HB560 • 2026

Administrative Process Act; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought, limitations.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-4025 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought.</p>

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Hope
Last action: 2026-03-03
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide information on the effective date of the bill.

Administrative Process Act Changes for Benefit Appeals

This bill changes how people can appeal decisions about getting benefits like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, and food stamps by applying the Administrative Process Act to these cases.

What This Bill Does

Adds rules that the Administrative Process Act applies to decisions regarding the grant or denial of certain benefits including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), general relief, auxiliary grants, and state-local hospitalization.
Limits appeals by only allowing a review based on evidence in the agency record.

Who It Names or Affects

People who apply for or are denied Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, SNAP, general relief, auxiliary grants, and state-local hospitalization.
Agencies that make decisions about these benefits.

Terms To Know

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): A program providing financial help to families in need.
Medicaid: A government health insurance program for low-income people and those with disabilities.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A federal food assistance program that helps low-income individuals buy groceries.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not allow appeals about the adequacy of standards and payment levels for public assistance programs.
It is unclear how this change will affect existing cases or future interpretations by courts.

Bill History

2026-03-03 Finance and Appropriations
Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-25 General Laws and Technology
Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-20 Appropriations
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB560)
2026-02-18 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-18 General Laws and Technology
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
2026-02-17 House
Read third time and passed House (86-Y 11-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 House
Read second time
2026-02-16 House
committee substitute rejected
2026-02-16 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-02-16 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-02-15 House
Read first time
2026-02-13 Appropriations
Reported from Appropriations with substitute (18-Y 4-N)
2026-02-13 Health & Human Resources
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N)
2026-02-13 Appropriations
Committee substitute printed 26107945D-H2
2026-02-10 Health & Human Resources
Assigned HAPP sub: Health & Human Resources
2026-02-10 Health and Human Services
Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 1-N)
2026-02-10 House
House committee offered
2026-02-10 Health and Human Services
Committee substitute printed 26107640D-H1
2026-02-05 Social Services
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)
2026-02-05 Social Services
House subcommittee offered
2026-02-02 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB560)
2026-01-30 Social Services
Assigned sub: Social Services
2026-01-29 General Laws
Referred from General Laws and referred to Health and Human Services (Voice Vote)
2026-01-13 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105257D
2026-01-13 General Laws
Referred to Committee on General Laws

Official Summary Text

Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought.
Specifies that the Administrative Process Act applies to case decisions regarding the grant or denial, including determinations of eligibility and approved levels of service, of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, general relief, auxiliary grants, or state-local hospitalization. The bill also removes provisions limiting review of case decisions to ascertaining whether there was evidence in the agency record to support the case decision of the agency.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL NO. 560

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Appropriations

on February 13, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Hope)

A BILL to amend and reenact §
2.2-4025
of the Code of Virginia, relating to Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
2.2-4025
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
2.2-4025
. Exemptions operation of this article; limitations.

A. This article shall not apply to any agency action that (i) is placed beyond the control of the courts by constitutional or statutory provisions expressly precluding court review, (ii) involves solely the internal management or routine of an agency, (iii) is a decision resting entirely upon an inspection, test, or election save as to want of authority therefor or claim of arbitrariness or fraud therein, (iv) is a case in which the agency is acting as an agent for a court, or (v) encompasses matters subject by law to a trial de novo in any court.

B. The provisions of this article, however, shall apply to case decisions regarding the grant or denial
, including determinations of eligibility and approved levels of service,
of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid,
food stamps
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
benefits
, general relief, auxiliary grants, or state-local hospitalization. However, no appeal may be brought regarding the adequacy of standards of need and payment levels for public assistance and social services programs.
Notwithstanding the
The
provisions of §
2.2-4027
,
shall apply and
the review shall be based solely upon the agency record
, and the court shall be limited to ascertaining whether there was evidence in the agency record to support the case decision of the agency acting as the trier of fact
. If the court finds in favor of the party complaining of agency action, the court shall remand the case to the agency for further proceedings. The validity of any statute, regulation, standard
,
or policy, federal or state, upon which the action of the agency was based shall not be subject to review by the court.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the review of issues of law available under §
2.2-4027
.
No intermediate relief shall be granted under §
2.2-4028
.