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HB714 • 2026

Leesylvania State Park; DCR to convey prop. to/acquire prop. from Newport Estates Homeowners Assoc.

An Act to authorize the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convey and acquire property at Leesylvania State Park.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Henson
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Leesylvania State Park Property Exchange

This act allows the Department of Conservation and Recreation to exchange property with the Newport Estates Homeowners Association at Leesylvania State Park.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to convey up to five acres of land to the Newport Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. (NEHA).
  • Requires NEHA to give DCR property that is next to Leesylvania State Park and useful for recreation.
  • Ensures a permanent road access from Neabsco Road to NEHA's property so they can fix slope problems.
  • Does not require either party to pay the other for this exchange.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
  • Newport Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. (NEHA)

Terms To Know

Conveyance
Transferring ownership or rights to property.
Recreational utility
Land that can be used for activities like hiking, camping, and other outdoor recreation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact terms of the exchange are decided by DCR with advice from other government offices.
  • Neither party needs to pay money for this property swap.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 209 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 209 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0209)

  4. 2026-03-14 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  5. 2026-03-14 Governor

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

  6. 2026-03-10 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-10 House

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-10 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB714ER)

  10. 2026-03-10 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB714)

  11. 2026-03-04 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB714)

  12. 2026-03-03 House

    Senate substitute agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Read third time

  14. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  15. 2026-02-27 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  16. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

  17. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Rules suspended

  18. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  19. 2026-02-26 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Substitute bill reprinted 26108022D

  20. 2026-02-26 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Committee substitute printed 26108022D-S1

  21. 2026-02-26 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

    Substitute bill reprinted 26108022D

  22. 2026-02-26 Senate

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

  23. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

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

    Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (14-Y 0-N)

  25. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  26. 2026-02-18 Courts of Justice

    Rereferred from Courts of Justice to Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Block Vote (12-Y 0-N)

  27. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  28. 2026-02-11 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  29. 2026-02-10 House

    Read third time and passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

  30. 2026-02-09 House

    Read second time and engrossed

  31. 2026-02-06 House

    Read first time

  32. 2026-02-04 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

    Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (22-Y 0-N)

  33. 2026-01-28 Natural Resources

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)

  34. 2026-01-28 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB714)

  35. 2026-01-26 Natural Resources

    Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources

  36. 2026-01-13 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105138D

  37. 2026-01-13 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

    Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Official Summary Text

Conveyance of property; Leesylvania State Park.
Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convey property to and acquire property from the Newport Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. at Leesylvania State Park. The conveyances will provide a permanent access from Neabsco Road in Prince William County to property owned by the Association that is otherwise inaccessible to allow the Association to complete repairs and restoration to a slope failure due to poor soils on the Association's neighborhood open space property while ensuring that the Department retains property of recreational utility at Leesylvania State Park.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to authorize the Department of Conservation and Recreation to convey and acquire property at Leesylvania State Park.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. That in accordance with and as evidence of General Assembly approval, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (the Department) is hereby authorized to convey up to five acres to the Newport Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. (the Association) of any interest it may hold in a portion of real estate acquired by the Department and bearing the instrument number 200801160005235, as recorded in the Office of the Circuit Court Clerk of Prince William County.
§ 2. That as a condition of such conveyance and in exchange therefor, the Association shall convey to the Department property owned by the Association which is adjacent to Leesylvania State Park and deemed by the Department to be of equal recreational utility, along with a deed of open space easement on other Association land, the extent of which shall be deemed sufficient by the Department.
§ 3. That the purpose of these conveyances is to provide a permanent access from Neabsco Road in Prince William County to property owned by the Association, that is otherwise inaccessible, to allow the Association to complete repairs and restoration necessitated by a slope failure on the Association's neighborhood open space property while ensuring that the Department retains property of recreational utility at Leesylvania State Park.
§ 4. That neither the Association nor the Commonwealth shall be required to submit any payment to the other party to effectuate the conveyances contemplated herein.
§ 5. That the exchange of property rights contemplated herein shall be upon terms and conditions as the Department deems proper, with the prior written recommendation of the Department of General Services to the Governor, the written approval of the Governor of the transaction itself or as such approval may be delegated to the Secretary of Administration, and the approval of the Attorney General as to the form of the instruments prior to execution.