2026 SESSION

SENATE SUBSTITUTE

26109435D

HOUSE BILL NO. 286

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations

on March 9, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate Helmer)

A BILL to direct the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to a mobilization of the National Guard within the Commonwealth.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1 That the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs (the Secretary) is directed to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to a mobilization of the National Guard within the Commonwealth. Such assessment shall include (i) whether and to what extent the National Guard's role could be limited to support operations and limited to deployments within the United States territory under certain circumstances; (ii) whether and to what extent additional requirements are needed related to (a) National Guard mobilization and voting integrity, and (b) mobilization of the National Guard of another state but within the Commonwealth; (iii) whether and to what extent special legislative sessions should be called and what informational notices and reporting to General Assembly leadership should be required upon mobilization of the National Guard; (iv) the process by which General Assembly leadership may obtain any security clearances necessary to review any informational notices or reporting; (v) whether and how other states respond to a mobilization of the National Guard under federal authority; and (vi) any annual reporting requirements that would provide additional information to the Governor and the General Assembly on federal and state National Guard deployments. The Secretary shall report on his findings to the Governor, the Chair of the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee, the Chair of the House Public Safety Committee, and the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and House Appropriations Committee no later than November 1, 2026.