Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill
HB 842: Virginia Public Procurement Act; definition of "small business", direct procurement, set-asides.
In committee Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
HB 842 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 13, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Virginia Public Procurement Act; definition of "small business", direct procurement, set-asides. Primary sponsor: Mark C. Downey. Most recent recorded action (January 29, 2026): Continued to next session in General Laws (Voice Vote).
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.
Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Virginia Public Procurement Act; definition of "small business"; direct procurement; set-asides. Amends the definition of "small business," for purposes of provisions related to the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and the Virginia Public Procurement Act, to mean a business that is at least 51 percent independently owned and controlled by one or more individuals, or in the case of a cooperative association, is at least 51 percent independently controlled by one or more members, who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens and, together with affiliates, has 50 or fewer employees or average annual gross receipts of $5 million or less averaged over the previous three years and for which the individual owners do not have a combined net worth exceeding $1.5 million. Current law defines a small business as such, but with 250 or fewer employees and average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years, with no limit on the combined net worth of individual owners. The bill allows any public body to directly solicit or award a contract of less than $200,000 to a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business, or to a business identified by a public body as a service disabled veteran-owned or military family-owned business, without engaging in the competitive sealed bidding or competitive negotiation process. The bill also provides that purchases made by a public body for goods, services, and construction up to $100,000 that are not directly awarded shall be set aside for award to small businesses.
Sponsors
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark C. Downey | Primary sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Continued to next session in General Laws (Voice Vote)
- Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)
- Assigned HGL sub: Procurement/Open Government
- Referred to Committee on General Laws
- Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104023D