A legislative committee met and voted to report a block of Senate bills to the next stage of the legislative process, advancing local charter amendments, planning and zoning changes, and housing measures.

The committee referred Senate Bill 851 to the ACNR committee and reported multiple bills out of committee after brief presentations and routine motions. Senator Diggs, the patron of Senate Bill 836, described that bill as a “request by the Pecosun City Council to add some verbiage to their charter that allows them to remove people who they appoint to city boards and commissions,” and said, “This would be the easiest thing you do all day and maybe, for the rest of the session.” The committee reported SB 836 by recorded vote.

Why it matters: The measures advance changes affecting city charters, local land-use rules, affordable-housing authority and environmental-justice planning. Several bills set deadlines or delayed effective dates, and one establishes a new process for locality-initiated conveyance of blighted property to land-bank entities.

Most important actions

- Senate Bill 836 (Pecosun charter amendment): The bill would add language allowing a city council to remove appointees to boards and commissions by a four-sevenths vote (4 of 7 council members). The subcommittee recommended reporting; the full committee reported the bill by recorded vote (17–4).

- Senate Bill 872 (charter amendment for Portsmouth): Reported 21–0 after subcommittee recommendation to report 8–0.

- Senate Bill 1267 (enhanced civil penalties for zoning violations on multifamily property): Reported (committee recorded a favorable vote; final roll called with a majority). The bill requires abatement within a locality-specified period not less than 30 days and not more than 240 days after admission of liability; the subcommittee recommended reporting 7–0 and the committee reported the bill by recorded vote.

- Senate Bill 1300 (charter changes for Dumfries and Prince William County): Reported 21–0.

- A block of four bills—SB 932 (comprehensive plan may include tiny homes and accessory dwelling units), SB 997 (clarifies oath/qualification procedure for elected local officers), SB 1011 (adds Falls Church to localities that may provide affordable dwelling unit programs), SB 1263 (reimbursement of water/sewer connection and availability fees for new residential property)—were reported together on a unanimous 21–0 vote.

- Senate Bill 974 (administrative review authority for plats and plans): Reported with amendments (17–4). The substitute assigns administrative-review authority to a designated agent and shortens the time for forwarding plats and plans to state agencies.

- Senate Bill 1118 (register of identified cemeteries on private property): Amended in subcommittee to limit its scope to Planning District 8 and includes a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026; reported as amended (18–3).

- Senate Bill 1254 (environmental-justice strategy requirement): Requires cities with populations greater than 20,000 and counties greater than 100,000 to consider adopting an environmental-justice strategy at comprehensive-plan reviews; reported 12–9 after a 5–3 subcommittee recommendation.

- Senate Bill 1313 (authority for localities to provide for affordable housing dwelling-unit programs): Reported 12–9; the bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

- Senate Bill 1449 (site assessments for new high-energy-use facilities): The substitute requires applicants to submit a site assessment examining sound impacts on residences and schools within 500 feet; reported with substitute 14–7.

- Senate Bill 1476 (conveyance procedure for certain vacant, blighted property to land banks or nonprofits, with covenants requiring repair within six months): Reported with amendments 21–0.

- Charter updates for the town of Shenandoah (SB 1150) and a companion charter update (SB 1176) were reported 21–0.

Discussion and next steps

Most measures were presented briefly by patrons or by subcommittee chairs and reached the committee floor after subcommittee recommendations. Several bills were reported with committee amendments or substitutes; the transcript shows subcommittee votes and final roll calls, and the measures will proceed to the next legislative steps as reported. No final enactment occurred in the meeting; these were committee reports and referrals.

Quotes

“This would be the easiest thing you do all day and maybe, for the rest of the session,” Senator Diggs said of SB 836, which would add charter language allowing a four-sevenths council vote to remove appointed board and commission members.

Ending

The committee concluded after reporting the listed bills; recorded roll-call tallies ranged from unanimous 21–0 approvals to closer votes such as 17–4 and 12–9 depending on the measure. Reported bills will move forward in the legislative process as provided by chamber procedures.