VA HB 897
Status unknownRetail Sales and Use Tax; exemption for data centers, delayed effective date.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did VA HB 897 pass?
The current status of VA HB 897 is not known from the official record. Latest recorded action (2026-03-03): Senate committee offered
What is VA HB 897 about?
Retail sales and use tax; exemption for data centers. Requires a data center operator, in order to be eligible for the existing data center sales and use tax exemption, to (i) beginning July 1, 2027, not use co-located generating facilities that emit carbon dioxide, other than backup generators; (ii) beginning July 1, 2029, contract for a certain percentage of energy, capacity, and renewable energy certificates from clean energy resources, as evidenced by a certification from the State Corporation Commission, or contracts and service agreements; (iii) utilize only non-carbon dioxide-emitting backup power sources, such as energy storage resources, beginning on a date dependent on the data center's initial service date; and (iv) demonstrate, for any new data center issued a final certificate of occupancy or its equivalent on or after January 1, 2030, or for any data center operator seeking an amended memorandum of understanding, sufficient investment in environmental management and energy efficiency measures to provide system-wide benefits, as defined in the bill. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Who sponsors VA HB 897?
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. is the primary sponsor of VA HB 897, joined by 11 cosponsors.
Description
Retail sales and use tax; exemption for data centers. Requires a data center operator, in order to be eligible for the existing data center sales and use tax exemption, to (i) beginning July 1, 2027, not use co-located generating facilities that emit carbon dioxide, other than backup generators; (ii) beginning July 1, 2029, contract for a certain percentage of energy, capacity, and renewable energy certificates from clean energy resources, as evidenced by a certification from the State Corporation Commission, or contracts and service agreements; (iii) utilize only non-carbon dioxide-emitting backup power sources, such as energy storage resources, beginning on a date dependent on the data center's initial service date; and (iv) demonstrate, for any new data center issued a final certificate of occupancy or its equivalent on or after January 1, 2030, or for any data center operator seeking an amended memorandum of understanding, sufficient investment in environmental management and energy efficiency measures to provide system-wide benefits, as defined in the bill. Finally, the bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-13
- Latest action
- 2026-03-03 — Senate committee offered
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.primary
- Kathy K.L. Trancosponsor
- Michelle Lopes Maldonadocosponsor
- Karen Keys-Gamarracosponsor
- Elizabeth R. Guzmancosponsor
- Rae Cousinscosponsor
- Vivian E. Wattscosponsor
- JJ Singhcosponsor
- Irene Shincosponsor
- John Chilton McAuliffcosponsor
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegiecosponsor
- Betsy B. Carrcosponsor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2026-01-13
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104836D
filing,introduction
2026-01-13
Referred to Committee on Finance
referral-committee
2026-02-05
Assigned HFIN sub: Subcommittee #1
referral-committee
2026-02-08
Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (2/8/2026 2:26 pm)
2026-02-11
Incorporates HB961 (Watts)
2026-02-11
Incorporates HB784 (Anderson)
2026-02-11
House committee offered
2026-02-11
Reported from Finance with substitute and referred to Appropriations (16-Y 5-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-12
Committee substitute printed 26107782D-H1
substitution
2026-02-12
Substitute bill reprinted 26107782D
2026-02-13
Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
referral-committee
2026-02-13
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N)
substitution
2026-02-13
Reported from Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 6-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-13
Committee substitute printed 26108015D-H2
substitution
2026-02-15
Read first time
reading-1
2026-02-16
Read second time
reading-2
2026-02-16
committee substitute rejected
2026-02-16
committee substitute agreed to
substitution
2026-02-16
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
substitution
2026-02-17
Read third time and passed House (61-Y 34-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-18
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-18
Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
referral-committee
2026-02-23
Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (2/23/2026 4:59 pm)
2026-03-03
Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
deferral
2026-03-03
Senate committee offered
Versions
Documents
Votes
Reported from Finance with substitute
2026-02-11 · pass · 16-5
Member-level votes (22)
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Phil M. Hernandez: yes
- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Nicole Cole: yes
- Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: yes
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- R. Lee Ware: yes
- Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: not voting
- Joseph P. McNamara: no
- Wendell S. Walker: no
- Chris S. Runion: no
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: no
- Will Davis: no
Reported from Appropriations with substitute
2026-02-13 · pass · 16-6
Member-level votes (22)
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- 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: no
- James W. Morefield: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
- M. Keith Hodges: no
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Bill Wiley: no
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute
2026-02-13 · pass · 5-2
Member-level votes (7)
- Paul E. Krizek: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Charniele L. Herring: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
- Bill Wiley: no
H VOTE:
2026-02-17 · pass · 60-34
Member-level votes (99)
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: no
- Jason S. Ballard: no
- 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: not voting
- 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: yes
- 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: not voting
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
- Joseph P. McNamara: no
- 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: not voting
- 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
Passed by indefinitely in Finance and Appropriations
2026-03-03 · pass · 15-0
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: yes
- 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
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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