SB44 • 2026

Cemeteries on private property; registration by localities.

An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-978 of the Code of Virginia, relating to registration by localities of cemeteries on private property.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Roem
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact details of how the register must be made available online, only that it may be available on a locality's website if one exists.

Local Registration of Private Property Cemeteries

This law allows local governments in Virginia to create and maintain a register of cemeteries located on private property and updates the rules for publishing notices about public land sales that contain these sites.

What This Bill Does

Allows localities to adopt an ordinance setting forth a register of identified cemeteries, graveyards, or other places of burial located on private property.
Requires local governments to publish notice in newspapers and also online before selling publicly owned property containing known cemeteries.
Specifies that sites under the exception for significant historic and archaeological protection do not need public disclosure.

Who It Names or Affects

Local governments in Virginia
People who own private property with cemeteries or burial places

Terms To Know

Locality: A city, county, town, or other local government area.
Register: An official list of items or information kept by a government.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only applies to cemeteries on private property and does not cover public land.
Local governments must follow these rules starting July 1, 2027.

Amendments

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

SB44AC

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment removes specific requirements for Planning District 8 and clarifies that posting information about cemeteries online does not satisfy newspaper publication rules.

Removes the requirement for localities in Planning District 8 to register cemeteries on private property.
Clarifies that publishing information about a cemetery on a locality's website is not considered compliance with newspaper publication requirements.

The amendment text does not provide details on how the removal of specific requirements for Planning District 8 will affect other areas or localities.

SB44AHC2

2026-02-19 • Committee

Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's provisions will only take effect if the same changes are passed again in the next legislative session.

Adds a condition that the new law must be reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly to become effective.

The amendment does not provide details on what will happen if the bill is not reenacted in 2027, leaving this aspect unclear.

SB44AHC1

2026-02-19

Counties, Cities and Towns Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's changes will only take effect if the same changes are passed again in the next legislative session.

Adds a condition that the bill’s provisions must be reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly to become effective.

The amendment does not provide details about what happens if the changes are not reenacted in 2027, leaving this aspect unclear.

SB44AH1

2026-02-20 • Committee

Counties, Cities and Towns Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's provisions will only take effect if the same changes are passed again in the next legislative session in 2027.

Adds a condition that the bill’s new rules about registering cemeteries on private property won't start until they pass again during the 2027 legislative session.

The amendment does not provide details about what will happen if the provisions are not reenacted in 2027.

SB44EDOC

2026-02-25 • House

House Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's provisions will only take effect if the same changes are passed again in the next legislative session.

Adds a clause stating that the bill’s provisions will not become effective unless reenacted by the General Assembly during the 2027 Session.

The amendment does not provide details about what happens if the bill is not reenacted in 2027, leaving this aspect unclear.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter479 (Effective 7/1/2027)
2026-04-08 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0479)
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-30 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB44ER)
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-14 House
Conference report agreed to by House (73-Y 23-N 0-A)
2026-03-14 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (29-Y 10-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-10 House
House Conferees: Sewell, McGuire, Ware
2026-03-04 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-04 Senate
Senate Conferees: Roem, Aird, Hackworth
2026-03-04 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-02 House
House insisted on amendments
2026-03-02 House
House requested conference committee
2026-02-27 Senate
Counties, Cities and Towns Amendment rejected by Senate
2026-02-25 House
Read third time
2026-02-25 House
committee amendment agreed to
2026-02-25 House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-02-25 House
Passed House with amendment (78-Y 20-N 0-A)
2026-02-24 House
Read second time
2026-02-20 Counties, Cities and Towns
Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with amendment(s) (19-Y 2-N)
2026-02-19 Subcommittee #2
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 0-N)
2026-02-19 Subcommittee #2
House subcommittee offered
2026-02-17 Subcommittee #2
Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2
2026-02-03 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-03 House
Read first time
2026-02-03 Counties, Cities and Towns
Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
2026-01-22 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (31-Y 9-N 0-A)
2026-01-21 Senate
Read second time
2026-01-21 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-01-20 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-01-20 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-01-20 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-01-19 Local Government
Reported from Local Government (13-Y 1-N)
2026-01-15 Senate
Fiscal Impact statement From CLG (1/15/2026 3:16 pm)
2025-11-22 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100758D
2025-11-22 Local Government
Referred to Committee on Local Government

Official Summary Text

Registration by localities of cemeteries on private property.
Clarifies that the requirement for the governing body of a locality to publish on its website notice of the public sale of any publicly owned property that contains a known cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial does not meet the requirement in current law for a newspaper publication of such notice. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
15.2-978
of the Code of Virginia, relating to registration by localities of cemeteries on private property.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
15.2-978
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
15.2-978
. Registration by locality of cemeteries, graveyards, or other places of burial on private property.
Any locality may adopt an ordinance setting forth a register of identified cemeteries, graveyards, or other places of burial located on private property not belonging to any memorial or monumental association. The official local register may include an official map. Sites on the registry shall not be disclosed to the public in any format if they fall under the exception provided in subdivision 10 of §
2.2-3705.7
for significant historic and archaeological sites that would be jeopardized by public disclosure of their location. The register and official map may be available on the locality's website, if one exists. The locality may provide a phone number and email address on the locality's website, if one exists, that members of the public can use to contact the locality regarding identified or unidentified cemeteries, graveyards, or other places of burial located on private property not belonging to any memorial or monumental association.
The governing body shall publish a notice in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality at least two weeks prior to the public sale of any publicly owned property that contains a known cemetery, graveyard, or other place of burial, or as soon thereafter as possible, and shall also publish the notice on the locality's website, if one exists.
Publication on the locality's website shall not meet the requirement for a newspaper publication.
The notice shall specify that a cemetery is present on the property. If the property falls under the exception provided in subdivision 10 of §
2.2-3705.7
for significant historic and archeological sites that would be jeopardized by public disclosure of their location, then no such notice is required.
2. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on July 1, 2027.