SB658 • 2026

Back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration; work group to study implementation.

An Act to direct the Secretary of Administration to convene a work group on the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration; report.

Elections Privacy

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Rouse
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact costs and benefits of back-end AVR are not specified in the bill.

Creating a Work Group to Study Automatic Voter Registration

This act requires the Secretary of Administration to create a work group that will study and report on back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration in Virginia.

What This Bill Does

Directs the Department of Elections to convene a work group for studying the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration (AVR) compared to the current front-end system.
Includes members from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General in addition to voting rights organizations and local officials.
Asks the work group to study the effectiveness, efficiency, security, costs, and benefits of back-end AVR compared to the current front-end system.
Requires the Secretary of Administration to report findings and recommendations by November 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Elections
Representatives from various government agencies involved in voting rights
Local officials responsible for voter registration

Terms To Know

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR): A system that automatically registers eligible voters to vote when they interact with certain state agencies.
Back-end AVR: An automatic voter registration process where individuals are registered without their direct action, and they can opt-out later if they choose.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact costs or benefits of back-end AVR.
It is unclear what specific recommendations will be made by the work group.

Amendments

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

SB658AC

2026-03-13 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment recommends rejecting a previous version of the bill and accepting a new version to resolve disagreements.

Rejects the House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108948D).
Accepts a new Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26109786D) to address the differences between the Senate and House versions.

The text does not provide details about what changes are made in the new amendment, only that it is meant to resolve disagreements.
Specific content of the new amendment (26109786D) is not provided here.

SB658S2

2026-03-13 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: The amendment directs the Secretary of Administration to form a work group to study and report on the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration in Virginia by November 1, 2026.

Adds representatives from organizations advocating for or working on voting rights and data privacy to the work group.
Requires the Secretary to submit a detailed report with recommendations for legislative action if needed.

The amendment does not specify exact costs or timelines beyond November 1, 2026, for submitting the report.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 590 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 590 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0590)
2026-04-06 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB658)
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 (SB658ER)
2026-03-16 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB658)
2026-03-13 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-13 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-13 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-03-13 House
Conference report agreed to by House (61-Y 33-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate Conferees: Rouse, Srinivasan, Diggs
2026-03-12 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate acceded to request
2026-03-12 Rules
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB658)
2026-03-12 Senate
House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 House
House insisted on substitute
2026-03-12 House
House requested conference committee
2026-03-12 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Hernandez, Price, Cherry
2026-03-11 House
Read third time
2026-03-11 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-03-11 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-03-11 House
Passed House with substitute (64-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 House
Read second time
2026-03-06 Rules
Reported from Rules with substitute (12-Y 6-N)
2026-03-06 Rules
Committee substitute printed 26108948D-H1
2026-03-02 Studies Subcommittee
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (4-Y 1-N)
2026-03-02 Studies Subcommittee
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB658)
2026-03-01 Studies Subcommittee
Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee
2026-02-19 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-19 House
Read first time
2026-02-19 Rules
Referred to Committee on Rules
2026-02-17 Privileges and Elections
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB658)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-12 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)
2026-02-12 Privileges and Elections
Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)
2026-02-12 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-11 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-11 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-11 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-11 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-10 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
2026-02-03 Privileges and Elections
Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N)
2026-02-03 Privileges and Elections
Senate committee offered
2026-02-03 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-03 Privileges and Elections
Committee substitute printed 26107067D-S1
2026-01-14 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105126D
2026-01-14 Privileges and Elections
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

Official Summary Text

Secretary of Administration; work group on automatic voter registration.
Directs the Department of Elections to convene a work group for the purpose of studying the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration (AVR) in the Commonwealth. The work group shall include representatives of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General, in addition to members of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections, general registrars, and organizations advocating for or working on voting rights and data privacy. The work group is tasked with considering the effectiveness, efficiency, and security of back-end, opt-out AVR as compared to Virginia's current front-end, opt-out process and identifying the costs and benefits of moving to such a system. The Secretary of Administration is required to submit a report of the work group's findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 319.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the Secretary of Administration to convene a work group on the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Secretary of Administration (the Secretary) shall convene a work group for the purpose of studying the implementation of back-end, opt-out automatic voter registration (AVR) in the Commonwealth. The work group shall consist of representatives from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Office of the Attorney General, members of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections, general registrars and other local governmental officials, and representatives from organizations advocating for or working on voting rights and data privacy, in addition to any other persons deemed necessary by the Secretary.
The focus of the work group shall be the move from the Commonwealth's current front-end, opt-out AVR to back-end, opt-out AVR. The work group shall consider the effectiveness, efficiency, and security of back-end, opt-out AVR as compared to front-end, opt-out AVR and identify the costs and benefits of implementing back-end, opt-out AVR in the Commonwealth. The work group shall identify current obstacles to implementation, including the capacity of current technology infrastructure, and estimate potential upfront and ongoing costs of back-end, opt-out AVR.
The Secretary shall submit a report to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Privileges and Elections with the work group's findings by November 1, 2026. Such report shall include recommendations for legislative action, if the work group is making any such recommendations.