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HB856 • 2026

Shelter pets; designating as official state pet.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; state pet; shelter pets.</p>

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Krizek
Last action
2026-02-06
Official status
Continued
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims that were either unsupported or overly speculative based on the provided official source material. The bill summary and text do not provide details about updates to existing law beyond designating shelter pets as an official state symbol, nor does it specify how rescue animals are defined in this context.

Designating Shelter Pets as the Official State Pet

This bill designates shelter pets as the official state pet of Virginia.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a part of Virginia's laws to add shelter pets as an official state symbol.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who care about animal welfare and shelters in Virginia.

Terms To Know

Shelter pets
Dogs, cats, and other animals that live in animal shelters or rescue organizations.
Official emblems
Symbols like the state bird or flower chosen to represent a state.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which shelter pets will be used for official events.
  • It is unclear how this designation will affect animal shelters in practice.

Amendments

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

HB856AHC1

2026-02-02

Rules Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to include 'rescue' along with 'shelter' when designating an official state pet.

  • Adds the word 'rescue' after 'shelter' in two places within the bill.
  • The exact impact of adding 'rescue' is not detailed, but it likely broadens the scope to include rescue pets along with shelter pets.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-06 Rules

    Continued to 2027 in Rules (Voice Vote)

  2. 2026-02-02 Studies Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2027 (Voice Vote)

  3. 2026-02-02 Studies Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  4. 2026-02-02 Studies Subcommittee

    House subcommittee offered

  5. 2026-01-30 Studies Subcommittee

    Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee

  6. 2026-01-13 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104249D

  7. 2026-01-13 Rules

    Referred to Committee on Rules

Official Summary Text

Official emblems and designations; state pet; shelter pets.
Designates shelter pets as the official state pet.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 856

SUBCOMMITTEE

1. Line 5, introduced, Title, after
shelter

insert

and rescue

SUBCOMMITTEE

2. Line 47, introduced, after
Shelter

insert

and rescue