STATE BILLVA SB 645PASSED

Air Pollution Control Board; regulations, small renewable energy projects, anaerobic tech., report.

Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report. Provides that for the purposes of a permit by rule for a small renewable energy project under existing law, a small renewable energy project includes an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, to (i) assess all practicable technologies available to waste-to-energy facilities to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions, (ii) assess technologies to create biomethane, and (iii) recommend any legislative changes necessary to create market conditions to ensure the viability of such program. The bill also directs the Department to report its findings to the Air Pollution Control Board by December 1, 2026.

Status: Passed; Signed or otherwise enacted
Status date: Apr 13, 2026; 213 days ago
Current chamber: Senate
Session: 2026 Regular Session

VA SB 645 · PassedApr 13

Follow the legislation that affects what you sell.

Get started free

Free account · 30-second setup · No credit card

Prefer ChatGPT or Claude? Ask Civic IQ about this bill →

What it means for vendors

Civic IQ reads each bill for what it would fund, require or change for the agencies that buy.

What this bill would fund or requireThe spending and mandates in the bill, in plain languageTop matches free Why it matters for what you sellMatched to your products, with how to open the conversationTop matches free 1 signal from this bill in Civic IQSee them free →

Bill details

Last action: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0901) · Apr 13, 2026

Sponsor

SSScott SurovellSenator · Democrat · SD-034Primary sponsor

Bill history

Newest first.

Apr 13, 2026Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0901)

Apr 13, 2026Approved by Governor-Chapter 901 (effective 7/1/2026)

Mar 31, 2026Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

Mar 31, 2026Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026Senate

Mar 31, 2026Signed by SpeakerHouse

Mar 31, 2026Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)Senate

Mar 30, 2026Signed by PresidentSenate

Mar 30, 2026Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB645ER)Senate

Show 47 earlier actions

Mar 30, 2026EnrolledSenate

Mar 20, 2026Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)Senate

Mar 14, 2026Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)Senate

Mar 14, 2026Conference report agreed to by House (87-Y 10-N 0-A)House

Mar 13, 2026Conference Report released

Mar 12, 2026House Conferees: Tran, Simonds, WareHouse

Mar 12, 2026Conferees appointed by HouseHouse

Mar 11, 2026Senate Conferees: Surovell, Williams Graves, PekarskySenate

Mar 11, 2026Conferees appointed by SenateSenate

Mar 11, 2026Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate

Mar 10, 2026House requested conference committeeHouse

Mar 10, 2026House insisted on substituteHouse

Mar 9, 2026House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)Senate

Mar 9, 2026Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)Senate

Mar 5, 2026Passed House with substitute (93-Y 5-N 0-A)House

Mar 5, 2026Engrossed by House - committee substituteHouse

Mar 5, 2026committee substitute agreed toHouse

Mar 5, 2026committee substitute rejectedHouse

Mar 5, 2026Read third timeHouse

Mar 4, 2026Read second timeHouse

Mar 2, 2026Committee substitute printed 26108798D-H2House

Mar 2, 2026Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)House

Feb 26, 2026Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural ResourcesHouse

Feb 25, 2026Committee substitute printed 26108639D-H1House

Feb 25, 2026Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)House

Feb 25, 2026House subcommittee offeredHouse

Feb 25, 2026Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)House

Feb 24, 2026Assigned HACNR sub: Natural ResourcesHouse

Feb 19, 2026Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural ResourcesHouse

Feb 19, 2026Read first timeHouse

Feb 19, 2026Placed on CalendarHouse

Feb 16, 2026Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)Senate

Feb 13, 2026Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate

Feb 13, 2026Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate

Feb 13, 2026Rules suspendedSenate

Feb 13, 2026Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)Senate

Feb 13, 2026Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute agreed toSenate

Feb 13, 2026Read second timeSenate

Feb 12, 2026Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)Senate

Feb 12, 2026Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Senate

Feb 12, 2026Rules suspendedSenate

Feb 12, 2026Committee substitute printed 26107665D-S1Senate

Feb 10, 2026Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (15-Y 0-N)Senate

Feb 10, 2026Senate committee offeredSenate

Feb 10, 2026Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)Senate

Jan 14, 2026Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural ResourcesSenate

Jan 14, 2026Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102504DSenate

Recorded votes

Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (15-Y 0-N)Feb 10, 2026 · Senate · 15 yea · 0 nayPassed

Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Feb 12, 2026 · Senate · 40 yea · 0 nayPassed

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)Feb 13, 2026 · Senate · 38 yea · 0 nayPassed

Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A)Feb 13, 2026 · Senate · 38 yea · 0 nayPassed

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)Feb 25, 2026 · House · 10 yea · 0 nayPassed

Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)Feb 25, 2026 · House · 20 yea · 2 nayPassed

Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)Mar 2, 2026 · House · 22 yea · 0 nayPassed

Passed House with substitute (93-Y 5-N 0-A)Mar 5, 2026 · House · 93 yea · 5 nayPassed

House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)Mar 9, 2026 · Senate · 0 yea · 40 nayFailed

Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)Mar 11, 2026 · Senate · 40 yea · 0 nayPassed

Conference report agreed to by House (87-Y 10-N 0-A)Mar 14, 2026 · House · 87 yea · 10 nayPassed

Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)Mar 14, 2026 · Senate · 22 yea · 17 nayPassed

Read the bill at the source

This page follows the bill as the legislature records it. For the bill's full text and the official record, use the legislature's own site.

View on the legislature's site View on LegiScan

Bill data from LegiScan, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Work in government? Get Civic IQ free →

Commonwealth of Virginia profile →