Virginia House Bill 444 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: Passed on April 11 2022 - 100% progression
Action: 2022-04-11 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0597)
Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [HTML]

Virginia Freedom of Information Act; meetings conducted through electronic communication means. Amends existing provisions concerning electronic meetings by keeping the provisions for electronic meetings held in response to declared states of emergency, repealing the provisions that are specific to regional and state public bodies, and allowing certain public bodies to conduct all-virtual public meetings where all of the members who participate do so remotely and that the public may access through electronic communications means. The bill excepts local governing bodies, local school boards, planning commissions, architectural review boards, zoning appeals boards, and any board with the authority to deny, revoke, or suspend a professional or occupational license from the provisions that allow public bodies to conduct all-virtual public meetings. Definitions, procedural requirements, and limitations for all-virtual public meetings are set forth in the bill, along with technical amendments. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2022. Virginia Freedom of Information Act; meetings conducted through electronic communication means. Amends existing provisions concerning electronic meetings by keeping the provisions for electronic meetings held in response to declared states of emergency, repealing the provisions that are specific to regional and state public bodies, and allowing certain public bodies to conduct all-virtual public meetings where all of the members who participate do so remotely and that the public may access through electronic communications means. The bill excepts local governing bodies, local school boards, planning commissions, architectural review boards, zoning appeals boards, and any board with the authority to deny, revoke, or suspend a professional or occupational license from the provisions that allow public bodies to conduct all-virtual public meetings. Definitions, procedural requirements, and limitations for all-virtual public meetings are set forth in the bill, along with technical amendments. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2022.

Va. Freedom of Information Act; meetings conducted through electronic meetings, states of emergency.

Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker [D]

Del. William Wampler [R]

2022-03-10 - House - House: VOTE: Adoption (97-Y 0-N) (Y: 97 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 3) [PASS]
2022-03-10 - Senate - Senate: Passed Senate with substitute with amendments (25-Y 15-N) (Y: 25 N: 15 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2022-03-07 - Senate - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) (Y: 38 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2022-03-02 - Senate - Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (12-Y 3-N) (Y: 12 N: 3 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2022-02-02 - House - House: VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) (Y: 98 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2022-01-27 - House - House: Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N) (Y: 22 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2022-01-25 - House - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) (Y: 8 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2022-04-11		Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0597)
2022-04-11		Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 597 (effective 9/1/22)
2022-03-22		Governor: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2022
2022-03-22	House	Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 22, 2022
2022-03-22	House	Signed by Speaker
2022-03-21	Senate	Signed by President
2022-03-21	House	Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB444ER)
2022-03-21	House	Enrolled
2022-03-10	House	VOTE: Adoption (97-Y 0-N)
2022-03-10	House	Senate substitute with amendments agreed to by House 22107153D-S1 (97-Y 0-N)
2022-03-10	Senate	Passed Senate with substitute with amendments (25-Y 15-N)
2022-03-10	Senate	Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute with amendments HB444S1
2022-03-10	Senate	Amendment #3 by Senator Petersen agreed to
2022-03-10	Senate	Reading of amendment #3 waived
2022-03-10	Senate	Amendments #1, #2 by Senator Petersen agreed to
2022-03-10	Senate	Reading of amendments #1, #2 waived
2022-03-10	Senate	Passed by temporarily
2022-03-10	Senate	Read third time
2022-03-09	Senate	Passed by for the day
2022-03-09	Senate	Passed by temporarily
2022-03-09	Senate	Read third time
2022-03-08	Senate	Passed by for the day
2022-03-08	Senate	Committee substitute agreed to 22107153D-S1
2022-03-08	Senate	Reading of substitute waived
2022-03-08	Senate	Read third time
2022-03-07	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
2022-03-04	Senate	Passed by for the day
2022-03-02	Senate	Committee substitute printed 22107153D-S1
2022-03-02	Senate	Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (12-Y 3-N)
2022-02-03	Senate	Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
2022-02-03	Senate	Constitutional reading dispensed
2022-02-02	House	VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N)
2022-02-02	House	Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N)
2022-02-01	House	Read second time and engrossed
2022-01-31	House	Read first time
2022-01-27	House	Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N)
2022-01-25	House	Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
2022-01-21	House	Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #4
2022-01-11	House	Referred to Committee on General Laws
2022-01-11	House	Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22104056D

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
10	1	1322.01	(n/a)	See Bill Text
15	2	1627.4	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	2455	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	3701	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	3707	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	3707.01	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	3708.2	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	3708.3	(n/a)	See Bill Text
2	2	3714	(n/a)	See Bill Text
23	1	1301	(n/a)	See Bill Text
23	1	2425	(n/a)	See Bill Text
62	1	44.15:02	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+sum+HB444
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+HB444+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+HB444S1+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+HB444ER+hil
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0597+hil
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/drafts/22107153D.pdf
Amendment	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+amd+HB444AS
Amendment	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+amd+HB444ASE
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+oth+HB444F122+PDF
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+oth+HB444FS1122+PDF
Supplement	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+oth+HB444FER122+PDF
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+H1104V0006+HB0444
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+H11V0021+HB0444
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+HV0366+HB0444
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+S12V0171+HB0444
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+SV0829HB0444+HB0444
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+SV1050HB0444+HB0444
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+vot+HV1728+HB0444