VA HB 711
vetoedSolar facilities; local regulation, special exceptions.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did VA HB 711 pass?
No. VA HB 711 passed the legislature but was vetoed on 2026-04-13. Latest recorded action (2026-04-13): Governor's recommendation received by House
What is VA HB 711 about?
Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. The bill requires localities to furnish the State Corporation Commission with a record of special exception decisions reached pursuant to these provisions that includes (i) the reason for any adverse decision, (ii) any finding of nonconformity with the local comprehensive plan, and (iii) the date of the last revision to the comprehensive plan. The bill further requires the State Corporation Commission to compile and maintain on the Commission's public website a searchable database of all solar special exception decisions and the reasons for any adverse decisions made over a period of not less than five years. Finally, the bill states that its provisions shall apply to any ground-mounted solar facility with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more for which an application for local approval is filed on or after July 1, 2026, and any such project shall not be governed by any local ordinances inconsistent with the bill; however, any application for a solar energy facility that has been received and accepted by the relevant authority prior to July 1, 2026, shall be subject to any applicable local ordinances in place at the time the initial application was filed. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 347.
Who sponsors VA HB 711?
Charniele L. Herring is the primary sponsor of VA HB 711.
Description
Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be considered pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities, unless otherwise permitted by right. The bill requires localities to furnish the State Corporation Commission with a record of special exception decisions reached pursuant to these provisions that includes (i) the reason for any adverse decision, (ii) any finding of nonconformity with the local comprehensive plan, and (iii) the date of the last revision to the comprehensive plan. The bill further requires the State Corporation Commission to compile and maintain on the Commission's public website a searchable database of all solar special exception decisions and the reasons for any adverse decisions made over a period of not less than five years. Finally, the bill states that its provisions shall apply to any ground-mounted solar facility with a generating capacity of one megawatt or more for which an application for local approval is filed on or after July 1, 2026, and any such project shall not be governed by any local ordinances inconsistent with the bill; however, any application for a solar energy facility that has been received and accepted by the relevant authority prior to July 1, 2026, shall be subject to any applicable local ordinances in place at the time the initial application was filed. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 347.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-13
- Latest action
- 2026-04-13 — Governor's recommendation received by House
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Charniele L. Herringprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2026-01-13
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104367D
filing,introduction
2026-01-13
Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
referral-committee
2026-01-28
Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2
referral-committee
2026-01-29
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-29
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N)
substitution
2026-01-30
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (15-Y 5-N)
committee-passage
2026-01-30
Committee substitute printed 26106588D-H1
substitution
2026-02-03
Read first time
reading-1
2026-02-04
Read second time
reading-2
2026-02-04
committee substitute agreed to
substitution
2026-02-04
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
substitution
2026-02-05
Read third time and passed House (63-Y 33-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-05
Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB711)
2026-02-06
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-06
Referred to Committee on Local Government
referral-committee
2026-03-02
Reported from Local Government (9-Y 6-N)
committee-passage
2026-03-03
Rules suspended
2026-03-03
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-03
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-04
Read third time
reading-3
2026-03-04
Passed Senate (22-Y 18-N 0-A)
passage
2026-03-11
Enrolled
enrolled
2026-03-11
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB711ER)
passage
2026-03-11
Signed by President
passage
2026-03-12
Signed by Speaker
passage
2026-03-14
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
enrolled,executive-receipt
2026-03-14
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
executive-receipt
2026-04-06
Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB711)
2026-04-13
Governor's recommendation received by House
executive-veto-line-item
Versions
Documents
Votes
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute
2026-01-29 · pass · 7-1
Member-level votes (8)
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- James W. Morefield: yes
- M. Keith Hodges: no
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute
2026-01-30 · pass · 15-5
Member-level votes (22)
- Dan I. Helmer: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Irene Shin: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Marty Martinez: yes
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Mark C. Downey: yes
- May Nivar: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: yes
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- Barry D. Knight: not voting
- James W. Morefield: no
- M. Keith Hodges: no
- Joseph P. McNamara: not voting
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Anne Ferrell Tata: no
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
H VOTE:
2026-02-05 · pass · 63-33
Member-level votes (100)
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: no
- Jason S. Ballard: no
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
- Mike A. Cherry: no
- Nadarius E. Clark: yes
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Joshua G. Cole: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
- Mitchell Cornett: no
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Will Davis: no
- Karrie K. Delaney: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Mark C. Downey: not voting
- Michael B. Feggans: yes
- Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: no
- Lily V. Franklin: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: not voting
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: no
- Jackie H. Glass: yes
- 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: no
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Hillary Pugh Kent: no
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Terry G. Kilgore: no
- 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: no
- Joseph P. McNamara: not voting
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- James W. Morefield: no
- May Nivar: yes
- Delores Oates: no
- Israel D. O'Quinn: no
- Justin Pence: no
- Eric Phillips: no
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Chris S. Runion: no
- 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: no
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
- H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: no
- Wendell S. Walker: no
- Jeion A. Ward: yes
- R. Lee Ware: no
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Michael J. Webert: no
- Madison Whittle: no
- Bill Wiley: no
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Wren M. Williams: no
- Tony O. Wilt: no
- Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
Reported from Local Government
2026-03-02 · pass · 9-6
Member-level votes (15)
- Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- T. Travis Hackworth: yes
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Danica A. Roem: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
- Tara A. Durant: no
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: no
- Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- Luther Cifers, III: no
- Bryce E. Reeves: no
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)
2026-03-03 · 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
2026-03-04 · pass · 22-18
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: yes
- Bill DeSteph: no
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: no
- Tara A. Durant: no
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Timmy French: no
- T. Travis Hackworth: yes
- 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: yes
- 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: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
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