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Conservation and replacement of trees during development process; report. Expands certain existing local government authority to plant or replace trees during the development process by expanding such authority statewide. The bill allows localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages based on density per acre. The bill also alters the current process for granting exceptions to a local ordinance by altering a provision that requires the granting of an exception when strict application of the ordinance would result in unnecessary or unreasonable hardship to the developer and replacing it with a requirement that the locality concur with such determination. The bill permits localities to monitor and assess the condition and coverage of tree canopies at development sites during a time period of up to 20 years' maturity of the planted trees. The bill also directs the Institute for Coastal Adaption and Resilience to convene a work group to conduct a comprehensive review of the tree canopy laws and regulations and report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. The bill makes numerous technical amendments. This bill incorporates HB 995.
Introduced
Jan 13, 2026
Last Action
Mar 14, 2026
Session
VA 2026
Sponsors
1 primary · 8 co
Conference Report released
Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)
House Conferees: Hope, McClure, Tata
Conferees appointed by House
Senate Conferees: Salim, Srinivasan, Suetterlein
Second conferees appointed by Senate
Senate acceded to request for second conference committee (22-Y 17-N 0-A)
House requested second conference committee
Conference report agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A)
Senate Conferees: Salim, Srinivasan, Suetterlein
Conferees appointed by Senate
Conferees appointed by House
House Conferees: Hope, Helmer, Tata
House acceded to request
Senate insisted on substitute (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
Senate requested conference committee
Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N 0-A)
Local Government Substitute agreed to
Read third time
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
Passed Senate with substitute (24-Y 16-N 0-A)
Rules suspended
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
Committee substitute printed 26109044D-S1
Reported from Local Government with substitute (9-Y 6-N)
Referred to Committee on Local Government
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
committee substitute agreed to
Read second time
Read first time
Committee substitute printed 26106579D-H1
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (16-Y 4-N 1-A)
Incorporates HB995 (Seibold)
House committee offered
Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #3
Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102406D
Get a plain-English explanation of what this bill does, who it affects, and why it matters.
Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)
Patrick A. Hope
Holly M. Seibold
Rodney T. Willett
Betsy B. Carr
Phil M. Hernandez