HB326 • 2026

Disposition of Fort Whitworth; authorizes Governor to convey to Petersburg Battlefields Foundation.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to authorize the Commonwealth to convey Fort Whitworth to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation.</p>

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Pope Adams
Last action: 2026-03-06
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Fort Whitworth Transfer

This bill allows the Governor to transfer Fort Whitworth to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation without payment and in its current condition.

What This Bill Does

Allows the Commonwealth to transfer ownership of Fort Whitworth to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation.
Requires this transfer to happen through a quitclaim deed, which is a type of legal document.
Specifies that the property will be given 'as-is' without any money changing hands.
Requires the Foundation to submit an application for a historic preservation easement within one year after receiving the land.
Gives the Board of Historic Resources full discretion over whether to accept this easement.

Who It Names or Affects

The Commonwealth of Virginia, specifically through the Department of General Services and with Governor's approval.
Petersburg Battlefields Foundation, which will receive Fort Whitworth.
Board of Historic Resources, who may decide on a historic preservation easement for the property.

Terms To Know

Quitclaim Deed: A legal document that transfers ownership without guarantees about the condition or history of the property.
Historic Preservation Easement: An agreement to protect and preserve a historic site's integrity over time.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the Foundation fails to submit an application for the easement within one year.
It is unclear how the property will be managed or used after it is transferred to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation.

Bill History

2026-03-06 Finance and Appropriations
Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-03-06 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB326)
2026-03-04 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Committee substitute printed 26108473D-S1
2026-03-03 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-03-03 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-18 Courts of Justice
Rereferred from Courts of Justice to Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Block Vote (12-Y 0-N)
2026-02-04 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-04 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-02-03 House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
2026-02-03 House
Read third time and passed House (96-Y 2-N 0-A)
2026-02-02 House
Read second time and engrossed
2026-01-30 House
Read first time
2026-01-29 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB326)
2026-01-28 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (22-Y 0-N)
2026-01-22 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB326)
2026-01-22 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB326)
2026-01-21 Natural Resources
Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)
2026-01-19 Natural Resources
Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources
2026-01-11 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103354D
2026-01-11 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Official Summary Text

Disposition of Fort Whitworth.
Authorizes the Governor to convey Fort Whitworth to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation. The conveyance shall be made without consideration and in as-is condition.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL NO. 326

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

on March 3, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Pope Adams)

A BILL to authorize the Commonwealth to convey a parcel of land known as Fort Whitworth to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.
§ 1.
That the Commonwealth, through the Department o
f General Services and with the approval of the Governor or as such approval may be delegated to the Secretary of Administration, is hereby authorized to convey to the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation
(the Foundation)
a parcel of land consisting of a portion of Tax Map Parcel
10-7
,
which may include existing parking located at the southeast corner of 7th
Avenue and Accomac Street, on the campus of Central State Hospital in the County of Dinwiddie, Virginia. The
c
onveyance of the property shall be made without monetary consideration and in as-is condition.

Such
conveyance shall be made by a quitclaim deed and in a form approved by the
Attorney General. The appropriate officials of the Commonwealth are hereby authorized to prepare, execute, and deliver such deed and other documents as may be necessary to accomplish such conveyance.

§ 2.
That as a condition of such conveyance and in exchange therefor,
the Foundation shall
, within one year of such conveyance,

offer to the Board of Historic Resources
(the Board)
through the submission of a complete application a historic preservation easement for the perpetual protection of the property, acceptance of which
shall be
at the full discretion of the
Board.
Acceptance of such offer by the Boar
d
shall commit the Foundation to
the
conveyance of such easement, subject to an
y requirements set by the Board.