2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26105085D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1152

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 14, 2026

A BILL to direct the Secretaries of Agriculture and Forestry and Natural and Historic Resources to convene a work group to evaluate the benefits and impacts of establishing a Blue-Green Carbon Credit Fund.

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Patron—Hodges

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Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Secretaries of Agriculture and Forestry and Natural and Historic Resources (the Secretaries) shall convene a work group to evaluate the benefits and impacts of establishing a Blue-Green Carbon Credit Fund (the Fund). The work group shall include the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Forestry, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, and any other relevant stakeholders as deemed necessary by the Secretaries. The work group shall evaluate the potential need for Blue-Green Carbon Credits, potential purposes for the Fund, benefits of establishing the Fund, ways in which moneys from the Fund might be awarded, and any other considerations deemed relevant by the Secretaries. For the purposes of this act, "Blue-Green Carbon Credits" means nature-based credits generated from the preservation, restoration, and sustainable management of coastal, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems that (i) are purchased through the private sector, (ii) are validated and issued by third-party registries, (iii) comply with applicable federal and state laws, and (iv) have no fiscal impact on the Commonwealth. The Secretaries shall submit a report of the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than November 30, 2026.