SB 98 Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Emergency management; work group to evaluate existing needs in the Commonwealth, report.

Summary

Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; evaluation of emergency management needs in the Commonwealth; report. Directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to evaluate existing emergency management needs, analyze sustainability of current funding of such needs, and review alternative funding models for such needs in other states, and to report the work group's findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committees on Appropriations and General Laws and the Senate Committees on Finance and Appropriations and General Laws and Technology on or before October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 169.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Dec 31, 2025 Signed Apr 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Enrolled → Chaptered · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was finalized and assigned Chapter 570, with the approval date set to April 13, 2026. The core policy requirements remain unchanged, directing the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish a work group to evaluate emergency management needs and report findings to legislative committees by October 1, 2026.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only procedural updates regarding session status and chapter assignment.

TECHNICAL

Removed the generic '2026 SESSION' and 'ENROLLED' headers to replace them with specific chapter information.

Added the specific chapter number 'CHAPTER 570' to identify the bill in the official code.

Updated the approval date from a generic 'Approved' status to the specific date 'Approved April 13, 2026'.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 12, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 26, 2026

How they voted

39–0

Passed

Total votes 39

Feb 12, 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

Apr 13, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor-Chapter 570 (effective 7/1/2026)

executive

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Mar 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB98ER)

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed by for the day

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Appropriations

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A)

upper

Feb 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate committee offered

upper

Dec 31, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors