VA HB1237 | 2026 | Regular Regular Session
Status
Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6)
Status: Passed on April 6 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-06 - Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0278)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6)
Status: Passed on April 6 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-06 - Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0278)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]
Summary
Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards; owner unknown. Permits the owner of adjacent land or an incorporated nonprofit entity to petition the circuit court for an exclusive license to maintain a graveyard that has been abandoned, is unused and neglected by the owner, and the owner of such graveyard is unknown, or cannot with reasonable diligence be found. The bill requires the petitioner to (i) demonstrate a good faith effort to identify and contact an owner of record of the graveyard and (ii) publish in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality in which the graveyard is located, once a week for two consecutive weeks, notice that a petition for a maintenance license has been filed. The bill allows a court to grant a petitioner an exclusive license for the maintenance of an abandoned graveyard not to exceed five years. Such petitioner may, by petition of the court, renew such license indefinitely. After the court grants a petitioner a license to maintain the property, the owner of such graveyard may petition the circuit court of the county or city in which the graveyard is located to terminate the license.
Title
Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards, owner unknown.
Sponsors
| Del. Briana Sewell [D] | Del. Gretchen Bulova [D] | Del. Michelle Maldonado [D] | Del. Luke Torian [D] |
| Del. Nadarius Clark [D] | Del. Jackie Glass [D] |
Roll Calls
2026-03-09 - Senate - Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-06 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - Senate - Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) (Y: 15 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-04 - House - Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 1-N 0-A) (Y: 97 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-02-04 - House - Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 98 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-01-29 - House - Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) (Y: 21 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-27 - House - Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) (Y: 9 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-03-06 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - Senate - Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) (Y: 15 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-04 - House - Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 1-N 0-A) (Y: 97 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-02-04 - House - Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 98 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-01-29 - House - Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) (Y: 21 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-27 - House - Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) (Y: 9 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
History
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-06 | Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0278) | |
| 2026-04-06 | Approved by Governor-Chapter 278 (effective 7/1/2026) | |
| 2026-03-25 | Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 | |
| 2026-03-25 | House | Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 |
| 2026-03-16 | House | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1237) |
| 2026-03-14 | Senate | Signed by President |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Signed by Speaker |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1237ER) |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Enrolled |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Read third time |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Rules suspended |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-05 | Senate | Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology |
| 2026-02-05 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 1-N 0-A) |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Read second time and engrossed |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1237) |
| 2026-02-02 | House | Read first time |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-01-26 | House | Assigned HGL sub: ABC/Gaming |
| 2026-01-14 | House | Referred to Committee on General Laws |
| 2026-01-14 | House | Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102487D |
