Public pools; regulations.

An Act to amend and reenact § 32.1-248.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public pools; regulations.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Hope
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact content and timing of the new rules by the Board of Health remain unspecified.

Rules for Public Pools

This law directs the Board of Health to create rules for public swimming pools and other water recreational facilities, including requirements for water quality testing, safety equipment, maintenance, staffing, and incident response.

What This Bill Does

Directs the Board of Health to make rules for public swimming pools and similar water recreational facilities.
Requires these rules to cover water treatment, disinfection, posting of water quality data, safety equipment, maintenance, operational requirements, facility staffing, and incident response.
Does not apply to private residential water recreational facilities or regulate pool design and construction as governed by the Uniform Statewide Building Code.

Who It Names or Affects

Public swimming pool operators
Local health departments
Swimmers and visitors at public water facilities

Terms To Know

Board of Health: A group that makes rules to keep people healthy.
Uniform Statewide Building Code: Rules about how buildings, including pools, should be built and maintained.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify the exact content of the new rules.
It is unclear when the Board of Health will complete these rules.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB222AHC1

2026-01-20

Health Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes part of a Virginia law about public pools to add new regulations instead of requiring daily water quality test postings.

Removes the requirement for certain recreational facilities to post daily water quality test results.
Adds new regulations for public aquatic facilities.

The exact nature and details of the new regulations are not specified in this amendment text.

HB222AHC2

2026-01-20 • Committee

Health Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes part of a Virginia law about public pools to add new regulations instead of requiring daily water quality test postings.

Removes the requirement for certain recreational facilities to post daily water quality test results.
Adds new regulations for public aquatic facilities.

The exact nature and details of the new regulations are not specified in this amendment text.

HB222AH1

2026-01-22 • Committee

Health and Human Services Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes a section of Virginia's code about public pools to add new regulations instead of requiring daily water quality test postings.

Removes the requirement for posting daily water quality test results at certain recreational facilities.
Adds new regulations for public aquatic facilities.

The exact nature and details of the new regulations are not specified in this amendment text.

Bill History

2026-04-02 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 53 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-02 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0053)
2026-03-10 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
2026-03-10 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-06 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-06 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-06 House
Enrolled
2026-03-06 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB222ER)
2026-03-06 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB222)
2026-03-02 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-02 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-02 Senate
Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-02-27 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-27 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-27 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-27 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-26 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health (9-Y 6-N)
2026-02-24 Health
Assigned Education sub: Health
2026-01-29 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-01-29 Education and Health
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
2026-01-28 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB222)
2026-01-28 House
Read third time and passed House (87-Y 10-N 0-A)
2026-01-27 House
Read second time
2026-01-27 House
committee amendments agreed to
2026-01-27 House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-01-26 House
Read first time
2026-01-22 Health and Human Services
Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) (20-Y 2-N)
2026-01-20 Health
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (9-Y 0-N)
2026-01-20 Health
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-20 Health
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-16 Health
Assigned sub: Health
2026-01-13 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB222)
2026-01-08 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101296D
2026-01-08 Health and Human Services
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

Official Summary Text

Public pools; regulations.
Directs the Board of Health to adopt regulations governing swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated for public use, including swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated in conjunction with a tourist facility or health spa.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
32.1-248.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to public pools; regulations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
32.1-248.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
32.1-248.1
. Regulations for public aquatic facilities.
A.
The Board of Health shall promulgate regulations
to require the daily posting of water quality test results at
governing
swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated for public use
or
, including swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated
in conjunction with a tourist facility or health spa. Such regulations shall
require, among other things,
include requirements for (i) water treatment and disinfection, (ii)
the

posting of water quality data
regarding the current pH level, disinfectant type and concentration, and water temperature, and the recommended safe levels of each
,
(iii) safety equipment and features, (iv) maintenance and safety of equipment and premises, (v) operational requirements, (vi) facility staffing, (vii) incident response,
and
(viii) such other provisions as may be necessary to protect the public health and safety. Such regulations
shall not
(a)
apply to private residential water recreational facilities, as defined by the Board
, or (b) regulate the design, construction, or maintenance of pool structures and equipment as governed by the Uniform Statewide Building Code (§
36-97
et seq.)
.
B. Nothing in this section or regulations of the Board shall prohibit any locality from adopting any ordinance regarding the operation of swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated for public use that are equivalent to or more stringent than the regulations adopted pursuant to this section.