republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/sb-716.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with U.S. Department of Transportation."
description: "Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation; National Environmental Policy Act. Authorizes the Commissioner of Highways to enter into agreements for a term of five years with the U.S. Department of Transportation, as provided for in federal law, regarding state assumption of responsibility for categorical exclusions and the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program. The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume certain responsibilities of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation pursuant to such agreement. Under the bill, the Commonwealth waives its immunity from civil suit in a federal court under certain circumstances. The bill contains an expiration date of five years after the date on which the first agreement is entered into. This bill is identical to HB 411."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 716"
citation: "Virginia SB 716 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Danica A. Roem"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 28
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-14"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d07f3d33-785b-41b8-bd4e-12fd3e6ef244"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB716"
source_hash: "c5c8b38aa2dd5e0aedc5e3eb3fa13a6dc9cb2cc757029be7386615edd4778dc9"
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 SB 716 (2026) — Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with U.S. Department of Transportation.

Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation; National Environmental Policy Act. Authorizes the Commissioner of Highways to enter into agreements for a term of five years with the U.S. Department of Transportation, as provided for in federal law, regarding state assumption of responsibility for categorical exclusions and the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program. The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume certain responsibilities of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation pursuant to such agreement. Under the bill, the Commonwealth waives its immunity from civil suit in a federal court under certain circumstances. The bill contains an expiration date of five years after the date on which the first agreement is entered into. This bill is identical to HB 411.

## 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/1092134.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216495.PDF)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1188685.PDF)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Transportation — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage R — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Transportation — **12–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Danica A. Roem — primary (person)
- Scott A. Surovell — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-14** Presented and ordered printed 26101552D `introduction`
- **2026-01-14** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-29** Reported from Transportation and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 0-N 3-A) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-09** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB716)
- **2026-02-09** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB716)
- **2026-02-10** Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-11** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-11** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-11** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-02-12** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-12** Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
- **2026-02-13** Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-24** Placed on Calendar
- **2026-02-24** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-24** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-24** Reported from Transportation (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-26** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-27** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-02-27** Passed House (96-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-04** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-04** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB716ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-04** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB716)
- **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 134 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0134)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d07f3d33-785b-41b8-bd4e-12fd3e6ef244`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).