State Sen. Danica A. Roem has sponsored a new bill designed to bolster local management of cemeteries and burial sites by creating official registers and implementing public notice standards, according to the Virginia State Senate.
The proposed legislation, SB44, was introduced on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session with the formal title: “Cemeteries on private property; registration by localities.”
Here is a summary based on the official language of the bill, with clarifications for easier understanding.
Essentially, this bill mandates that every locality in Planning District 8 and permits other localities in Virginia to enact an ordinance that creates an official register, and if chosen, a map for cemeteries, graveyards, and other burial places on private land not belonging to a memorial or monumental association. It grants localities the authority to make the register, map, and contact details available on their websites, but does not allow publication of the location of sensitive historic or archaeological sites by state definition. There’s also a requirement to provide at least two weeks’ written or online notice before any public sale of property known to include a cemetery, unless covered by that same privacy exemption. The effective date for the new law is July 1, 2027.
This bill was introduced solely by Sen. Danica A. Roem, a Democrat representing the 30th District.
So far this session, Roem has introduced 16 other bills.
Roem holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University, graduating in 2006.
Elected in 2024, Roem represents Virginia’s 30th Senate district and succeeded Adam Ebbin.
The Virginia legislative process starts with the introduction of a bill in either the Senate or House of Delegates, then moves to committee review, debate, and potential amendment. Committee-passed bills advance to the floor for voting in both chambers, after which successful bills are sent to the governor to be signed, vetoed, or enacted without signature. The General Assembly meets in annual regular sessions beginning the second Monday of January and hears hundreds of bills, though relatively few make it into law.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danica A. Roem | SB44 | 01/14/2026 | Cemeteries on private property; registration by localities. |
| Danica A. Roem and R. Creigh Deeds | SB4 | 01/14/2026 | School breakfasts; availability at no cost to students. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB41 | 01/14/2026 | Motor Vehicles, Department of; electronic transactions, voluntary contributions. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB42 | 01/14/2026 | School boards; payment of school meal debt. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB43 | 01/14/2026 | Demand response programs; evaluation and assessment by Department of Energy, report. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB92 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program; tuition and fee waivers. |
| Danica A. Roem and Michelle Lopes Maldonado | SB93 | 01/14/2026 | Data centers; taxes on banks that are tenants of a center. |
| Danica A. Roem and Adam P. Ebbin | SB94 | 01/14/2026 | Data centers; site assessment, sound profile of the high energy use facility. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB95 | 01/14/2026 | Rest area signage; adds human trafficking information. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB97 | 01/14/2026 | Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program; establishment of student meal plan credit donation program. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB331 | 01/14/2026 | Veterinary Medicine, Board of; traineeships. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB336 | 01/14/2026 | Tier 2 emergency generators; SCC shall evaluate impact of requiring data centers to limit use, etc. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB345 | 01/14/2026 | Guardianship/conservatorship of incapacitated adult; right to request counsel, right to a jury trial. |
| Danica A. Roem, Angelia Williams Graves, and David R. Suetterlein | SB350 | 01/14/2026 | Absentee voting; counting ballots prior to the close of polls. |
| Danica A. Roem and Kannan Srinivasan | SB482 | 01/14/2026 | Sodium Chloride; alternatives to use to treat and pretreat roadways for winter weather, report. |
| Danica A. Roem | SB503 | 01/14/2026 | Phase II Utility; rates, terms, and conditions of services, certain customers. |
| Danica A. Roem and Scott A. Surovell | SB716 | 01/14/2026 | Commissioner of Highways; certain agreements with U.S. Department of Transportation. |
Details in this article were sourced from the Virginia State Senate. Find the primary data here.
