HB1516 • 2026

Appointment of administrator; property damage claims.

An Act to amend and reenact § 64.2-454 of the Code of Virginia, relating to appointment of administrator; property damage claims.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Bloxom
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Appointment of administrator; property damage claims.

What This Bill Does

Appointment of administrator; property damage claims.
Allows for the appointment of an administrator in any case in which it is represented that a civil action for property damage arising within the Commonwealth is contemplated against or on behalf of the estate or the beneficiaries of the estate of a resident or nonresident of the Commonwealth who has died within or outside the Commonwealth.
Under current law, such appointments are limited to civil actions for personal injury and wrongful death.
This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 870 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0870)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0870)
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1516)
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 House
Enrolled
2026-03-30 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1516ER)
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-09 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-05 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice (12-Y 0-N)
2026-02-18 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-18 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-02-17 House
Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 House
Read second time and engrossed
2026-02-13 House
Read first time
2026-02-11 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-09 Civil
Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)
2026-02-05 Civil
Assigned HCJ sub: Civil
2026-02-02 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1516)
2026-01-23 House
Presented and ordered printed 26103505D
2026-01-23 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Appointment of administrator; property damage claims.
Allows for the appointment of an administrator in any case in which it is represented that a civil action for property damage arising within the Commonwealth is contemplated against or on behalf of the estate or the beneficiaries of the estate of a resident or nonresident of the Commonwealth who has died within or outside the Commonwealth. Under current law, such appointments are limited to civil actions for personal injury and wrongful death. This bill is a recommendation of the Boyd-Graves Conference.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
64.2-454
of the Code of Virginia, relating to appointment of administrator; property damage claims.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
64.2-454
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
64.2-454
. Appointment of administrator for prosecution of action for personal injury or wrongful death or property damage against or on behalf of estate of deceased resident or nonresident.
An administrator may be appointed in any case in which it is represented that either a civil action for personal injury or death by wrongful act, or both,
or property damage
arising within the Commonwealth is contemplated against or on behalf of the estate or the beneficiaries of the estate of a resident or nonresident of the Commonwealth who has died within or outside the Commonwealth if at least 60 days have elapsed since the decedent's death and an executor or administrator of the estate has not been appointed under §
64.2-500
or
64.2-502
, solely for the purpose of prosecution or defense of any such actions, by the clerk of a circuit court. An administrator appointed pursuant to this section may prosecute
and defend
actions for
both
personal injury
and
,
death by wrongful act
, and property damage
.
If a fiduciary has been appointed in a foreign jurisdiction, the fiduciary may qualify as administrator. The appointment of a fiduciary in a foreign jurisdiction shall not preclude a resident or nonresident from qualifying as an administrator for the purposes of maintaining a wrongful death action pursuant to §
8.01-50
or a personal injury action in the Commonwealth.
A resident and nonresident may be appointed as coadministrators.