Virginia's Great Outdoors Act; established, creates data center land conservation tax.
About This Bill
Latest Action · Jul 21, 2026
Continued from last session
Session
2027
Introduced
Jan 13, 2026
Primary Sponsor
Russet Perry· primary
Summary
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A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-512 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 10.1 a chapter numbered 21.3, consisting of sections numbered 10.1-2141, 10.1-2142, and 10.1-2143, and by adding in Chapter 17 of Title 58.1 an article numbered 13, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-1749 and 58.1-1750; and to repeal § 2.2-1509.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; data center land conservation tax; land preservation distributions and appropriations.
Virginia's Great Outdoors Act established; land preservation distributions and appropriations. Creates a data center land preservation tax on and after January 1, 2027, in an amount equal to $3 per square foot of each data center facility footprint, as defined in the bill, and directs no less than $250 million of revenues from the tax to be distributed for various land protection and preservation purposes, including into the Virginia Tribal Commitment Fund, as created in the bill. The bill also repeals provisions requiring the Governor to include in the budget bill or in his amendments to the general appropriation act a recommended appropriation from the general fund, up to $20 million, for land preservation as follows: (i) 80 percent of the unissued credits to the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, of which at least 50 percent must be used for acquisitions with public access; (ii) 10 percent to the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund; and (iii) 10 percent to the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund.