Subcommittee advances multiple housing and consumer-protection bills; several continued to 2027

A Virginia House subcommittee on housing and consumer protection moved a package of bills through committee action, reporting many to the Appropriations Committee, incorporating one bill into another, and carrying five bills over to 2027.

Key outcomes (selection):
• Five bills continued to 2027: HB 79 (landlord-tenant, mold remediation), HB 464 (powers and duties of the director of the Department of Housing and Community Development), HB 621 (Property Owners Association Act), HB 1196 (Property Owners Association; operations/condemnation of common areas), and HB 1409 (prohibited provisions in rental agreements). The committee voice-voted to continue these measures to next year.

• HB 477 was incorporated into HB 1518; HB 1518 as substituted creates a work group including DPOR (Virginia Real Estate Board) and real-estate stakeholders to review buyer disclosures. HB 1518 (with the incorporated language) was reported with the substitute by a vote of 21–0.

• HB 648 (Delegate Kent) — substitute prohibiting sale/distribution of devices designed to deliver nitrous oxide, with specified exceptions; violations would be a class 1 misdemeanor. Reported 18–1.

• HB 735 — substitute directing the Board of Housing and Community Development to study whether temporary tents on agricultural properties must be taken down every six months or could remain year-round; reported 20–1.

• HB 790 (Dahlgren/Austin) — prohibits a hotel from denying a guest solely because the guest’s primary residence is within a certain distance if the guest seeks to stay for health or safety reasons; reported 21–0.

• HB 1415 — substitute and a reenactment line amendment on pet policies for properties receiving public dollars; reported with the amendment 16–5. The amendment adds a reenactment clause to allow further work on the definition before law.

• HB 360 (kratom) — substitute imposing age limits (21+), ingredient/warning labels, restricted storage and civil penalties ($250 first violation, $500 subsequent); reported and referred to Appropriations 20–1.

• HB 600 — substitute requiring short-term rental operators and employees to complete approved training on recognizing and reporting suspected human trafficking (approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services); reported 21–0.

• HB 765 (rental home marketplace guarantees) — establishes registration and oversight by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, regulatory authority for the board, record production and insurance requirements, and enforcement under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act; reported to Appropriations 18–3.

The committee concluded its action items and members were reminded they would be on the floor in the coming days; several bills will proceed to Appropriations for fiscal review or be revisited in 2027.