SB 519 Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Land and urban areas; DCR shall assess how best to achieve permanent conservation by 2036, report.

Summary

Department of Conservation and Recreation; permanent land conservation feasibility; report. Directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to assess how best to achieve permanent conservation by 2036 of (i) 20 percent of the land area of the Commonwealth and (ii) 10 percent of urban areas of the Commonwealth. The bill directs the Department to submit a report on its findings and any recommendations to achieve such permanent conservation goals to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources no later than November 1, 2026.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Mar 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Finance and Appropriations Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from its original version to shift from establishing permanent land conservation goals to requiring a feasibility assessment of those goals. The original version set mandatory 20% land and 10% urban conservation targets by 2036 with annual reporting, while the substitute version removes these mandatory goals and instead directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study whether achieving those targets is feasible before any commitments are made.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from establishing binding conservation targets to conducting a preliminary feasibility study. This significantly reduces the immediate legal obligation to meet specific conservation percentages and delays any mandatory reporting requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Removed mandatory conservation goals of 20% of total land area and 10% of urban areas by 2036 that were previously established in the original bill.

Added requirement for the Department of Conservation and Recreation to conduct a feasibility assessment of achieving the conservation goals before any commitments are made.

Removed the annual land conservation goals and needs assessment report requirement that was to be submitted starting in 2027.

TIMELINE

Changed the reporting deadline from annual reports starting in 2027 to a single report due by November 1, 2026, covering the feasibility study findings.

SCOPE

Changed the bill's purpose from establishing permanent conservation targets to assessing the feasibility of achieving those targets.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 9, 2026

How they voted

39–0

Passed

Total votes 39

Feb 9, 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

Key actions

Committee

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)

lower

Mar 1, 2026

Committee

Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee

lower

Feb 17, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Rules

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 1-N 0-A)

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Jan 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N)

upper

Jan 13, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors