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HB314 • 2026

Uniform Statewide Building Code; homeowners who live off grid.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to direct the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code to provide an exemption for homeowners who live off the electrical grid.</p>

Energy Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Wachsmann
Last action
2026-02-10
Official status
Continued
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Building Code Exemption for Off-Grid Homeowners

This law allows homeowners who do not use the electrical grid to be exempt from certain parts of the building code about electricity, as long as their homes meet other safety rules.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the Uniform Statewide Building Code to add an exemption for off-grid homeowners.
  • Exempts off-grid homeowners from following the part of the building code that deals with electrical systems.
  • Requires that off-grid homes still follow all other parts of the building code.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Homeowners who live without using the electrical grid.

Terms To Know

Uniform Statewide Building Code
A set of rules that says how buildings must be built and maintained in Virginia.
Off-grid
Living without using the main electricity network, often relying on solar power or other alternative energy sources.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if an off-grid home is found to be unsafe in ways unrelated to electrical systems.
  • It's unclear how many homeowners will qualify for this exemption.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-10 General Laws

    Continued to 2027 in General Laws (Voice Vote)

  2. 2026-02-05 Housing/Consumer Protection

    Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2027 (Voice Vote)

  3. 2026-01-23 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB314)

  4. 2026-01-19 Housing/Consumer Protection

    Assigned HGL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection

  5. 2026-01-09 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102930D

  6. 2026-01-09 General Laws

    Referred to Committee on General Laws

Official Summary Text

Board of Housing and Community Development; Uniform Statewide Building Code; homeowners who live off grid.
Directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code to exempt any homeowner who lives off the electrical grid from complying with provisions of the Building Code regarding electrical systems, so long as his home is otherwise habitable pursuant to Building Code regulations.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A BILL to direct the Board of Housing and Community Development to amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code to provide an exemption for homeowners who live off the electrical grid.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.
§ 1.
That the Board of Housing and Community Development shall amend the Uniform Statewide Building Code
(the Building Code)
to exempt
any
homeowner who live
s

off
the electrical grid from complying with provisions of the Building Code regarding electric
al
system
s, so long as
his
home is otherwise habitable pursuant to Building Code regulations.