Resources re Virginia Legislature

Virginia Legislature

Use for CTA

Committee contact info

These lists are set up to easily copy/paste info into emails or social media posts. Scroll down to see email list for full committee. [Developed by VA Justice Dems]

House of Delegates Committees
★ Agriculture Chesapeake & Natural Resources (ACNR)
★ Appropriations
★ Counties Cities and Towns (CCT)
★ Courts of Justice
★ Labor & Commerce
★ Finance
★ General Laws
★ Privileges and Elections (P&E)
★ Public Safety Committee & Subcommittees [VGR Google SS]
★ Rules

State Senate Committees
★ Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
★ Senate Commerce and Labor
★ Finance and Appropriations
★ General Laws and Technology
★ Senate Judiciary
★ Senate Local Government
★ Senate Privileges and Elections
★ Senate Rules

General Info

Meetings of 2020 VA General Assembly

LIS: List of upcoming meetings: committee, subcommittee, caucus, etc.

Updates on Legislative activity

VaPlan: Sign up for updates & alerts | Website | Twitter

Videos of meetings

More info + –

Constitutional amendments
Constitutional amendments have to pass back to back during two different Governor cycles. If the legislators pass an amendment in 2020 it doesn't move it forward. They need to pass it in 2021 and again in 2022. It doesn't work to pass it in 2020 and then 2022. Then it goes on the ballot for voters to approve or disapprove.

Appropriations Committee
Often a bill, after being passed by a Committee, will be passed to the Appropriations Committee. If no money is appropriated for legislation, it is pretty much dead.

Glossary

The Virginia General Assembly uses its own terminology.

Dillon Rule. Restricts local government authority to enact ordinances.

Engrossed. A legislative stage when a bill passes the second reading in the House of origin. Every bill has to be "read" on the floor three times before voting on it. The action or any debate or discussion usually comes on the day of the second reading or the third reading.

Enrolled. Legislation which has passed both the House of Delegates and the Senate, signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, sent to the Governor, but not yet signed.

Failed to report. Defeated.

Incorporated. Rolled into someone else's bill. Either because they're identical, or they have incorporated *some* of the language in, and the patron agreed to have her name on the other bill.

Patron. Bill sponsor. There can be many patrons.

Referred. The assignment of legislation to another standing committee with no stance on the policy of the measure (neither endorses nor rejects the legislation).

Reported. The approval of a measure by the majority of the committee. The legislation may be reported by the committee with or without amendments. A bill may also be reported and referred to another committee.