Regulatory boards; adjustment of fees, recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs, report.
Summary
Professions and occupations; adjustment of fees by regulatory boards; recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs. Repeals the provision of law that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) shows revenue to be a certain percentage greater than expenses, such regulatory board to distribute excess revenue to current regulants and reduce its licensure or certification fees so that fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill also repeals the provision with respect to the Department of Health Professions (DHP) that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board shows expenses allocated to it for the past biennium to be a certain percentage greater than moneys collected by the board, the board to revise its fees so that such fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill makes it permissive for the regulatory boards within DPOR and DHP to annually revise the fees levied by it for certification, licensure, registration, or permit and renewal so that the fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. Regulatory boards are also permitted to recover reasonable administrative costs associated with investigation, disciplinary proceedings, monitoring, and confirming compliance with any terms and conditions imposed from any person who is (i) licensed, registered, certified, or issued a multistate licensure privilege by any regulatory or health regulatory board and (ii) issued a finding of a violation of law or regulation from such regulatory or health regulatory board. Such administrative costs shall not exceed $500 for regulatory boards within DPOR and $1,500 for health regulatory boards within DHP.
Bill status
vetoed
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Vetoed Apr 13, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons
What changed between versions
Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee Substitute
→
Finance and Appropriations Substitute
·
4 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends Virginia's regulations on professional licensing fees and disciplinary cost recovery. It extends the deadline for regulatory boards to limit their fund balances, shifts the fee adjustment trigger from a biennial review to an annual one, and removes the requirement to notify the Secretary of Finance before holding public hearings on fee increases. Additionally, it slightly narrows the definition of licensure types eligible for cost recovery fees.
Scope change
The applicability of the fund balance cap was extended to a later date, and the frequency of mandatory fee reviews changed from every two years to every year.
TIMELINE
The deadline for regulatory boards to stop accumulating excess fund balances was moved from July 1, 2028, to July 1, 2032.
REQUIREMENT
The requirement for regulatory boards to notify the Secretary of Finance before holding public hearings on fee increases was removed.
The fee adjustment review schedule changed from occurring after every biennium to occurring annually.
ELIGIBILITY
The list of licensure types eligible for administrative cost recovery fees was narrowed by removing references to 'compact licensure privilege'.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026
How they voted
39–0
Passed
Total votes 39
Mar 3, 2026
D
Democratic20
100% Yea
R
Republican19
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
41
Key actions
13
Committee
11
Amendments
1
Apr 13, 2026
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by House
executive
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB796ER)
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-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 (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
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 (68-Y 28-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Amended
committee amendments rejected
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Appropriations with substitute (20-Y 2-N)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee offered
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Committee
Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee offered
lower
Jan 26, 2026
Committee
Assigned HGL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
lower
Jan 13, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Cliff Hayes
DDemocratic
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