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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SB781 • 2026

Zoning; adequate public facilities.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-2280 of the Code of Virginia, relating to zoning; adequate public facilities.</p>

Education Land
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Sturtevant
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how cities should assess the adequacy of public facilities or what happens in cases where facilities are deemed inadequate.

Zoning Rules for Public Facilities

This bill allows large cities to consider if they have enough public facilities before approving new building plans.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows large cities with populations of 250,000 or more to determine the timing of development by considering the adequacy of public facilities when making zoning decisions.
  • Gives these cities the power to reject or defer a rezoning application based solely on the determination that there are inadequate public facilities.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Large cities with populations over 250,000 people
  • People and companies who want to build new buildings or change how land is used in these cities

Terms To Know

Zoning
Rules that decide what kinds of buildings can be built where.
Public facilities
Things like schools, parks, and roads that are open to everyone in the community.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how cities should determine if public facilities are adequate.
  • It is unclear what happens if a city decides there are not enough public facilities for new development.

Amendments

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

SB781ASC1

2026-02-02 • Committee

Local Government Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement for localities with populations of 250,000 or more to consider adequate public facilities when zoning.

  • Adds a condition that localities with populations of at least 250,000 must take into account the adequacy of existing public facilities before approving new zoning changes.
  • The exact details on how these localities will assess and ensure adequate public facilities are not specified in this amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 Local Government

    Passed by indefinitely in Local Government (8-Y 7-N)

  2. 2026-02-02 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  3. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Presented and ordered printed 26105455D

  4. 2026-01-22 Local Government

    Referred to Committee on Local Government

Official Summary Text

Zoning; adequate public facilities.
Allows a locality to determine the timing of development by considering the adequacy of public facilities when making zoning decisions. The bill provides that a locality that makes a determination of inadequate facilities may reject or defer a rezoning application based solely on that determination.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB 781

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. Line 24, introduced, after
5.

strike

The

insert

In any locality with a population of 250,000 or greater, the