A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 32.1-228.1, 54.1-300, 54.1-500, 54.1-500.1, 54.1-501, 54.1-503, 54.1-504.1, 54.1-512, 54.1-516, and 54.1-517 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 5 of Title 54.1 an article numbered 4, consisting of a section numbered 54.1-517.6; and to repeal §§ 32.1-229.01 and 32.1-229.01:1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; radon measurement, mitigation, and mitigation compliance inspection services; Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors renamed; penalty.
HB58 revises Virginia’s occupational licensing framework for asbestos, lead, radon, and home inspection services. It renames the existing Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors to the Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, Radon, and Home Inspectors, expands the board’s membership, and updates its authority to regulate licensing, training, examinations, and discipline for these professions. The bill also adds a new article governing radon measurement, radon mitigation, and radon mitigation compliance inspection services, creating a direct state licensing pathway for those services.
The bill would require individuals performing radon services in Virginia to hold an unexpired certification from an approved national certification body, submit an application, maintain at least $250,000 in general liability insurance, and meet any board-required education, attestation, and examination standards. It also updates definitions and licensing rules for asbestos and lead work, clarifies exemptions, requires English and Spanish asbestos safety notices, and strengthens disciplinary and penalty provisions for willful violations. The bill repeals two existing radon-related code sections, replacing them with the new licensing structure.
HB58 would substantially amend Title 54.1 and related public health provisions by shifting radon measurement, mitigation, and compliance inspection services into a formal DPOR licensing regime and by revising the board structure and enforcement powers for asbestos, lead, radon, and home inspection occupations. It would affect licensed contractors, inspectors, training programs, and radon professionals by imposing new licensure, insurance, and compliance requirements, while also increasing the potential civil and criminal penalties for repeated willful violations. The bill also repeals prior radon statutes in Title 32.1, consolidating regulation under the occupational licensing chapter.
The bill appears to have been introduced as a regulatory modernization measure and was not accompanied by recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials. Its last recorded action was that it was stricken from the docket by the House General Laws Committee on a 19-0 vote, which suggests the committee did not advance it despite no recorded opposition in the vote tally. Overall, the available history indicates procedural support for consideration but no final legislative backing to move the bill forward.
The main points of potential contention are the expansion of state licensing and enforcement authority, the addition of insurance and certification requirements for radon professionals, and the increased penalties for willful violations. Those changes could draw concern from affected contractors, inspectors, training providers, and radon service firms if they view the bill as increasing compliance costs or narrowing who may legally perform the work. At the same time, the bill’s structure suggests a public-health and consumer-protection rationale, so any opposition would likely center on regulatory burden rather than the underlying safety goals.