HB 61 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program; established, report.

Summary
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program established. Establishes the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program with a statewide goal of 42 percent of certified small SWaM business, as such term is defined in the bill, utilization in all discretionary spending by executive branch agencies and covered institutions in procurement orders, prime contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a target goal of 50 percent subcontracting to small SWaM businesses in instances where the prime contractor is not a small SWaM business for all new capital outlay construction solicitations that are issued. The bill provides that executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWaM business utilization rates by three percent per year until reaching the 42-percent target or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rates. In addition, the bill provides for a small SWaM business set-aside for executive branch agency and covered institution purchases of goods, services, and construction, requiring that purchases between $10,000 and $200,000 be set aside for award to certified small SWaM businesses, and a microbusiness set-aside for such purchases, requiring that such purchases up to $10,000 be set aside for award to microbusinesses.The bill creates the Division of Procurement Enhancement within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity for purposes of collaborating with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the Department of Transportation, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and covered institutions to further the Commonwealth's efforts to meet the goals established under the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program, as well as implementing initiatives to enhance the development of small businesses, microbusinesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and service disabled veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth.Finally, the bill requires the Director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct, or contract with an independent entity to conduct, a disparity study every five years, with the next disparity study due no later than January 1, 2031. The bill specifies that such study shall evaluate the need for enhancement and remedial measures to address the disparity between the availability and the utilization of women-owned and minority-owned businesses.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Dec 30, 2025 Vetoed Apr 13, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

General Laws and Technology Substitute Finance and Appropriations Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended by the Finance and Appropriations Committee to update administrative details, correct a definition error, and clarify the timeline for a required disparity study. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new definition for 'Microbusiness set-aside,' which establishes a specific procurement category for microbusinesses, even though the main program section does not yet specify a dollar threshold for this set-aside. Additionally, the deadline for the next disparity study was adjusted from January 1, 2031, to a later date to account for the 2025 study being published in 2026.
Scope change
The scope of the bill remains focused on enhancing procurement for small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses, but the applicability of the new 'microbusiness set-aside' definition is now formally recognized within the code.
DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'Microbusiness set-aside' to formally recognize a procurement category reserved for microbusinesses, though specific spending thresholds for this category are not yet defined in the text.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the deadline for the next required disparity study to January 1, 2031, ensuring the 2025 study (published in 2026) is counted correctly toward the five-year cycle.

TECHNICAL

Corrected a typo in the definition of 'Service disabled veteran-owned business' by removing the redundant word 'veteran' from the phrase 'Service disabled veteran veteran-owned business'.

Updated the committee attribution from 'General Laws and Technology' to 'Finance and Appropriations' and changed the proposal date to March 3, 2026.

Corrected a grammatical error in the definition of 'State agency' by changing 'shall does not include' to 'does not include'.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

390
Passed
Total votes 39
Mar 3, 2026
D Democratic20
20 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
42
Key actions
15
Committee
12
Amendments
2
Apr 13, 2026
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by House
executive
Mar 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB61ER)
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (10-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate committee offered
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (64-Y 33-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Introduced
Engrossed by House as amended
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
committee amendments agreed to
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N)
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (16-Y 5-N)
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N)
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee offered
lower
Jan 26, 2026
Committee
Assigned HGL sub: Procurement/Open Government
lower
Dec 30, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws
lower
1 primary · 6 co-sponsors

Sponsors