HJ 3 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Constitutional amendment (second reference); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry.

Summary

Constitutional amendment (second reference); marriage between two adult persons; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two adult persons and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Nov 2025

Committee Review

Jan 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Governor

Introduced Nov 17, 2025 Last action Mar 31, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 31, 2026

MINOR

The bill text changed from a draft introduction to an enrolled final version, adding official session headers, signatures, and formatting while retaining the identical constitutional amendment language. This change signifies that the bill has successfully passed both legislative chambers and is now ready for submission to the Governor for final approval.

TECHNICAL

Added official session headers, enrolled status labels, and signature dates to formalize the document as a completed legislative act.

Reformatted the text layout to match standard enrolled bill printing styles, including centered titles and adjusted spacing.

Removed the list of sponsoring legislators, as this information is no longer required on the final enrolled copy.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 16, 2026 · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

How they voted

26–13

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 40

Jan 16, 2026

D Democratic21

21 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

5 Yea 13 Nay 1

68% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 31, 2026

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ3ER)

lower

Jan 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate

upper

Jan 16, 2026

Amended

Senator Jordan, Emily M. Amendment rejected

upper

Jan 16, 2026

Introduced

Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Privileges and Elections (10-Y 3-N)

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Privileges and Elections (16-Y 6-N)

lower

Jan 14, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (58-30-2)

house of delegates

Nov 17, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

lower

1 primary · 66 co-sponsors