Laws and Codes

Laws and codes go through a strenuous process to become adopted. Here are the steps a bill must go through to become a law:

1. Delegates or Senators have ideas for bills, usually gotten from their constituents.

2. He or she presents the idea to the Division of Legislative Services and requests that it be drafted into a bill. The bill is assigned by the patron, introduced, and printed.

3. The bill is referred to an appropriate committee. The members of the committee consider the bill and decide what action to take. This is when the public may speak.

4. The bill goes through three readings, during which time it may be debated. Amendments may be proposed and adopted. 

5. Bills are passed by a recorded vote in the house of origin and then goes to the other house, where it goes through essentially the same procedure as it did in the house of origin.

6. If the House amends a Senate bill, or the Senate amends a House bill, and the house of origin disagrees with the amendment, a conference committee, usually three members from each legislative body, may be formed to resolve differences.

7. After being passed by both houses of the General Assembly, the bill is printed as an enrolled bill, examined, and signed by the presiding officer of each chamber.

8. The bill is then sent to the Governor for his approval. After being signed by the Governor, the bill is sent to the Clerk of the House (Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth) and is assigned a chapter number. All chapters of a session are compiled and bound as the Acts of Assembly.

Bills that become law at a regular session (or the reconvened session that follows) are effective the first day of July following adjournment of the regular session unless otherwise specified.

Resources for Virginia Laws and Codes

To view all Chapters of the Acts of Assembly:

1. Access the Legislative Information System Web site
2. Under the section 2010 Session, select Bills & Resolutions
3. Under the section Governor, select Acts of Assembly chapters
4. A new page will display, in numerical Chapter order, all of the bills/resolutions that were enacted -- to view succeeding pages, select "More" from the top or bottom of each page