Bill > HB197

This bill amends Virginia law to change where appeals from decisions made by local zoning boards go. Currently, appeals from a circuit court's decision on a zoning matter typically go to the Court of Appeals, which is an intermediate appellate court. This bill proposes that, for certain zoning decisions related to individual residential housing, including both single-family and multi-family dwellings, appeals from a circuit court's final decision will now go directly to the Supreme Court of Virginia, bypassing the Court of Appeals. This change is intended to streamline the appellate process for these specific types of zoning disputes. The bill also includes provisions stating that cases where an appeal to the Court of Appeals has already been filed before July 1, 2026, will remain with that court, and that the provisions of this act will expire on July 1, 2031.