Bill Commons

VA HB 344

Status unknown

Property under common ownership; creation of easements.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did VA HB 344 pass?

The current status of VA HB 344 is not known from the official record. Latest recorded action (2026-03-11): Defeated by Senate (18-Y 22-N 0-A)

What is VA HB 344 about?

Property under common ownership; creation of easements. Provides that a private appurtenant easement may be created for any purposes by the owner of the dominant and servient estate by the recordation of an instrument that grants or reserves such easement. The bill further provides that the rule of property law known as the doctrine of merger shall not prevent such grant or reservation.

Who sponsors VA HB 344?

Marty Martinez is the primary sponsor of VA HB 344.

Description

Property under common ownership; creation of easements. Provides that a private appurtenant easement may be created for any purposes by the owner of the dominant and servient estate by the recordation of an instrument that grants or reserves such easement. The bill further provides that the rule of property law known as the doctrine of merger shall not prevent such grant or reservation.

Introduced
2026-01-12
Latest action
2026-03-11 — Defeated by Senate (18-Y 22-N 0-A)
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Marty Martinezprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-12

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103482D

    filing,introduction

  2. 2026-01-12

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-19

    Assigned HCJ sub: Civil

    referral-committee

  4. 2026-01-21

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)

  5. 2026-01-28

    Reported from Courts of Justice (19-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  6. 2026-01-30

    Read first time

    reading-1

  7. 2026-02-02

    Read second time and engrossed

    reading-2

  8. 2026-02-03

    Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  9. 2026-02-04

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  10. 2026-02-04

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  11. 2026-03-09

    Reported from Courts of Justice (9-Y 6-N)

    committee-passage

  12. 2026-03-10

    Rules suspended

  13. 2026-03-10

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

  14. 2026-03-10

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  15. 2026-03-11

    Read third time

    reading-3

  16. 2026-03-11

    Defeated by Senate (18-Y 22-N 0-A)

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-01-21 · pass · 10-0

    Member-level votes (10)
    • Marcus B. Simon: yes
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
    • Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes

  • Reported from Courts of Justice

    2026-01-28 · pass · 19-0

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Marcus B. Simon: yes
    • Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
    • Karrie K. Delaney: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Atoosa R. Reaser: not voting
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Charlie Schmidt: not voting
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: not voting
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Justin Pence: yes

  • H VOTE:

    2026-02-03 · pass · 98-0

    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: yes
    • 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: yes
    • Timothy P. Griffin: yes
    • Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
    • Karen Hamilton: yes
    • 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: not voting
    • 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: yes
    • 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: yes

  • Reported from Courts of Justice

    2026-03-09 · pass · 9-6

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: no
    • Ryan T. McDougle: no
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: no
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: no
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes

  • Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)

    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

  • Passage R

    2026-03-11 · fail · 18-22

    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: no
    • Christie New Craig: no
    • R. Creigh Deeds: no
    • Bill DeSteph: no
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: no
    • Tara A. Durant: no
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: no
    • T. Travis Hackworth: no
    • Christopher T. Head: no
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: no
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: no
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: no
    • Mark D. Obenshain: no
    • Mark J. Peake: no
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: no
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: no
    • Bryce E. Reeves: no
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
    • Richard H. Stuart: no
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
    • David R. Suetterlein: no
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: no
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB344

Attribution

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

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Source and document changesStatus and relationship changes

Use this data

Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=VA&identifier=HB 344. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.

Known limitations

  • Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
  • Committee referrals are not yet captured.

See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.