Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill
HB 708: Timely local decision on certain land use permits; incentives and penalties.
In committee Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
HB 708 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 13, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Timely local decision on certain land use permits; incentives and penalties. Primary sponsor: Josh Thomas (Democratic). Most recent recorded action (February 18, 2026): Left in Committee Counties, Cities and Towns.
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.
Timely local decision on certain land use permits; incentives and penalties. Requires that the average time period required for a locality to take final action to approve, approve with conditions, or deny all by-right permit applications from the date of submission of such applications to the locality shall not exceed 12 months. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct semiannual compliance reviews of each locality and to publish and transmit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report identifying each locality as compliant or noncompliant for the applicable review period. The bill provides that any locality determined by the Department to be compliant for the preceding 12-month period shall be eligible to receive a state grant sufficient to fund one full-time equivalent position within the locality's planning department. The bill further provides that if the Department determines that a locality is noncompliant during a review period, the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall reduce program fund allocations from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund to any project within the boundaries of such noncompliant locality by two percent for the following fiscal year.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Thomas | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 21 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Left in Committee Counties, Cities and Towns
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB708)
- Subcommittee recommends striking from the docket (5-Y 0-N)
- Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #3
- Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
- Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104992D