HB67 • 2026

Offshore Wind Industry Workforce Program and Fund; established, report, sunset.

An Act to direct the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry.

Education Energy Labor

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Feggans
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify the exact nature of existing resources or programs that can be used.

Offshore Wind Industry Training Program

This law directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources for workers in the offshore wind industry.

What This Bill Does

Identifies and develops training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry.
Includes developing safety training like fire awareness, first aid, working at height, and manual hauling.
Prioritizes training for veterans, local workers, and those from historically economically disadvantaged communities.
Requires consultation with higher education institutions, vocational schools, apprenticeship programs, and at least one historically black college or university.

Who It Names or Affects

Workers in the offshore wind industry
Veterans seeking jobs in renewable energy
Local workers looking to enter the offshore wind sector

Terms To Know

Historically economically disadvantaged communities: Communities that have faced long-term economic challenges as defined by state law.
Global Wind Organisation training program: A safety certification program for offshore wind industry workers.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much funding will be allocated.
It is unclear what specific resources or programs already exist that the Director can use.

Amendments

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

HB67AC

2026-03-13 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment recommends rejecting a Senate proposal and accepting the original bill as it stands.

Rejects the Senate's proposed changes to House Bill No. 67.

The text does not provide details about what specific changes were in the Senate proposal, so we cannot explain those changes here.
The amendment does not include any new provisions or modifications to the original bill.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 361 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-08 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0361)
2026-04-01 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB67)
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
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 House
Enrolled
2026-03-30 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB67ER)
2026-03-14 House
Conference report agreed to by House (77-Y 19-N 0-A)
2026-03-13 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-13 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate requested conference committee
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate Conferees: Carroll Foy, Surovell, DeSteph
2026-03-12 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate insisted on substitute
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 House
House acceded to request
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Feggans, Anthony, Webert
2026-03-11 House
Senate substitute rejected by House (2-Y 96-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-10 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
2026-03-10 Commerce and Labor
Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-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)
2026-03-06 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)
2026-02-26 Commerce and Labor
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB67)
2026-02-24 Commerce and Labor
Committee substitute printed 26108322D-S1
2026-02-23 Commerce and Labor
Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)
2026-01-29 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-01-29 Commerce and Labor
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
2026-01-28 House
Read third time and passed House (85-Y 12-N 0-A)
2026-01-27 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB67)
2026-01-27 House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
2026-01-27 House
Read second time and engrossed
2026-01-26 House
Read first time
2026-01-22 Labor and Commerce
Reported from Labor and Commerce (22-Y 0-N)
2026-01-20 Subcommittee #3
Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
2026-01-15 Subcommittee #3
Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3
2025-12-30 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104587D
2025-12-30 Labor and Commerce
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

Official Summary Text

Department of Energy; workforce development in offshore wind industry.
Directs the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth. This bill is identical to SB 25.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the Director of the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. That the Director of the Department of Energy (the Director) shall identify and develop training resources to advance the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth, including the development of offshore wind careers and training curriculum, such as pre-hire soft skills training and technical skills training, for manufacturing trades, providers of offshore wind products and services, maritime workers, and other skilled trades. As part of such curriculum, the Director shall assess the availability of offshore wind developers, original equipment manufacturers, and supply chain firms that operate within the Commonwealth and, following such assessment, consider establishing a Global Wind Organisation training program to meet minimum safety requirements including training on fire awareness, first aid, sea survival, working at height, and manual hauling for offshore wind industry workers. Training resources for veterans, local workers, and workers from historically economically disadvantaged communities, as defined in §
56-576
of the Code of Virginia, shall be prioritized. In developing such training resources, the Director shall consult with public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth, vocational-technical institutions, apprenticeship programs, and at least one historically black college or university, as defined in §
2.2-1604
of the Code of Virginia. Funding for developing such training resources may include existing sources of local, state, or federal funding and grant resources for the purposes of identifying and developing skills required to support workforce development in the offshore wind industry and expand the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth. Any training resources developed pursuant to this act shall be developed in coordination with the Transmission Siting and Economic Development Program as awarded to the Department of Energy, including awards granted to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council.