HB 802 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Vacant buildings; registration by registered agents, etc., annually.

Summary
Vacant building registration; registered agents. Permits any locality to require, by ordinance, the owner, or his registered agent, of any building that has been continuously vacant for at least three years to register such building with the locality annually. The bill also allows the registered agent of an owner of any building that has been vacant for at least 12 months and (i) that meets the definition of "derelict building" in relevant law, (ii) that meets the definition of "criminal blight" in relevant law, or (iii) in which a locality has determined a person is living without the authority of the owner to file the registration forms required to be filed by the owner under current law. Finally, the bill provides that the registration forms shall include a requirement to provide the name and contact information for an owner required to register, or his registered agent.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Signed Apr 8, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Enrolled Chaptered · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill has been formally enacted into law as Chapter 427 of the 2026 Virginia Acts of Assembly. The substantive policy text regarding vacant building registration, penalties, and agent requirements remains identical to the previous version, with no changes to fees, thresholds, or enforcement rules. The primary change is the addition of official formatting, chapter numbers, and the approval date, marking the bill's transition from a draft to a finalized statute.
TECHNICAL

Added official chapter number (Chapter 427) and the specific approval date (April 8, 2026) to the document header.

Replaced the generic '2026 SESSION' header with the specific 'VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY - 2026 SESSION' title and added spacing/formatting consistent with enacted laws.

Removed the draft session header and replaced it with the formal chapter and approval details.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 5, 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
24
Key actions
10
Committee
6
Apr 8, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor-Chapter 427 (effective 7/1/2026)
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 (HB802ER)
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (22-Y 18-N 0-A)
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Mar 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Local Government (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Local Government
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (76-Y 22-N 0-A)
lower
Jan 30, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (19-Y 2-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Committee
Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2
lower
Jan 13, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Betsy Carr
Betsy Carr
DDemocratic
VA
78