republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-898.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Electric utilities, certain; SCC to determine maximum amount of fees for disconnection, etc."
description: "State Corporation Commission to determine maximum fees for disconnection of utility service for nonpayment. Directs the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to determine, in the next relevant cost recovery proceeding for certain utilities, the maximum allowable amount of fees for disconnection and reconnection such utilities may charge to residential customers disconnected from service due to nonpayment of bills or fees. The bill defines \"utility\" as an electric company, natural gas supplier, or water supplier or wastewater service provider subject to the Commission's regulation."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 898"
citation: "Virginia HB 898 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Charniele L. Herring"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 31
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-13"
last_action: "2026-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/32cbf450-fba4-45dc-93b6-e74718ff5e63"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB898"
source_hash: "1e09d5b78cd5cf75645b8ced32c2aae53327e40ee45e66ae9d5a00af0629a6a4"
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 898 (2026) — Electric utilities, certain; SCC to determine maximum amount of fees for disconnection, etc.

State Corporation Commission to determine maximum fees for disconnection of utility service for nonpayment. Directs the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to determine, in the next relevant cost recovery proceeding for certain utilities, the maximum allowable amount of fees for disconnection and reconnection such utilities may charge to residential customers disconnected from service due to nonpayment of bills or fees. The bill defines "utility" as an electric company, natural gas supplier, or water supplier or wastewater service provider subject to the Commission's regulation.

## 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/1086349.PDF)
2. **Labor and Commerce Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132089.PDF)
3. **Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1116049.PDF)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212431.PDF)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **8–1** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **84–14** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Commerce and Labor — **12–3** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **39–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Charniele L. Herring — primary (person)
- Dan I. Helmer — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-13** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104191D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-25** Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB898)
- **2026-02-03** House subcommittee offered
- **2026-02-03** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 1-N) `substitution`
- **2026-02-05** Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-06** Committee substitute printed 26106813D-H1 `substitution`
- **2026-02-09** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-10** Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
- **2026-02-10** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-10** committee substitute agreed to `substitution`
- **2026-02-10** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2026-02-11** Read third time and passed House (84-Y 14-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-12** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-12** Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-16** Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB898)
- **2026-03-09** Reported from Commerce and Labor (12-Y 3-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-10** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-10** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-10** Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-11** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-11** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-30** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-30** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB898ER) `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`
- **2026-04-06** Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB898)
- **2026-04-13** Approved by Governor-Chapter 697 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/32cbf450-fba4-45dc-93b6-e74718ff5e63`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).