Bill
Bill > HB708
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Regular Session
Bill Summary
Timely local decision on certain land use permits; incentives and penalties. Requires that the average time period required for a locality to take final action to approve, approve with conditions, or deny all by-right permit applications from the date of submission of such applications to the locality shall not exceed 12 months. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct semiannual compliance reviews of each locality and to publish and transmit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report identifying each locality as compliant or noncompliant for the applicable review period. The bill provides that any locality determined by the Department to be compliant for the preceding 12-month period shall be eligible to receive a state grant sufficient to fund one full-time equivalent position within the locality's planning department. The bill further provides that if the Department determines that a locality is noncompliant during a review period, the Commonwealth Transportation Board shall reduce program fund allocations from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund to any project within the boundaries of such noncompliant locality by two percent for the following fiscal year.
AI Summary
This bill establishes a 12-month deadline for local governments to make final decisions on "by-right" permit applications, meaning permits that meet all zoning and development requirements and do not require special exceptions or variances. The Department of Housing and Community Development will conduct reviews twice a year to assess if localities are meeting this deadline, with "submission" defined as the date an applicant provides materials, regardless of their completeness. Localities that are found to be compliant will receive state grants to fund full-time planning positions, with additional positions awarded for continued compliance. Conversely, noncompliant localities will face a 2% reduction in their program fund allocations from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund for projects within their boundaries, with this penalty increasing by an additional 2% for each subsequent period of noncompliance. This bill aims to incentivize timely permit processing without altering a locality's authority to deny permits on lawful grounds.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Left in Committee Counties, Cities and Towns (on 02/18/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB708 |
| Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB708) | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096422.PDF |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB708/text/HB708 |
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