A BILL to direct the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to convene a work group to determine methods of modernizing the existing one-stop small business permitting program.
HB1118 directs the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to convene a work group to study how to modernize Virginia’s existing one-stop small business permitting program. The work group is tasked with examining how to make the current system more efficient and user-friendly, including ways to turn the existing website into a fully integrated single portal for state-level business registration, tax, and licensing requirements.
The bill does not itself change permitting rules or create new licensing requirements. Instead, it establishes a study process that brings together state agencies and small business stakeholders to evaluate the current system, compare it with one-stop programs in other states, and identify improvements. The group must report its findings to the Governor and legislative committee chairs by November 1, 2026.
HB1118 would affect the administration of Virginia’s small business permitting system by requiring a formal interagency work group under the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity. It would involve agencies such as the Virginia Employment Commission, Department of Taxation, Department of Labor and Industry, the Workers’ Compensation Commission, the State Corporation Commission, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, the Department of Health Professions, and VITA, along with business organizations. The bill leaves existing statutes in place, including the one-stop program established in § 2.2-1617, but could lead to future recommendations for a consolidated online portal and streamlined business compliance processes.
The available context suggests generally favorable, practical support for the bill’s goal of improving government service delivery for small businesses. Because the measure is limited to creating a study work group rather than immediately imposing regulatory changes, it appears designed as a low-conflict modernization effort. The bill was left in the House Committee on Rules, and there is no recorded vote or transcript showing opposition or debate.
No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials. Potential areas of concern, based on the bill’s scope, could include the feasibility of integrating multiple agency systems into a single portal, the administrative burden on participating agencies, and whether the work group’s recommendations would lead to meaningful simplification or merely another study. However, no named stakeholder opposition or formal disagreement appears in the record provided.