Bill Commons

VA HB 231

dead

Autism Advisory Council; name change, membership, staffing, powers and duties.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did VA HB 231 pass?

No. VA HB 231 did not pass — it was defeated or died in the legislative process. Latest recorded action (2026-03-14): Failed to Pass from conference

What is VA HB 231 about?

Autism Advisory Council; name change; membership; staffing; powers and duties. Provides for the Autism Advisory Council to be reconstituted as a permanent, independently staffed agency in the legislative branch of state government. Currently, the Autism Advisory Council is set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill repeals the expiration date and renames the agency as the Autism Commission. The bill also modifies the membership of the Commission to more closely align with the membership makeup of other independently staffed legislative agencies and directs the Commission to appoint and employ an executive director and other staff to assist in carrying out the duties of the Commission.

Who sponsors VA HB 231?

Laura Jane Cohen is the primary sponsor of VA HB 231, joined by 1 cosponsor.

Description

Autism Advisory Council; name change; membership; staffing; powers and duties. Provides for the Autism Advisory Council to be reconstituted as a permanent, independently staffed agency in the legislative branch of state government. Currently, the Autism Advisory Council is set to expire on July 1, 2027. The bill repeals the expiration date and renames the agency as the Autism Commission. The bill also modifies the membership of the Commission to more closely align with the membership makeup of other independently staffed legislative agencies and directs the Commission to appoint and employ an executive director and other staff to assist in carrying out the duties of the Commission.

Introduced
2026-01-08
Latest action
2026-03-14 — Failed to Pass from conference
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Laura Jane Cohenprimary
  • Adele Y. McClurecosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-03-14

    Failed to Pass from conference

  2. 2026-03-14

    No further action taken

  3. 2026-03-12

    Senate Conferees: Aird, Locke, McDougle

  4. 2026-03-12

    Conferees appointed by Senate

  5. 2026-03-12

    House Conferees: Cohen, Tran, McLaughlin

  6. 2026-03-12

    Conferees appointed by House

  7. 2026-03-12

    House acceded to request

  8. 2026-03-12

    Senate requested conference committee

    referral-committee

  9. 2026-03-12

    Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    substitution

  10. 2026-03-11

    Senate substitute rejected by House (1-Y 98-N 0-A)

  11. 2026-03-10

    Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage

  12. 2026-03-10

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

    substitution

  13. 2026-03-10

    Rules Substitute agreed to

  14. 2026-03-10

    Read third time

    reading-3

  15. 2026-03-09

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  16. 2026-03-09

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  17. 2026-03-09

    Rules suspended

  18. 2026-03-06

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  19. 2026-03-02

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB231)

  20. 2026-02-27

    Committee substitute printed 26108863D-S1

    substitution

  21. 2026-02-27

    Reported from Rules with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  22. 2026-02-09

    Referred to Committee on Rules

    referral-committee

  23. 2026-02-09

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  24. 2026-02-06

    Read third time and passed House (93-Y 4-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  25. 2026-02-05

    Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar

  26. 2026-02-05

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    substitution

  27. 2026-02-05

    committee substitute agreed to

    substitution

  28. 2026-02-05

    Read second time

    reading-2

  29. 2026-02-04

    Read first time

    reading-1

  30. 2026-02-02

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  31. 2026-01-30

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N)

  32. 2026-01-28

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB231)

  33. 2026-01-27

    Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay

    referral-committee

  34. 2026-01-27

    Committee substitute printed 26105307D-H1

    substitution

  35. 2026-01-27

    Reported from Rules with substitute and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  36. 2026-01-23

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (5-Y 0-N)

    substitution

  37. 2026-01-23

    House subcommittee offered

  38. 2026-01-22

    Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee

    referral-committee

  39. 2026-01-13

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB231)

  40. 2026-01-08

    Referred to Committee on Rules

    referral-committee

  41. 2026-01-08

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103423D

    filing,introduction

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

    2026-01-23 · pass · 5-0

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Dan I. Helmer: yes
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes

  • Reported from Rules with substitute

    2026-01-27 · pass · 18-0

    Member-level votes (18)
    • Don Scott: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Jeion A. Ward: yes
    • Betsy B. Carr: yes
    • Luke E. Torian: yes
    • Marcus B. Simon: yes
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • Dan I. Helmer: yes
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • R. Lee Ware: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • Michael J. Webert: yes
    • Israel D. O'Quinn: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-01-30 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: not voting
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Briana D. Sewell: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes

  • Reported from Appropriations

    2026-02-02 · pass · 22-0

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Betsy B. Carr: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Paul E. Krizek: yes
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Briana D. Sewell: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • Shelly A. Simonds: yes
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Amy J. Laufer: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
    • M. Keith Hodges: yes
    • Scott A. Wyatt: yes
    • Bill Wiley: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
    • Luke E. Torian: yes

  • H VOTE:

    2026-02-06 · pass · 93-4

    Member-level votes (100)
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Bonita G. Anthony: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
    • Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Betsy B. Carr: yes
    • Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
    • Mike A. Cherry: yes
    • Nadarius E. Clark: yes
    • Laura Jane Cohen: yes
    • Joshua G. Cole: yes
    • Nicole Cole: yes
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: not voting
    • Mitchell Cornett: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Karrie K. Delaney: yes
    • Lindsey Dougherty: yes
    • Mark C. Downey: yes
    • Michael B. Feggans: yes
    • Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: yes
    • Lily V. Franklin: yes
    • Margaret A. Franklin: yes
    • Debra D. Gardner: yes
    • Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: yes
    • Jackie H. Glass: not voting
    • Timothy P. Griffin: no
    • Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
    • Karen Hamilton: no
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Dan I. Helmer: yes
    • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • M. Keith Hodges: yes
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • Barry D. Knight: not voting
    • Paul E. Krizek: yes
    • Amy J. Laufer: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
    • Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
    • Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
    • Marty Martinez: yes
    • John Chilton McAuliff: yes
    • Adele Y. McClure: yes
    • Garrett McGuire: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
    • Joseph P. McNamara: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • May Nivar: yes
    • Delores Oates: yes
    • Israel D. O'Quinn: yes
    • Justin Pence: yes
    • Eric Phillips: yes
    • Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • Sam Rasoul: yes
    • Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Chris S. Runion: yes
    • Charlie Schmidt: yes
    • Don Scott: yes
    • Phillip A. Scott: no
    • Holly M. Seibold: yes
    • Briana D. Sewell: yes
    • Irene Shin: yes
    • Marcus B. Simon: yes
    • Shelly A. Simonds: yes
    • JJ Singh: yes
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Luke E. Torian: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: yes
    • Wendell S. Walker: yes
    • Jeion A. Ward: yes
    • R. Lee Ware: yes
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Michael J. Webert: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Bill Wiley: yes
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Tony O. Wilt: yes
    • Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: yes
    • Scott A. Wyatt: yes
    • Eric R. Zehr: no

  • Reported from Rules with substitute

    2026-02-27 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: not voting
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes

  • Reported from Finance and Appropriations

    2026-03-06 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: not voting
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes

  • Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)

    2026-03-09 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Passage R

    2026-03-10 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • H VOTE:

    2026-03-11 · fail · 1-98

    Member-level votes (99)
    • Jessica L. Anderson: no
    • Bonita G. Anthony: no
    • Alex Q. Askew: no
    • Terry L. Austin: no
    • Jason S. Ballard: no
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
    • Gretchen M. Bulova: no
    • Katrina Callsen: no
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: no
    • Betsy B. Carr: no
    • Stacey Annie Carroll: no
    • Mike A. Cherry: no
    • Nadarius E. Clark: no
    • Laura Jane Cohen: no
    • Joshua G. Cole: no
    • Nicole Cole: no
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: no
    • Mitchell Cornett: no
    • Rae Cousins: no
    • Will Davis: no
    • Karrie K. Delaney: no
    • Lindsey Dougherty: no
    • Mark C. Downey: no
    • Michael B. Feggans: no
    • Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: no
    • Lily V. Franklin: no
    • Margaret A. Franklin: yes
    • Debra D. Gardner: no
    • Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: no
    • Jackie H. Glass: no
    • Timothy P. Griffin: no
    • Elizabeth R. Guzman: no
    • Karen Hamilton: no
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: no
    • Dan I. Helmer: no
    • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: no
    • Phil M. Hernandez: no
    • Charniele L. Herring: no
    • M. Keith Hodges: no
    • Patrick A. Hope: no
    • Hillary Pugh Kent: no
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: no
    • Terry G. Kilgore: no
    • Paul E. Krizek: no
    • Amy J. Laufer: no
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: no
    • Destiny LeVere Bolling: no
    • Alfonso H. Lopez: no
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: no
    • Marty Martinez: no
    • John Chilton McAuliff: no
    • Adele Y. McClure: no
    • Garrett McGuire: no
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
    • Joseph P. McNamara: no
    • Kirk McPike: no
    • Delores L. McQuinn: no
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: no
    • James W. Morefield: no
    • May Nivar: no
    • Delores Oates: no
    • Israel D. O'Quinn: no
    • Justin Pence: no
    • Eric Phillips: no
    • Kimberly Pope Adams: no
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: no
    • Sam Rasoul: no
    • Atoosa R. Reaser: no
    • David A. Reid: no
    • Chris S. Runion: no
    • Charlie Schmidt: no
    • Don Scott: no
    • Phillip A. Scott: no
    • Holly M. Seibold: no
    • Briana D. Sewell: no
    • Irene Shin: no
    • Marcus B. Simon: no
    • Shelly A. Simonds: no
    • JJ Singh: no
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: no
    • Anne Ferrell Tata: no
    • Joshua E. Thomas: no
    • Virgil Thornton: no
    • Luke E. Torian: no
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: no
    • H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: no
    • Wendell S. Walker: no
    • Jeion A. Ward: no
    • R. Lee Ware: no
    • Vivian E. Watts: no
    • Michael J. Webert: no
    • Madison Whittle: no
    • Bill Wiley: no
    • Rodney T. Willett: no
    • Wren M. Williams: no
    • Tony O. Wilt: no
    • Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
    • Scott A. Wyatt: no
    • Eric R. Zehr: no

  • Insist & Request R

    2026-03-12 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB231

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z

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