HB 2331 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; acceptance of signed & sealed plan in lieu of local plan review.

Summary

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas; acceptance of signed and sealed plan in lieu of local plan review. Authorizes a locality subject to the provisions of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to accept a set of plans and supporting calculations prepared by a licensed professional, as described in the bill, for any land-disturbing activity that disturbs 2,500 square feet or more but less than one acre in an area of a locality designated as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. The bill provides that such plans and supporting calculations shall satisfy the requirement that the locality retain a certified plan reviewer or conduct a plan review.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → HACNR Sub: Chesapeake Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from an original introduction to a substitute version that significantly changes the section numbers and adds comprehensive definitions. The original bill focused on allowing localities to accept signed and sealed plans for small land-disturbing activities, while the substitute version reorganizes the statute by adding new definitions and changing section numbers to 62.1-44.15:51 and 62.1-44.15:56.2.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single provision about plan acceptance to a more comprehensive framework with detailed definitions for key terms like 'Applicant', 'Certified plan reviewer', 'Erosion impact area', and 'Farm building or structure'.

DEFINITION

Added 30+ new definitions for terms used throughout the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas article, including specific definitions for 'Agreement in lieu of a plan', 'Certified inspector', 'Peak flow rate', and 'Runoff volume'.

SCOPE

Changed section numbers from 62.1-44.15:74.1 to 62.1-44.15:51 and 62.1-44.15:56.2, indicating this is now an amendment to existing code rather than a completely new section.

REQUIREMENT

Added detailed requirements for what constitutes a 'Certified plan reviewer' and 'Certified program administrator', including certification, training enrollment, and completion timelines.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific definition for 'Farm building or structure' that now includes agritourism activities and related impervious surfaces like roads and parking areas.

TECHNICAL

Added technical definitions for 'Natural channel design concepts' and 'Erosion impact area' with specific exclusions for small residential lots and coastal erosion.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (7-Y 2-N)

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Committee

Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake

lower

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors