republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-950.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Unmanned aircraft systems; use by public bodies, search warrant required, exceptions."
description: "Use of unmanned aircraft systems by public bodies; search warrant required; exceptions. Adds the Department of Environmental Quality to the list of exceptions to the warrant requirement for the use of an unmanned aircraft system by public bodies for the implementation and civil enforcement of the Virginia Water Resources and Wetlands Protection Program, the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Act, and erosion and sediment control in localities without a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program against a permittee."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 950"
citation: "Virginia HB 950 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alfonso H. Lopez"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 29
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-13"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/41131be7-9c03-4d9e-a91f-b93178a97392"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB950"
source_hash: "908bdcc62df9c7dbca39b593cf913fbd4174aeafded1a7d3e649163008962c2f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 950 (2026) — Unmanned aircraft systems; use by public bodies, search warrant required, exceptions.

Use of unmanned aircraft systems by public bodies; search warrant required; exceptions. Adds the Department of Environmental Quality to the list of exceptions to the warrant requirement for the use of an unmanned aircraft system by public bodies for the implementation and civil enforcement of the Virginia Water Resources and Wetlands Protection Program, the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Act, and erosion and sediment control in localities without a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program against a permittee.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086643.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217065.PDF)
3. **Courts of Justice Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1127468.HTML)
4. **Criminal Subcommittee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101902.HTML)
5. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1129868.PDF)
6. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194334.PDF)

## Votes

- H VOTE: — **63–35** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) — **15–7** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) — **6–3** (pass) · lower
- Passage R — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Alfonso H. Lopez — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-13** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102887D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-23** Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-28** Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 3-N)
- **2026-02-03** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB950)
- **2026-02-04** Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-06** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-09** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-09** committee amendments agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-09** Engrossed by House as amended
- **2026-02-10** Read third time and passed House (63-Y 35-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-11** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-11** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-16** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB950)
- **2026-02-25** Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-27** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-27** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-27** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-02** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-02** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-09** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-09** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB950ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-09** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB950)
- **2026-03-09** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-09** 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 245 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0245)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/41131be7-9c03-4d9e-a91f-b93178a97392`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).