D-H1 substitution
• 2026-01-29 Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety referral-committee
• 2026-02-04 House subcommittee offered
• 2026-02-04 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2026-02-06 Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-06 Committee substitute printed 26107203D-H2 substitution
• 2026-02-10 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-11 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-11 committee substitute rejected
• 2026-02-11 committee substitute agreed to substitution
• 2026-02-11 Engrossed by House - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-02-12 Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-13 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
• 2026-02-13 Referred to Committee on Transportation referral-committee
• 2026-02-19 Reported from Transportation and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-25 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-26 Rules suspended
• 2026-02-26 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-02-26 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-02-26 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB88)
• 2026-02-27 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-02-27 Passed Senate (37-Y 0-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-03-04 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-04 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB88ER) passage
• 2026-03-04 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB88)
• 2026-03-04 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-04 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-10 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-10 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-06 Approved by Governor-Chapter 63 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature
• 2026-04-06 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0063)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/5c45255d-0c41-40f4-a4c7-c3d4e3d72349. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).