Lawmakers pass bill mandating property owners get notice for proposed invasive plant installations

A new measure led by State Sen. Timmy F. French has been enacted to require tradespeople to provide written notice to property owners when proposing or installing any plant species listed as invasive, as reported by the Virginia State Senate.

The legislation was approved by both chambers and officially enrolled on March 5, 2026. It passed the House with a unanimous 99-0 vote and the Senate with a unanimous 40-0 vote.

First introduced as SB383 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, the bill was described by the state legislature in summary as: “Invasive plant species installation; written notification to property owners, civil penalty.”

The following explains the bill, based directly on the actual bill text, and offers clarifications for key elements.

Essentially, the legislation instructs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to create regulations that require any tradesperson who proposes or installs plants to notify property owners in writing whenever the proposed species are included on the state’s invasive plant list. It tasks the Department of Conservation and Recreation with developing that list by Jan. 1, 2024, updating it at least once every four years. Those who do not comply with the notification rules may face civil penalties up to $250 for each violation, with fines directed to the Plant Pollination Fund. In addition, the bill prohibits state agencies from planting, selling or propagating invasive plant species unless it is for scientific, educational, or legitimate agricultural use.

In the House, 64 Democrats and 35 Republicans voted in favor.

In the Senate, 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans supported the measure.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Timmy F. French (Republican-1st District) and Sen. T. Travis Hackworth (Republican-5th District).

French, a Republican elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2024 to represent the 1st District, succeeded former state senator T. Monty Mason.

In Virginia, the legislative process begins when a member presents a bill in either the House of Delegates or the Senate. Bills are referred to committees for evaluation and potential revisions. If a committee approves, the measure moves to the floor of each chamber for debate and a vote. Measures passing both chambers are then presented to the governor, who can sign, veto, or allow them to become law without signing. The Virginia General Assembly meets each year in a regular session starting on the second Monday in January, during which lawmakers propose hundreds of bills, though not all advance to become law.

Information for this report was sourced from the Virginia State Senate. Original data is available here.