Applying to the Governor to call a special session and establishing a schedule for the conduct of business coming before such special session.
House Joint Resolution 317 is a procedural resolution that asks the Governor of Virginia to convene the General Assembly in a special session on April 23, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. The stated purpose of the special session is to consider the Budget Bill and any other matters governed by a separate procedural resolution for that session. The resolution also sets basic operating rules for the special session, including that it may recess and be reconvened by the joint call of the Speaker of the House and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules.
The resolution further defines the “Budget Bill” for purposes of the special session as the general appropriation bill covering the biennial period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. It also waives the usual requirement for engrossment of the Budget Bill in either chamber, which is a procedural shortcut intended to speed consideration of the budget during the special session. The measure does not itself change substantive policy or appropriations; instead, it establishes the framework for legislative action on the upcoming budget session.
HJ317 affects the operation of the Virginia General Assembly rather than the substance of state law. It invokes the constitutional mechanism for a special session, sets the date and purpose of that session, and establishes procedural rules for handling the biennial budget bill. Its practical impact is to authorize and organize legislative consideration of the 2026-2028 state budget and any related matters included under the special-session rules, while streamlining the process by eliminating the engrossment requirement for the budget bill.
The available record suggests broad institutional support and little visible controversy. The resolution was agreed to by both the House of Delegates and the Senate on March 14, 2026, indicating bipartisan or at least cross-chamber consensus on the need to call a special session for budget business. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded vote details provided, there is no evidence in the record of significant debate, opposition, or amendments.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only potentially sensitive issue is procedural: the resolution asks the Governor to call a special session and waives the normal engrossment requirement for the budget bill, which could matter to members concerned about speed, transparency, or legislative process. However, no named legislators, caucuses, or stakeholder groups are identified as opposing those provisions in the available record.