Sewage disposal; alternative onsite sewage systems, elimination of report filing fee.
Summary
HB2031 would amend Virginia’s onsite sewage and alternative onsite sewage system law, primarily by eliminating the separate report filing fee associated with alternative onsite system reporting and repealing the statute that established the Onsite Operation and Maintenance Fund. The bill also updates and restates the Board of Health’s authority over permitting, inspection, maintenance, and regulation of onsite sewage systems and alternative discharging systems, including maintenance contracts, operator reporting, web-based tracking, survey plats, and civil penalties for violations.
The measure preserves the existing framework for permits, inspections, and enforcement, while continuing to require fees for permit applications and certain inspections under the amended section. It also retains provisions for fee waivers for low-income applicants and for repairs to failing systems, and continues to direct portions of collected fees to the Onsite Sewage Indemnification Fund and local health departments. The bill further includes regulatory authority over nitrogen performance standards, climate-change considerations for treatment works, and Chesapeake Bay pump-out compliance in certain localities.
Impact
HB2031 would change Code of Virginia § 32.1-164 and repeal § 32.1-164.8, removing the $1 report filing fee for licensed operator reports tied to alternative onsite sewage system operation and maintenance. Because § 32.1-164.8 is repealed, the dedicated Onsite Operation and Maintenance Fund would be eliminated, shifting the bill’s financial structure for reporting and oversight. The bill would continue to authorize the Board of Health to regulate onsite and alternative discharging sewage systems, maintain fee-based permitting and inspection programs, and enforce compliance through civil penalties and related procedures.
Sentiment
The only recorded vote shows the bill failed to advance in subcommittee, with 3 yeas and 5 nays on a motion to report. That vote suggests the measure did not have enough support to move forward at that stage. No committee transcript is available, so the record reflects procedural opposition or insufficient support rather than detailed debate.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be the elimination of the report filing fee and the associated repeal of the operation-and-maintenance fund, which may have raised concerns about how the reporting system and oversight would be financed. More broadly, the bill touches on regulatory burdens, fee waivers, enforcement authority, and the balance between environmental/public health protections and costs to system owners and operators. The failed subcommittee vote indicates at least some members were not persuaded that the bill’s changes were advisable.