HOUSE BILL NO. 883

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Rules

on ________________)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Sullivan)

A BILL to direct the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a review of the Department of Transportation's approval process for projects involving buildings, road development, and other construction; report.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a review of the Department of Transportation's (the Department's) approval process for projects involving buildings, road development, and other construction and, in doing so, identify methods for reducing the number of steps needed for such projects' approval while maintaining safety standards for such projects. Such review shall assess whether the Department's reviews of such projects can meet local review times required by §§ 15.2-2259 and 15.2-2260. Such review shall also include an assessment of whether the Department can improve internal and external communication regarding project and regulatory deadlines in order to reduce duplicative comments provided by the Department both before and after such deadlines. Additionally, such review shall include an assessment of whether the Department can develop a method to allow applicants to track the status of submitted plans in the Department's review process and make public any comments provided by its staff to enhance transparency and accountability. The Secretary of Transportation shall submit a summary of his review and a report of his findings to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Transportation no later than December 1, 2026.