2026 SESSION

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26107166D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1266

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Natural Resources)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Tran

House Amendments in [ ] - February 16, 2026

A BILL to direct the [ Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Department of Environmental Quality ] to publish an updated version of the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo to consider how to assess the cumulative impacts of certain permits.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the [ Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources (the Secretary) Department of Environmental Quality (the Department) ] shall publish an updated version of the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process Guidance Memo for public comment. Such updated guidance memo shall consider how to assess the cumulative impacts of the types of permit. The public comment period process for such updated guidance memo shall include a public town hall held no later than July 31, 2026. The [ Secretary Department ] shall respond to public comments by October 31, 2026, and issue the final guidance memo no later than December 31, 2026.