HB 862 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), Commission on; structure and responsibilities.

Summary

Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Restructures the existing governance structure and responsibilities of the Commission on VASAP and expands its oversight authority over local alcohol safety action programs. The provisions of the bill related to a fiscal agent locality have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2028. The bill also directs the Commission on VASAP to convene a work group with relevant stakeholders to review the sustainability of the structure and funding model for VASAP and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Commission on VASAP and the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and for Courts of Justice by October 1, 2026. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on VASAP and is identical to SB 391.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Signed Apr 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Finance and Appropriations Substitute → Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 13, 2026

MODERATE

This bill transitions from a Senate substitute to an Engrossed version, incorporating House amendments that update formatting, correct section references, and modify the timeline for implementing certain financial and operational requirements. The most significant substantive change is the replacement of the original VASAP sustainability review work group with a new one led by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, involving different state secretaries and a broader range of stakeholders. Additionally, the deadline for local programs to designate fiscal agents was adjusted from 2028 to 2027.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), but the composition of the oversight work group and the specific agencies involved in reviewing the program's funding and structure have expanded to include the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Transportation.

TIMELINE

The deadline for local alcohol safety action programs to designate a fiscal agent locality was moved from January 1, 2028, to January 1, 2027.

REQUIREMENT

The entity responsible for convening the VASAP sustainability work group changed from the Commission on VASAP to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, requiring consultation with the Secretaries of Public Safety and Homeland Security and Transportation.

The membership of the VASAP sustainability work group was expanded to include representatives from the Health and Human Resources Secretariat and the Virginia Department of Health, in addition to existing stakeholders.

TECHNICAL

Formatting was updated throughout the document to reflect House amendments, including changing the bill title from 'Senate Substitute' to 'Engrossed' and updating section number formatting.

DEFINITION

Minor corrections were made to section citations within definitions to ensure consistency with the updated code structure.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

39–0

Passed

Total votes 39

Mar 3, 2026

D Democratic20

20 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

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 13, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor-Chapter 686 (effective 7/1/2026)

executive

Mar 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Mar 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Mar 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB862ER)

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

upper

Feb 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Introduced

Engrossed by House as amended

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Lower · Passed

committee amendments agreed to

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

House subcommittee offered

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Committee

Referred from Public Safety and referred to Courts of Justice (Voice Vote)

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Public Safety

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors