Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB648: An Act to suspend certain officers, require a study, adopt a remedial plan, and establish meeting requirements of town councils in certain towns and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 6 of Chapter 15 of Title 15.2 a section numbered 15.2-1535.1, relating to members of local governing body; continuing personal interest in certain transactions; emergency.

Status: Chaptered, April 22, 2026

Local government; certain towns; suspension of officers, study, remedial plan, and meeting requirements. Provides that any member of a governing body in any locality, who has been employed by any governmental agency that is a component part of and that is subject to the ultimate control of the governing body of which he is a member, is deemed to have continuing personal interest in that agency for a period of two years following the termination of such employment. The bill also requires the court, in a criminal proceeding against an officer of any town in Planning District 8 with a population between 8,000 and 10,000 alleging the commission of a felony offense, to enter an order suspending the officer pending the resolution of such proceeding and any related proceeding for the officer's removal. The bill requires any such town to also procure a study by a public institution of higher education to evaluate the condition and status of the town's debt, infrastructure, utilities, and other significant liability risks. Such town is required to adopt a plan consistent with the study to address such town's needs, as identified in the study, in a fiscally appropriate manner that does not jeopardize the town's bond rating. The bill also prohibits the town council of any such town from voting on matters that have not been properly published at least three days prior to the vote as part of a town council agenda or otherwise approved as additional agenda items or as amendments to existing agenda items by a three-fourths vote of all the members of the council at the start of the meeting. The bill requires that any full-time town manager of such town must be a resident of the Commonwealth unless the town council has waived such requirement by a majority vote. This bill is identical to HB 505.