Rules

Friday, February 6, 2026·26m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Rules Committee advanced a sweeping recodification of Title 30 (HB 932) over four dissenting votes and reported a bill clarifying that 'shall' creates a mandatory duty (HB 1299) unanimously — though with a sunset requiring reenactment in 2027 and a Code Commission review — while dozens of other bills were passed in block votes or carried over to the 2027 session.

Key Actions

·HB 285 – Study Subcommittee Bill (Block 1)Passed

+ 10 more actions

Controversies

HB 932 – Four members voted against final passage

The vote on HB 932 was Ayes 8, Nos 4 — the only bill with recorded opposition votes. However, the transcript does not record any named speaker who stated opposition or the reasons for the four 'no' votes.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“It establishes that when the law uses the word shall, it creates a mandatory duty unless the statute clearly states otherwise. And in doing so, the bill reaffirms the type of precision that the law requires and that the General assembly intends in order to operate effectively. The purpose for this bill came out of rulings going back as far as 2002. There have been several decisions that have suggested that the. The use of the word shall by the General assembly and can be taken”
Karrie K. Delaney — Delaney, patron of HB 1299 — which establishes that 'shall' in Virginia law creates a mandatory duty — was explaining why the bill was necessary, citing a pattern of judicial decisions since 2002 treating 'shall' as permissive.

+ 2 more quotes

Votes

Adopt all substitutes for Block 1 (HB 285, HB 336, HB 814, HB 903, HB 1433)Passed

Report and refer as amended or substituted HB 285, HB 336, HB 814, HB 903, and HB 1433 to the Committee on AppropriationsPassed

Adopt substitutes and amendments in the uncontested blockPassed

Report HB 140, HB 1322, Joint Resolution 2324, 25, 28, 32, 33, 36, [UNCLEAR], 77, 78, 87, and 89Passed

Carry over bills and resolutions block to the 2027 sessionPassed

Adopt line amendments to HB 932Passed

Report HB 932 as amendedPassed

Adopt amendment to HB 1299Passed

Report HB 1299 as amendedPassed

Carry HJ 46 over to 2027 under Rule 22Passed

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TranscriptPreview

Rules Committee will come to order. First of all, we'll call a roll. Ms. Clerk, open the row. Yeah, Close the row. Mr. Speaker, quorum's present. Okay. We're going to go through our agenda pretty quickly here. I think we're going to go by study subcommittee report first. So I'll call on the subcommittee chair. Delegate helmet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're going to do a number of things in block here, but before we do that, could we just pull HB 1299 out of the block? Out of the second block? That's been a. I'm assuming that's a motion Delegate. This is a request. It's just a request. Okay. We take that out of the block. You want to do that first? Sure. Can I take HB932 out of the block as well? So you want to take 932 and. What was the other one? 1299. 1299 out of the block? They are out of the block. All right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with those out of the block, we'll act on subcommittee report on block one, which is House Bill 285, House Bill 336, House Bill 814, House Bill 903, House Bill 1433. The…

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