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HB672 • 2026

Appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; requirement of manufacturers.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 17 of Title 45.2 an article numbered 10, consisting of a section numbered 45.2-1735, relating to appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy.

Budget Energy
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Maldonado
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; requirement of manufacturers.

Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty.

What This Bill Does

  • Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty.
  • Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S.
  • Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025.
  • The bill prohibits any such new products from being sold, offered for sale, leased, or rented in the Commonwealth unless such products meet or exceed such standards.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

HB672AHC1

2026-02-11

Appropriations Amendment

Plain English: OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 HB 672 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION 2/11/2026 HB 672 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 22, substitute, after B.
  • strike The Department insert In the event the Department adopts energy or water conservation standards pursuant to subsection A, it SUBCOMMITTEE 2.
  • Line 28, substitute, after Directory, insert AHAM Verifide Certification and Verification Program Directories,
HB672AH1

2026-02-11 • Committee

Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: 2/11/2026 HB 672 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.

  • 2/11/2026 HB 672 SUBCOMMITTEE 1.
  • Line 22, substitute, after B.
  • strike The Department insert In the event the Department adopts energy or water conservation standards pursuant to subsection A, it SUBCOMMITTEE 2.
  • Line 28, substitute, after Directory, insert AHAM Verifide Certification and Verification Program Directories,
HB672AS1

2026-03-09 • Committee

Finance and Appropriations Amendment

Plain English: 3/09/2026 (HB672) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE FINANCE AND APPROPRIATIONS [ REJECTED ] 1.

  • 3/09/2026 (HB672) AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE FINANCE AND APPROPRIATIONS [ REJECTED ] 1.
  • After line 37, engrossed insert 2.
  • That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the General Assembly at a subsequent regular or special session.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 928 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0928)

  3. 2026-04-01 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB672)

  4. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  5. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  6. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  7. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  8. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  9. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  10. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  11. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  12. 2026-03-30 House

    Enrolled

  13. 2026-03-30 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB672ER)

  14. 2026-03-11 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB672)

  15. 2026-03-11 House

    Senate substitute agreed to by House (64-Y 35-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  17. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  18. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Reading of substitute waived

  19. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute

  20. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Floor Offered

  21. 2026-03-10 Finance and Appropriations

    Finance and Appropriations Amendment rejected

  22. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)

  23. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Senator McPike Substitute agreed to

  24. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  25. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  27. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  28. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  29. 2026-03-06 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations with amendment (10-Y 4-N)

  30. 2026-03-02 Commerce and Labor

    Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N)

  31. 2026-02-24 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Commerce and Labor (13-Y 0-N)

  32. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  33. 2026-02-18 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

  34. 2026-02-18 Labor and Commerce

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB672)

  35. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

  36. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time

  37. 2026-02-16 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  38. 2026-02-16 House

    committee amendments agreed to

  39. 2026-02-16 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended

  40. 2026-02-13 House

    Read first time

  41. 2026-02-12 Appropriations

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB672)

  42. 2026-02-11 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

    Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

  43. 2026-02-11 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s)

  44. 2026-02-11 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N)

  45. 2026-02-11 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (5-Y 2-N)

  46. 2026-02-11 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

    House subcommittee offered

  47. 2026-02-10 Labor and Commerce

    Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 4-N)

  48. 2026-02-10 Labor and Commerce

    Committee substitute printed 26107320D-H1

  49. 2026-02-06 Subcommittee #3

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB672)

  50. 2026-02-05 Subcommittee #3

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (8-Y 0-N)

  51. 2026-02-05 Subcommittee #3

    House subcommittee offered

  52. 2026-01-28 Subcommittee #3

    Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3

  53. 2026-01-28 Natural Resources

    Subcommittee recommends referring to Labor and Commerce(Voice Vote)

  54. 2026-01-28 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

    Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Labor and Commerce (Voice Vote)

  55. 2026-01-28 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

    Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Labor and Commerce (Voice Vote)

  56. 2026-01-26 Natural Resources

    Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources

  57. 2026-01-13 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102691D

  58. 2026-01-13 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

    Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Official Summary Text

Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty.
Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. The bill prohibits any such new products from being sold, offered for sale, leased, or rented in the Commonwealth unless such products meet or exceed such standards. The bill excludes any energy or water conservation standards set aside by a court or any product if federal law preempts the application of the minimum energy and water conservation standards to such a product, including any product or product categories where there is a requirement to develop a standard under the EPCA.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 17 of Title 45.2 an article numbered 10, consisting of a section numbered
45.2-1735
, relating to appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 17 of Title 45.2 an article numbered 10, consisting of a section numbered
45.2-1735
, as follows:
Article 10.
Appliance Energy and Water Conservation Standards.
§
45.2-1735
. Minimum energy and water conservation standards for certain products.
A. If any product or product categories under 10 C.F.R. Parts 430 and 431 of the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (P.L.
94-163
), as amended, are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. No such new products may be sold or offered for sale, lease, or rent in the Commonwealth unless such products meet or exceed such standards.
B. In the event the Department adopts energy or water conservation standards pursuant to subsection A, it shall require a manufacturer that produces a product described in subsection A to test its products in accordance with the test procedures provided in 10 C.F.R. Parts 430 and 431 of the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (P.L.
94-163
), as amended, as of December 31, 2025. The Department may adopt additional test methods when new versions of test methods become available or when an alternative test method has been adopted by another state or the federal government. Such manufacturers shall certify through a third-party database, such as the Modernized Appliance Efficiency Database System, Home Ventilating Institute Products Directory, AHAM Verifide Certification and Verification Program Directories, or Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships State Appliance Standards Database, or any other database approved by the Department, and based on such test results, that its products comply with the provisions of this section.
C. Nothing in this section shall apply to (i) any energy or water conservation standard set aside by a court pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 6306(b) or (ii) any product if federal law preempts the application of this section to such product, including any product or product categories where there is a requirement to develop a standard pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 6291 et seq. or where there is a standard developed pursuant to 10 C.F.R. Parts 430 and 431 of the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (P.L.
94-163
), as amended.
2. That the provisions of the first enactment of this act shall only become effective 12 months following the day on which a product or product categories under 10 C.F.R. Parts 430 and 431 of the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (P.L.
94-163
), as amended, are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government.
3. That the Department of Energy shall report by December 1, 2026, to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and the House Committee on Appropriations on any costs and requisite funding necessary for the implementation and administration of §
45.2-1735
of the Code of Virginia, as created by this act, including any costs associated with testing.