SB 337 Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia National Guard; reports to General Assembly, state militias, etc.

Summary
Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting. The bill additionally prohibits armed militia from another state, territory, or district from entering the Commonwealth for the purpose of active military duty over the objection of the Governor without meeting certain conditions. The bill allows certain members of the General Assembly to request that the Attorney General assess the legality of the deployment of the (i) National Guard of another state within the Commonwealth or (ii) Virginia National Guard. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to convene a work group to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to deployments of the Virginia National Guard. This bill is identical to HB 286.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Vetoed Apr 13, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Public Safety Substitute Governor Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was converted from a House Substitute to a Governor Substitute, shifting the proposal's origin and refining the reporting requirements for the National Guard. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new section requiring the Adjutant General to submit a detailed annual report on federal funding, specifically breaking down appropriations for operations, pay, and construction, alongside identifying any unfunded requirements. Additionally, the deadline for the first annual report was moved from July 1, 2026, to September 30, 2026, and minor text edits were made to improve clarity in the sections regarding state active duty and local assistance requests.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on Virginia National Guard mobilization and reporting, but the specific requirements for federal funding oversight have been expanded.
TIMELINE

The deadline for submitting the initial annual report was changed from July 1, 2026, to September 30, 2026.

FISCAL

A new reporting requirement was added to mandate a comprehensive overview of yearly federal funding, including specific breakdowns for operations, maintenance, pay, allowances, and military construction, as well as identification of unfunded requirements.

TECHNICAL

Minor text edits were made to clarify phrasing in sections regarding state active duty circumstances and local requests for assistance.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 23, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

How they voted

380
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 39
Jan 23, 2026
D Democratic20
20 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
18 Yea 1
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
43
Key actions
12
Committee
8
Apr 13, 2026
Vetoed
Governor's recommendation received by Senate
executive
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB337ER)
upper
Mar 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
upper
Mar 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Conference Report released
legislature
Feb 19, 2026
Committee
House requested conference committee
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House with substitute (62-Y 34-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Public Safety with substitute (13-Y 7-N)
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
lower
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
upper
Jan 21, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from General Laws and Technology (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Jan 13, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors