Virginia House Bill 4 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 30)
Status: Passed on April 8 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-04-08 - Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0352)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]

Preservation of affordable housing; definitions; civil penalty. Creates a framework for localities to preserve affordable housing by exercising a right of first refusal on publicly supported housing, defined in the bill. The bill authorizes localities to adopt an ordinance that requires an owner to accept a right of first refusal offer by the locality or qualified designee, defined in the bill, in order to preserve affordable housing for at least 15 years. The bill requires that any locality with a population greater than 3,500 adopting such an ordinance to preserve affordable housing submit an annual report to the Department of Housing and Community Development pursuant to existing law.

Affordable housing; preservation, definitions, civil penalty.

Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker [D]	Del. Gretchen Bulova [D]	Del. Katrina Callsen [D]	Del. Karen Carnegie [D]
Del. Nadarius Clark [D]	Del. Laura Jane Cohen [D]	Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler [D]	Del. Rae Cousins [D]
Del. Mark Downey [D]	Del. Michael Feggans [D]	Del. Lily Franklin [D]	Del. Margaret Franklin [D]
Del. Debra Gardner [D]	Del. Jackie Glass [D]	Del. Elizabeth Guzman [D]	Del. Rozia Henson [D]
Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra [D]	Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling [D]	Del. Michelle Maldonado [D]	Del. Marty Martinez [D]
Del. Adele McClure [D]	Del. Garrett McGuire [D]	Del. Leslie Chambers Mehta [D]	Del. May Nivar [D]
Del. Kimberly Pope Adams [D]	Del. Marcia Price [D]	Del. Atoosa Reaser [D]	Del. Briana Sewell [D]
Del. Richard Sullivan [D]	Del. Kathy Tran [D]

2026-03-10 - Senate - Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Y: 21 N: 19 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 (9-Y 6-N) (Y: 9 N: 6 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-02 - House - Read third time and passed House (65-Y 34-N 0-A) (Y: 65 N: 34 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-27 - House - Reported from General Laws (15-Y 6-N) (Y: 15 N: 6 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-22 - House - Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N) (Y: 7 N: 3 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-04-08		Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0352)
2026-04-08		Approved by Governor-Chapter 352 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-03-31		Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31	House	Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31	House	Signed by Speaker
2026-03-30	Senate	Signed by President
2026-03-30	House	Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB4ER)
2026-03-30	House	Enrolled
2026-03-10	Senate	Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-03-10	Senate	Read third time
2026-03-09	Senate	Passed by for the day
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 (9-Y 6-N)
2026-02-25	Senate	Assigned GL&T sub: Housing
2026-02-03	Senate	Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
2026-02-03	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-02	House	Read third time and passed House (65-Y 34-N 0-A)
2026-01-30	House	Read second time and engrossed
2026-01-29	House	Read first time
2026-01-27	House	Reported from General Laws (15-Y 6-N)
2026-01-22	House	Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)
2026-01-19	House	Assigned HGL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection
2025-11-17	House	Referred to Committee on General Laws
2025-11-17	House	Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100154D

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4/text/HB4
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4/text/HB4ER
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4/text/CHAP0352
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB4/20261/H11002V2610205
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB4/20261/H11V2610530
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB4/20261/2619891
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB4/20261/S12V2539
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB4/20261/SV1038
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB4/20261/SV1132