SB 1435 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Eminent domain powers of public service corporations; compensation to the Commonwealth & localities.

Summary
Certain eminent domain powers; conservation easements; compensation to the Commonwealth and localities. Requires any person, defined in the bill, if it takes by condemnation proceedings any land or right-of-way or similar interest therein that is subject to a conservation easement, to compensate (i) the Commonwealth in an amount equal to the value of any tax credit received by the landowner under the provisions of the Virginia Land Conservation Incentives Act of 1999 during the pendency of the conservation easement and (ii) the locality in which the right-of-way is located (a) in an amount of any property tax avoided by the landowner during the pendency of the conservation easement and (b) if the right-of-way is located on property that is registered with the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, in an amount equal to the additional value conferred upon the property during the period that property was registered.
Sub-Topics: Conservation
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 14, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Courts of Justice Substitute → Courts of Justice Subcommittee Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill text was reformatted from a Senate Substitute to a House Subcommittee Substitute, with the committee attribution changed from Senate to House. The substantive policy content regarding eminent domain compensation for conservation easements remains identical, including requirements to reimburse the Commonwealth and localities for tax credits and avoided property taxes.
Scope change
No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and committee attribution were modified.
TECHNICAL

Changed committee attribution from Senate Committee to House Committee for Courts of Justice

Updated bill title from 'SENATE SUBSTITUTE' to 'AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE'

Added open-space easement definitions alongside existing conservation easement provisions in the substantive text

REQUIREMENT

Added new paragraph requiring compensation to be used for conservation purposes consistent with the extinguished easement

Added clarification that compensation is in addition to existing easement obligations and conversion requirements

Floor votes · Senate Feb 3, 2025

How they voted

40–0
Passed
Total votes 40
Feb 3, 2025
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
21
Key actions
3
Committee
4
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Assigned Courts sub: Civil
lower
Feb 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
lower
Feb 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Introduced
Presented and ordered printed 25105195D
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Russet Perry
Russet Perry
DDemocratic
VA
31