Skip to main content
Independent and nonpartisan. SaveYourState is a civic information resource. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with any government agency, party, or campaign.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill

SB 454: Zoning; by-right multifamily residential development.

Passed one chamber Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 454 is a bill introduced in the Virginia Senate on January 13, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Zoning; by-right multifamily residential development. Primary sponsor: Schuyler VanValkenburg (Democratic). It lists 7 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (March 10, 2026): Left in 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.

Zoning; by-right multifamily development. Requires local zoning ordinances to permit, on any parcel with an existing tree canopy coverage of at less than 60 percent, located within a city or town having a population of more than 20,000 or within a designated metropolitan planning area, multifamily and mixed-use residential development as a by-right use on at least 75 percent of all land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications, including any land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications that allow for the by-right development and construction of single-family residential uses. The bill stipulates that any application for a proposed development authorized pursuant to the bill shall be reviewed and acted upon administratively by a locality. The bill prohibits a locality from (i) requiring that a special exception, special use, or conditional use permit be obtained for such development or (ii) imposing more stringent land use requirements, enumerated in the bill, for such development than would otherwise be required. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 8

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Schuyler VanValkenburgPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate16
Jennifer BoyskoCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate38
Jennifer Carroll FoyCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate33
Angelia GravesCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate21
Stella PekarskyCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate36
Danica RoemCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate30
Saddam SalimCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate37
Kannan SrinivasanCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate32

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Left in Counties, Cities and Towns
  2. Rereferred to Counties, Cities and Towns
  3. Motion to rerefer to Counties, Cities and Towns agreed to
  4. Reconsideration of passed by for the day
  5. Passed by for the day
  6. Floor offered Delegate Helmer Substitute
  7. Floor substitute printed 26109131D-H2 (Helmer)
  8. Read second time
  9. Committee substitute printed 26108775D-H1
  10. Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute (11-Y 10-N)
  11. House committee offered
  12. Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns

Showing 12 most recent of 35 actions. Full history

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source