Why 4/5: It establishes a new, significant funding source for land conservation, fundamentally changing how these efforts are financed in Virginia.
The bill establishes a new tax of $3 per square foot on data center facilities starting January 1, 2027, dedicating at least $250 million of these revenues annually to land protection and preservation efforts. This new funding mechanism replaces previous state appropriations for land preservation, including funds for the Virginia Land Conservation Fund and battlefield/farmland preservation.
Filed
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105162D
Referred to committee
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Referred to committee
Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Deferral
Passed by indefinitely in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (9-Y 4-N)
Referred to committee
Rereferred from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
Update
Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
This bill is in committee — a small group of legislators deciding whether it moves forward. Most bills live or die here, which makes this one of the best moments to speak up.
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Summarized from the official bill text (“Virginia's Great Outdoors Act; established, creates data center land conservation tax.”) · Read the actual bill →