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SB801 • 2026

"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny;" removes designation as official state song emeritus.

An Act to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal.

Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny;" removes designation as official state song emeritus.

Official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal.

What This Bill Does

  • Official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal.
  • Repeals the designation of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," by James A.
  • Bland, as set out in House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia during the Session of 1940, as the official state song emeritus.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 957 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0957)

  3. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  4. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  5. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  6. 2026-03-31 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  7. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  8. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  9. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Enrolled

  10. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB801ER)

  11. 2026-03-11 House

    Read third time

  12. 2026-03-11 House

    Passed House (79-Y 18-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-03-10 House

    Read second time

  14. 2026-03-06 Rules

    Reported from Rules (16-Y 2-N)

  15. 2026-03-02 Studies Subcommittee

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (4-Y 0-N)

  16. 2026-03-01 Studies Subcommittee

    Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee

  17. 2026-02-13 House

    Placed on Calendar

  18. 2026-02-13 Rules

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  19. 2026-02-13 House

    Read first time

  20. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  21. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Read second time

  22. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  23. 2026-02-06 Senate

    Rules suspended

  24. 2026-02-06 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  25. 2026-02-06 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  26. 2026-02-06 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  27. 2026-02-04 General Laws and Technology

    Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N)

  28. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Presented and ordered printed 26105624D

  29. 2026-01-23 General Laws and Technology

    Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

Official Summary Text

Official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal.
Repeals the designation of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," by James A. Bland, as set out in House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia during the Session of 1940, as the official state song emeritus.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §
1-510
of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; song emeritus; repeal.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
1-510
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
1-510
. Official emblems and designations.
The following are hereby designated official emblems and designations of the Commonwealth:
Artisan Center — "Virginia Artisans Center," located in the City of Waynesboro.
Bat — Virginia Big-eared bat (Corynorhinos townsendii virginianus).
Beverage — Milk.
Bird — Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).
Blue Ridge Folklore State Center — Blue Ridge Institute located in the village of Ferrum.
Boat — "Chesapeake Bay Deadrise."
Cabin Capital of Virginia — Page County.
Coal Miners' Memorial — The Richlands Coal Miners' Memorial located in Tazewell County.
Covered Bridge Capital of the Commonwealth — Patrick County.
Covered Bridge Festival — Virginia Covered Bridge Festival held in Patrick County.
Dog — American Foxhound.
Fish (Freshwater) — Brook Trout.
Fish (Saltwater) — Striped Bass.
Flag of Remembrance of September 11, 2001 — Freedom Flag, designed by a Virginian, as the flag of remembrance of September 11, 2001.
Fleet — Replicas of the three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery, which comprised the Commonwealth's founding fleet that brought the first permanent English settlers to Jamestown in 1607, and which are exhibited at the Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg.
Flower — American Dogwood (Cornus florida).
Folk dance — Square dancing, the American folk dance that traces its ancestry to the English Country Dance and the French Ballroom Dance, and is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers, and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, the Virginia Reel, and heritage dances.
Fossil — Chesapecten jeffersonius.
Gold mining interpretive center — Monroe Park, located in the County of Fauquier.
Insect — Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus).
Maple Festival — The Highland County Maple Festival.
Motor sports museum — "Wood Brothers Racing Museum and Virginia Motor Sports Hall of Fame," located in Patrick County.
Opry — The Virginia Opry.
Outdoor drama — "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama," adapted for the stage by Clara Lou Kelly and performed in the Town of Big Stone Gap.
Outdoor drama, historical — "The Long Way Home" based on the life of Mary Draper Ingles, adapted for the stage by Earl Hobson Smith, and performed in the City of Radford.
Pollinator — Honey Bee (Apis mellifera).
Pony — Chincoteague Pony.
Rock — Nelsonite.
Salamander — Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber).
Shakespeare festival — The Virginia Shakespeare Festival held in the City of Williamsburg.
Shell — Oyster shell (Crassostrea virginica).
Snake — Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis).
Song emeritus — "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," by James A. Bland, as set out in the House Joint Resolution 10, adopted by the General Assembly of Virginia at the Session of 1940.
Song (Popular) — "Sweet Virginia Breeze," by Robbin Thompson and Steve Bassett.
Song (Traditional) — "Our Great Virginia," lyrics by Mike Greenly and arranged by Jim Papoulis with music from the original American folk song "Oh Shenandoah."
Spirit — George Washington's rye whiskey produced at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Sports hall of fame — "Virginia Sports Hall of Fame," located in the City of Portsmouth.
Television series — "Song of the Mountains."
Tree — American Dogwood (Cornus florida).
War memorial museum — "Virginia War Museum," (formerly known as the War Memorial Museum of Virginia), located in the City of Newport News.