Virginia Hotel Bill Prohibits Guest Denial Based on Proximity for Health/Safety

LegiScan Virginia

Published March 14th, 2026

Detected March 29th, 2026

Summary

The Virginia General Assembly has passed House Bill 790, which prohibits hotels from denying guests solely based on their primary residence being within a certain distance if the guest is seeking accommodation for health or safety reasons. The bill was enrolled on March 14, 2026, and awaits the Governor's action.

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What changed

Virginia House Bill 790, enacted by the Virginia General Assembly, prohibits hotels from enforcing policies that deny lodging to individuals based solely on their proximity to the hotel if the guest is seeking accommodation for health or safety reasons. This new legislation aims to prevent hotels from turning away guests who may be fleeing unsafe home environments or require temporary shelter for medical reasons, regardless of how close their permanent residence is to the hotel.

Hotels operating in Virginia must review and potentially revise their policies to ensure compliance with this new law. While the bill was enrolled on March 14, 2026, and awaits the Governor's action, compliance officers should prepare for its implementation. Failure to comply could result in regulatory scrutiny or consumer complaints, though specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text. The Governor's action deadline is April 13, 2026.

What to do next

Review hotel policies regarding guest denial based on proximity to primary residence.
Ensure policies allow for guest stays for health or safety reasons, irrespective of residence distance.
Consult legal counsel for specific compliance guidance.

Source document (simplified)

VA HB790 | 2026 | Regular Regular Session

Virginia House Bill 790

VA State Legislature page for HB790
- Summary
- Sponsors
- Texts
- Votes
- Research
- Comments
- Track

Status

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: Enrolled on March 14 2026 - 75% progression
Action: 2026-03-25 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [HTML]

Summary

Hotel policies; denial of guests residing within certain distance prohibited in certain instances. Prohibits a hotel from enforcing a policy denying the ability of a guest to stay at such hotel solely on the grounds that such guest's primary residence is located within a certain distance of such hotel if such guest is seeking to stay for his health or safety.
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Title

Hotel policies; denial of guests residing within certain distance prohibited in certain instances.

Roll Calls

2026-03-09 - Senate - Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-06 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - Senate - Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) (Y: 15 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-17 - House - Read third time and passed House (95-Y 1-N 0-A) (Y: 95 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 4) [PASS]
2026-02-12 - House - Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) (Y: 21 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-02-12 - House - Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) (Y: 9 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]

History

| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-25 | | Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 |
| 2026-03-25 | House | Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 |
| 2026-03-16 | House | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB790) |
| 2026-03-14 | Senate | Signed by President |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Signed by Speaker |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB790ER) |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Enrolled |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Read third time |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Rules suspended |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-26 | House | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB790) |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House (95-Y 1-N 0-A) |
| 2026-02-16 | House | Read second time and engrossed |
| 2026-02-16 | House | Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar |
| 2026-02-15 | House | Read first time |
| 2026-02-12 | House | Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-12 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-01-26 | House | Assigned HGL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection |
| 2026-01-13 | House | Referred to Committee on General Laws |
| 2026-01-13 | House | Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101687D |

Virginia State Sources

| Type | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Summary | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB790 |
| Text | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB790/text/HB790 |
| Text | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB790/text/HB790ER |
| Supplement | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1184939.PDF |
| Supplement | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213149.PDF |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB790/20261/H11002V2613040 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB790/20261/H11V2613063 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB790/20261/26110438 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB790/20261/S12V2584 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB790/20261/SV1052 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/HB790/20261/SV1038 |

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