HB1238 — Local ordinances; locality may regulate or prohibit sale of animals in a pet shop, effective clause.
Last action — Continued from last session
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1Introduced
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2In Committee
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3Passed House of Delegates
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4Passed Senate
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been introduced in the House of Delegates. Introduced January 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.
Odds of enactment
Low chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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Introduced
Current position in the legislative process.
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1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Mixed recorded votes
3 passed, 1 failed in recorded votes so far.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
In plain language
Localities can regulate or prohibit the sale of animals in pet shops.
This bill allows local governments to create rules concerning the sale of animals in pet shops. It aims to give communities the power to decide whether such sales are allowed or not.
What this means for you
- Families: This means families can see different regulations about where they can purchase pets in their area.
Summary
Local ordinances; locality may regulate or prohibit sale of animals in a pet shop, effective clause.
Bill Text
We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.
Read HB1238 on the official Virginia source →Action History
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S Continued to next session in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (11-Y 3-N)
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S Failed to report (defeated) in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (6-Y 8-N)
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S Assigned HACNR sub: Companion Animals
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S Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
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S Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
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H Read third time and passed House (58-Y 36-N 0-A)
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H Engrossed by House as amended
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H committee amendments agreed to
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H Read second time
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H Read first time
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H Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with amendment(s) (12-Y 8-N)
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H House committee offered
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H Placed on Counties, Cities and Towns Agenda
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H Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
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H Referred from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and referred to Counties, Cities and Towns (Voice Vote)
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H Placed on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Agenda
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H Placed on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Agenda
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H Assigned HACNR sub: Agriculture
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H Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
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H Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103643D
Sponsors
- Irene Shin · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on · 48 voted No
Sponsors (1)
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (147)
147 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 147 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 12 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 12 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 55% | 36% | 0% | 9% |
How each member voted (22)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Q. Askew | — | Yea |
| Anne Ferrell Tata | — | Nay |
| Barry D. Knight | — | Not Voting |
| Briana D. Sewell | — | Yea |
| Dan I. Helmer | — | Not Voting |
| Ellen H. McLaughlin | — | Nay |
| Garrett McGuire | — | Yea |
| Irene Shin | — | Yea |
| James W. Morefield | — | Nay |
| Jessica L. Anderson | — | Yea |
| Joseph P. McNamara | — | Nay |
| Karen Keys-Gamarra | — | Yea |
| Laura Jane Cohen | — | Nay |
| M. Keith Hodges | — | Nay |
| Margaret A. Franklin | — | Yea |
| Mark C. Downey | — | Yea |
| Marty Martinez | — | Yea |
| May Nivar | — | Yea |
| Nicole Cole | — | Yea |
| Scott A. Wyatt | — | Nay |
| Shelly A. Simonds | — | Yea |
| Virgil Thornton | — | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 6 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 40% | 53% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (15)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Angelia Williams Graves | — | Yea |
| Danica A. Roem | — | Yea |
| David R. Suetterlein | — | Nay |
| David W. Marsden | — | Nay |
| Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker | — | Yea |
| Kannan Srinivasan | — | Yea |
| Mark D. Obenshain | — | Nay |
| Richard H. Stuart | — | Not Voting |
| Russet Perry | — | Yea |
| Saddam Azlan Salim | — | Nay |
| Stella G. Pekarsky | — | Nay |
| T. Travis Hackworth | — | Nay |
| Tammy Brankley Mulchi | — | Nay |
| Timmy French | — | Nay |
| William M. Stanley, Jr. | — | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 73% | 20% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (15)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Angelia Williams Graves | — | Yea |
| Danica A. Roem | — | Nay |
| David R. Suetterlein | — | Yea |
| David W. Marsden | — | Yea |
| Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker | — | Yea |
| Kannan Srinivasan | — | Yea |
| Mark D. Obenshain | — | Yea |
| Richard H. Stuart | — | Not Voting |
| Russet Perry | — | Nay |
| Saddam Azlan Salim | — | Yea |
| Stella G. Pekarsky | — | Yea |
| T. Travis Hackworth | — | Yea |
| Tammy Brankley Mulchi | — | Yea |
| Timmy French | — | Yea |
| William M. Stanley, Jr. | — | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 58 | 36 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 58 | 36 | 0 | 5 |
| % of votes cast | 59% | 36% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (99)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB1238 do?
- Local ordinances; locality may regulate or prohibit sale of animals in a pet shop, effective clause.
- Who sponsors HB1238?
- HB1238 is sponsored by Irene Shin.
- What is the current status of HB1238?
- This bill has been introduced in the House of Delegates. Introduced January 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
- Where can I track HB1238?
- Track HB1238 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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