Local land use; authority for decision belongs solely to locality.

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included some speculative elements that were not supported by the official source material.

Local Land Use Authority

This law states that local areas in Virginia have sole authority over their land use decisions and cannot transfer this power to the state.

What This Bill Does

• Ensures that each locality in Virginia has exclusive control over its planning and land use decisions.
• Prohibits localities from transferring their decision-making power to any state agency or group approved by the state.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local governments in Virginia
• State agencies and groups that might want to make decisions for local areas

Terms To Know

locality

A city, town, or county within a state.

state-sanctioned body

An organization that the state government has approved to do certain tasks.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify consequences for localities that ignore this rule.
• It is unclear how existing agreements between localities and state agencies will be affected by this law.

Official Summary Text

Local land use decision authority.
Provides that the authority for a locality's planning and land use decisions belongs solely to the locality and shall not be ceded to any state agency or state-sanctioned body.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
15.2-2202.1
, relating to local land use decision authority.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
15.2-2202.1
as follows:

§
15.2-2202.1
. Local land use decisions not to be ceded to state agencies.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special,
the
authority for

a
locality's planning and
land use decisions
as granted by this chapter belong
s
solely to the locality and shall not be ceded to any state
agency
or state-
sanctioned
body.