2026 SESSION

SENATE SUBSTITUTE

26109125D

HOUSE BILL NO. 1266

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

on March 3, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Tran)

A BILL to direct the 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 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 permits covered in the guidance memo and outreach strategies to engage communities impacted by any such permit. The public comment period process for such updated guidance memo shall include two public town halls held no later than July 31, 2026. The Department shall respond to public comments by October 31, 2026, and issue the final guidance memo no later than December 31, 2026.