republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-650.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Zoning; solar photovoltaic and energy storage projects."
description: "Zoning; residential and electrical generation projects; period of validity. Provides that the conditions of a special exception or special use permit may include a period of validity; however, in the case of a special exception or special use permit for residential and electrical generation projects, the period of validity shall be no fewer than three years. The bill provides that for so long as a special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit remains valid, no change or amendment to any local ordinance, map, resolution, rule, regulation, policy, or plan adopted subsequent to the date of approval of the special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit shall adversely affect the right of the developer or his successor in interest to commence and complete an approved development in accordance with the lawful terms of the special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit unless the change or amendment is required to comply with state law or there has been a mistake, fraud, or a change in circumstances substantially affecting the public health, safety, or welfare."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 650"
citation: "Virginia HB 650 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Carrie E. Coyner"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 27
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2024-01-09"
last_action: "2024-04-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/77e04458-8edd-4f02-9440-44b550df125a"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB650"
source_hash: "260a47297447fc09dc181083de0ab5ecaf2ed985942685ed3012e35f66e1d906"
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 650 (2024) — Zoning; solar photovoltaic and energy storage projects.

Zoning; residential and electrical generation projects; period of validity. Provides that the conditions of a special exception or special use permit may include a period of validity; however, in the case of a special exception or special use permit for residential and electrical generation projects, the period of validity shall be no fewer than three years. The bill provides that for so long as a special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit remains valid, no change or amendment to any local ordinance, map, resolution, rule, regulation, policy, or plan adopted subsequent to the date of approval of the special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit shall adversely affect the right of the developer or his successor in interest to commence and complete an approved development in accordance with the lawful terms of the special exception, special use permit, or conditional use permit unless the change or amendment is required to comply with state law or there has been a mistake, fraud, or a change in circumstances substantially affecting the public health, safety, or welfare.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0301** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+CHAP0301)
2. **Committee substitute printed 24106089D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB650H1)
3. **HB650ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB650ER)
4. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104727D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB650)

## Votes

- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (86-Y 10-N) — **85–10** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Local Government (14-Y 0-N 1-A) — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (21-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (37-Y 2-N) — **37–2** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Carrie E. Coyner — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-09** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104727D `filing, introduction`
- **2024-01-09** Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-16** Assigned CC & T sub: Subcommittee #2 `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-01** House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2024-02-01** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) `substitution`
- **2024-02-02** Committee substitute printed 24106089D-H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-02** Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-06** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2024-02-07** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-02-07** Committee substitute agreed to 24106089D-H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-07** Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB650H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-08** Read third time and passed House (86-Y 10-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-02-08** VOTE: Passage (86-Y 10-N) `passage`
- **2024-02-09** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2024-02-09** Referred to Committee on Local Government `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-26** Reported from Local Government (14-Y 0-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-27** Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
- **2024-02-28** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2024-02-28** Passed Senate (37-Y 2-N) `passage`
- **2024-03-05** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2024-03-05** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB650ER) `passage`
- **2024-03-05** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2024-03-07** Signed by President `passage`
- **2024-03-11** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-11** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-04-02** Approved by Governor-Chapter 301 (effective 7/1/24) `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-02** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0301)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/77e04458-8edd-4f02-9440-44b550df125a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).