General Laws

Thursday, February 26, 2026·23m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Virginia General Laws Committee advanced five bills, including measures on construction contract retainage bonds, FOIA agenda-posting requirements, local government ethics disclosures, housing discrimination regulations, and a housing bill strategically conformed to a House companion to force a conference. The most contested action was the rejection of a subcommittee substitute on the housing discrimination bill in favor of a full committee substitute directing the Attorney General to promulgate regulations on quid pro quo discrimination.

Key Actions

·SB165 – Retainage Bonds in Construction ContractsNo Vote

+ 4 more actions

Controversies

Whether SB165 and SB699 should be voted on together or separately

Chair McClure moved to report SB165 and SB699 in a block. An unnamed committee member countered: 'Mr. Chair, can we actually take those votes separately?' The chair agreed and withdrew the block motion, resulting in separate votes.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“No final action may be taken on any items added to an agenda after meeting commences unless the matter is time sensitive or the subject of a closed meeting properly identified in a motion in accordance with FOIA requirements and defines final action. This bill is a recommendation of the FOIA Council.”
Chair McClure — Chair McClure was presenting SB699, which would require public bodies subject to FOIA to post proposed meeting agendas on their official websites and restrict action on items added after a meeting begins.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Report SB165Passed

Report SB699Passed

Move the subcommittee amendments on SB530Passed

Report SB530 with amendments [or substitute — unclear] and refer to AppropriationsPassed

Report housing discrimination bill with subcommittee substituteFailed

Adopt full committee substitute for housing discrimination billPassed

Report housing discrimination bill with full committee substitutePassed

Conform Senate Bill 620 to House Bill 308Passed

Report Senate Bill 620 and refer to AppropriationsPassed

AdjournPassed

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TranscriptPreview

All right, we're bringing the committee to order, please. The clerk will open the roll. Roll call. All right. The clerk will close the roll. We have 18. We have a quorum. And now what we're going to start with is with Chair McClure on the procurement Open Government Subcommittee report. I think you have three bills. That's correct, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I have several recommended actions to report from the Procurement Open Government Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday. First, I have two uncontested bills that I'd like to move in A Block. SB165, patron by Senator McPike and SB699, patron by Senator Eben. SB165 would allow in any construction contract between an owner and a general contract or between a general contractor and a subcontractor to render or to tender a retainage bond as defined in the bill as a substitute for retainage withheld as security in such contracts. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 session of the General Assembly. Next, we have SB699, which would require public bodies subject to FOIA to post the proposed agenda on the Public bodies official government website, if any, prior to the meeting. Further,…

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