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HB840 • 2026

Restaurants; exempts certain facilities or programs.

An Act to amend and reenact § 35.1-25 of the Code of Virginia, relating to restaurants; certain facilities or programs; exemptions.

Children
Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the exempted facilities must inform guests about their kitchen status or what regulations apply to other entities like churches and convenience stores.

Exemptions for Certain Facilities from Restaurant Regulations

This act exempts certain facilities that provide custodial care to 12 or fewer adults or children in a home from restaurant regulations.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to exempt specific types of facilities providing custodial care to 12 or fewer people from restaurant rules.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Facilities providing custodial care to 12 or fewer adults or children in a home
  • The State Board of Social Services and the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Terms To Know

custodial care
Care that involves supervision, assistance with daily activities, and protection for individuals who need help to live independently.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact details of how these facilities must inform guests about their kitchen status.
  • It is unclear what specific regulations will be applied to other exempted entities like churches or convenience stores.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 231 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 231 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0231)

  4. 2026-03-10 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

  5. 2026-03-10 Governor

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

  6. 2026-03-06 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-06 House

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-06 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB840ER)

  10. 2026-03-06 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB840)

  11. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Read third time

  12. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Rules suspended

  14. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  15. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  17. 2026-02-26 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

  18. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  19. 2026-02-18 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  20. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

  21. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time and engrossed

  22. 2026-02-15 House

    Read first time

  23. 2026-02-12 Behavioral Health

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)

  24. 2026-02-12 Health and Human Services

    Reported from Health and Human Services (21-Y 0-N)

  25. 2026-01-30 Behavioral Health

    Assigned sub: Behavioral Health

  26. 2026-01-28 Courts of Justice

    Referred from Courts of Justice and referred to Health and Human Services (Voice Vote)

  27. 2026-01-20 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB840)

  28. 2026-01-13 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101823D

  29. 2026-01-13 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Restaurants; certain facilities or programs; exemptions.
Exempts certain facilities that provide custodial care to 12 or fewer adults or children in a home from regulations applicable to restaurants. This bill is identical to SB 677.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §
35.1-25
of the Code of Virginia, relating to restaurants; certain facilities or programs; exemptions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
35.1-25
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
35.1-25
. Exemptions.
A. The provisions of this title applicable to restaurants shall not apply to:
1. Boardinghouses that do not accommodate transients;
2. Cafeterias operated by industrial plants for employees only;
3. Churches; fraternal or school organizations; organizations that are exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and volunteer fire departments and volunteer emergency medical services agencies that hold or participate in occasional dinners, bazaars, and other fundraisers of one or two days' duration, at which food (i) prepared in the homes of members; (ii) prepared in the kitchen of the church, school, or organization; or (iii) purchased or donated from a restaurant licensed pursuant to Chapter 3 (§
35.1-18
et seq.) is offered for sale to the public. Restaurants licensed pursuant to Chapter 3 that donate or sell food to the entities identified in this subdivision shall not be required to apply for any additional permits from, or pay any additional permit application fees to, the Department for the proposed occasional dinner, bazaar, or other fundraiser;
4. Grocery stores, including the delicatessen portion that is a part of a grocery store selling exclusively for off-premises consumption, and places manufacturing or selling packaged or canned goods;
5. Churches that serve meals consisting of food prepared in the homes of members or in the kitchen of the church or purchased or donated from a restaurant licensed pursuant to Chapter 3 (§
35.1-18
et seq.) for their members or their invited guests;
6. Convenience stores or gas stations that are subject to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Retail Food Establishment Regulations or any regulations subsequently adopted and that (i) have 15 or fewer seats at which food is served to the public on the premises of the convenience store or gas station and (ii) are not associated with a national or regional restaurant chain. Notwithstanding this exemption, such convenience stores or gas stations shall remain responsible for collecting any applicable local meals tax;
7. Concession stands at youth athletic activities, if such stands are promoted or sponsored by a youth athletic association or by any charitable nonprofit organization or group thereof that has been recognized as being a part of the recreational program of the political subdivision where the association or organization is located by an ordinance or resolution of such political subdivision;
or
8. Any bed-and-breakfast operation that prepares food for and offers food to guests, regardless of the time the food is prepared and offered, if (i) the premises of the bed-and-breakfast operation is a home that is owner occupied or owner-agent occupied, (ii) the bed-and-breakfast operation prepares food for and offers food to transient guests of the bed and breakfast only, (iii) the number of guests served by the bed-and-breakfast operation does not exceed 18 on any single day, and (iv) guests for whom food is prepared and to whom food is offered are informed in a manner established by the Board in regulations that the food is prepared in a kitchen that is not licensed as a restaurant and is not subject to regulations governing restaurants
; or
9. The following facilities or programs that provide custodial care to 12 or fewer adults or children in a home:
a. A family day home, as defined in §
22.1-289.02
;
b. An adult day center, assisted living facility, children's residential facility, or child-caring institution, as those terms are defined by the applicable regulations of the State Board of Social Services; and
c. A group home, a recovery residence, or a residential service, including a residential crisis stabilization service, as those terms are defined by the applicable regulations of the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
.
B. No regulation issued by the Board shall require any restaurant that is operated by (i) a nonprofit civic service organization, (ii) a volunteer fire department, or (iii) a volunteer emergency medical services agency to employ a certified food protection manager.