Virginia Senate advances and passes broad package of bills on energy, public safety, housing and criminal‑procedure protections

RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate on Feb. 12, 2026 opened with prayer and morning introductions, then moved through a packed regular and uncontested calendar, advancing and passing a broad set of measures on energy, transportation, housing, public safety and consumer protections.

Among the bills debated and recorded on the Senate floor: Senate Bill 94, a measure on siting for data centers and property‑zone requirements, was described by the sponsor as retaining most of the prior year’s language while adding that site plans approved beginning Jan. 1 must be located in industrially zoned areas. The Senate approved the bill by recorded vote (Ayes 21, Noes 18). The sponsor was the senator from Western Prince William.

Senate Bill 670, which sets a licensing and safety framework for commercial automated driving systems and assigns responsibilities to the Department of Motor Vehicles for licensing and crash procedures, was presented by the senator from Central Fairfax. The Senate passed SB 670 by a wide margin (Aye 35, Noes 4).

The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 87, which requires localities to develop plans and secure automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for local sporting facilities within a roughly 2½‑year implementation period. "This bill ... is gonna save lives," the senator from Franklin County said on the floor. Sponsors estimated the per‑unit cost to localities at roughly $1,000 to $2,000 depending on need and field size.

Several bills addressing criminal‑procedure protections for vulnerable populations passed after sponsor remarks. Senate Bill 335 creates an affirmative‑defense pathway for people with serious mental illness, neurocognitive disorders or developmental disabilities; SB 416 expands judge‑driven diversion and expungement processes for people with autism and related conditions. Both were described on the floor as bipartisan efforts and passed by recorded votes (SB 335: Ayes 26, Noes 14; SB 416: Ayes 36, Noes 4).

Consumer‑oriented measures cleared the floor as well. Senate Bill 301 extends automatic protections for small account balances against garnishment and streamlines protections for specified deposit types; the Senate recorded passage (Ayes 21, Noes 19). Senate Bill 189, described later in the day as a procedural consumer‑protection measure requiring debt‑collection attorneys to include direct contact information on filings, passed (Ayes 36, Noes 4).

Housing and local‑government measures advanced, including Senate Bill 531, which establishes a permissive statewide framework for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single‑family zoning where localities choose to opt in. The junior senator from Loudoun said the bill "takes effect 07/01/2027" and exempts existing permits and preexisting local ADU ordinances; the Senate adopted the measure (Ayes 21, Noes 19).

The Senate also considered several energy and utility bills (a range of shared‑solar, renewable‑portfolio, and grid‑related measures). Floor substitutes and committee substitutes were adopted for multiple energy items; for example, a floor substitute to SB 250 (small portable solar devices) clarified tenant notification, safety standards (NEC/UL or equivalent), and the prohibition on back‑feeding during outages; the substitute was agreed to and the bill advanced.

A notable floor amendment restored a location requirement to Senate Bill 756, a casino‑host locality bill, by requiring an eligible host project to be part of a coordinated mixed‑use development of at least 1,500,000 square feet (language that effectively limited eligibility to the county described in the bill). The floor amendment was adopted and the bill advanced.

Procedural business included waivers and the adoption or rejection of committee substitutes and amendments across a large uncontested calendar. At the close of the day the Senate recorded committee meeting schedules and agreed to adjourn until 10 a.m. the following day.

Votes at a glance (selected, recorded on the floor):
- SB 94 (data‑center siting) — Passed, Ayes 21, Noes 18.
- SB 670 (automated driving systems) — Passed, Aye 35, Noes 4.
- SB 87 (AEDs at sporting facilities) — Passed, Ayes 40, Noes 0.
- SB 23 (limits on Fourth Amendment waivers in plea agreements) — Passed, Ayes 21, Noes 19.
- SB 301 (garnishment protections) — Passed, Ayes 21, Noes 19.
- SB 335 (affirmative defense for certain disabilities) — Passed, Ayes 26, Noes 14.
- SB 416 (deferred disposition/expungement for people with disabilities) — Passed, Ayes 36, Noes 4.
- SB 531 (ADU framework) — Passed, Aye 21, Noes 19.
- SB 189 (consumer‑debt filing contact info) — Passed, Ayes 36, Noes 4.

The transcript shows many other committee substitutes, floor substitutes and engrossments were agreed to and a large set of bills were advanced to third reading; complete roll‑call tallies and the floor debate on each item are recorded in the session transcript.

Next steps: Bills passed on third reading will continue through the legislative process (engrossment, enrollment and any further action as required by legislative procedure). The Senate stands adjourned until 10 a.m. the following day.