Virginia Senate passes housing, safety and data-center bills; high-energy facility zoning measure fails

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Senate on Jan. 30 took final action on a slate of bills affecting housing policy, pedestrian and intersection safety, and data-center siting, and unanimously approved an expansion of vacatur relief for survivors of human trafficking.

The most contested vote of the day rejected Senate Bill 899, a permissive measure that would have allowed localities to require proposed high-electric-demand facilities — often data centers — to submit water-use information as part of zoning or special-use permit reviews. The bill failed, 13-26.

The Senate approved several other measures the same day, including a bill to give localities authority to review site assessments and buffer impacts when high-energy facilities are proposed near homes or schools (Senate Bill 149), legislation clarifying local planning documents may include accessory dwelling units and permitting consideration of tiny-home development (Senate Bill 932), and a pedestrian- and stop-sign monitoring measure (Senate Bill 1233). Lawmakers also passed Senate Bill 1460 to enlarge vacatur relief available to survivors of human trafficking. Many additional bills were adopted in a single block vote.

Why it matters: The votes reflect competing local-government priorities — greater transparency for communities near large data centers versus industry and some local officials’ concerns about burdens on development — as well as continued legislative attention to housing supply and traffic safety. The unanimous vacatur vote marks a policy change intended to reduce barriers to services for trafficking survivors.

Senate Bill 899: failed request for pre-zoning water-use disclosures

Senator Stewart (King George)…