A bill put forward by Del. Briana D. Sewell seeks to boost the availability of housing by requiring that localities permit a broader spectrum of residential development, the Virginia State House reports.
The measure, known as HB1212 and filed Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, is officially described as: “Zoning; small lot residential districts.”
Our summary below relies on the original bill language and may involve interpretation for clarity.
Essentially, the proposal would require any Virginia locality with a population of 20,000 or greater to designate at least one zoning district where one-family homes, two-family homes and townhouses are allowed by right on lots up to 3,000 square feet. The bill prohibits such districts from imposing minimum lot widths above 30 feet or using setback, coverage, or density requirements that would effectively preclude construction of those homes on eligible lots. If an existing district already fulfills these criteria, it may be used, but localities must also apply it to areas that enable more housing than previously permitted. Historic districts are exempt from these provisions.
Rep. Briana D. Sewell (Democrat-25th District), Rep. Dan I. Helmer (Democrat-10th District), Rep. David A. Reid (Democrat-28th District), and two other lawmakers sponsored the bill.
Since the session began, Sewell has introduced eight additional bills.
Sewell earned a BA from The College of William and Mary in 2012.
A Democrat, Sewell joined the Virginia State House in 2024, representing the 25th House district after Chris Runion.
In Virginia, the legislative process starts with the introduction of a bill in either chamber. Committees review and potentially amend the bill before it is debated and voted on by both chambers. Passage by both sends the bill to the governor, who may sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. The Virginia General Assembly meets in regular session each year starting on the second Monday in January. Lawmakers file hundreds of bills annually, but only a fraction are enacted.
| Legislative Session | Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Dan I. Helmer, David A. Reid, Garrett McGuire, and Karen Keys-Gamarra | HB1212 | 01/14/2026 | Zoning; small lot residential districts. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Luke E. Torian, Mark C. Downey, Adele Y. McClure, Alex Q. Askew, Alfonso H. Lopez, Amy J. Laufer, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Bonita G. Anthony, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Charlie Schmidt, Charniele L. Herring, Dan I. Helmer, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Garrett McGuire, Gretchen M Bulova, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, Jeion A. Ward, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karrie K. Delaney, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler, Laura Jane Cohen, Lindsey Dougherty, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marcus B. Simon, Margaret A. Franklin, Marty Martinez, May Nivar, Michael B. Feggans, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Patrick A. Hope, Paul E. Krizek, Phil M. Hernandez, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Shelly A. Simonds, Stacey Annie Carroll, Virgil Thornton, and Vivian E. Watts | HB1207 | 01/14/2026 | Paid family & med. leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Nicole Cole, Alex Q. Askew, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Charlie Schmidt, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jeion A. Ward, Jessica L. Anderson, Joshua E. Thomas, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karen R. “Kacey” Carnegie, Kathy K.L. Tran, Kimberly Pope Adams, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Lindsey Dougherty, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Margaret A. Franklin, Mark C. Downey, May Nivar, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, and Vivian E. Watts | HB1208 | 01/14/2026 | Public education; early childhood care and education, child care access calculations, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell and Jackie H. Glass | HB1219 | 01/14/2026 | Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Jessica L. Anderson, Lily V. Franklin, and Nicole Cole | HB1221 | 01/14/2026 | Higher ed. financial aid programs; amends provisions, Va. Commonwealth Award established, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1226 | 01/14/2026 | Motor Vehicles, Department of; release of data to certain institutions of higher education, fees. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1230 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; sustainable aviation fuel production tax credit. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, John Chilton McAuliff, Paul E. Krizek, Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr., Adele Y. McClure, Betsy B. Carr, Dan I. Helmer, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Kathy K.L. Tran, Nadarius E. Clark, Nicole Cole, Phil M. Hernandez, and Rae Cousins | HB1234 | 01/14/2026 | Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Gretchen M Bulova, Luke E. Torian, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Jackie H. Glass, and Nadarius E. Clark | HB1237 | 01/14/2026 | Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards, owner unknown. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1878 | 01/13/2025 | State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; renaming Director as Executive Director. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Shelly A. Simonds, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, and Rodney T. Willett | HB1881 | 01/13/2025 | Public elementary/secondary schools; enrollment of dependent student of active duty service members. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1882 | 01/13/2025 | Protective orders; military protective orders. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1683 | 01/08/2025 | Motor vehicle dealers; recall and warranty costs, right of first refusal. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1684 | 01/08/2025 | Real estate brokers and salespersons; duties, licensees engaged by buyers. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell and Jackie H. Glass | HB1685 | 01/08/2025 | Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Shelly A. Simonds, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, and Rodney T. Willett | HB1880 | 01/08/2025 | Public schools; enrollment of certain military children with disabilities; provision of special education services and accommodations. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, Adele Y. McClure, Alex Q. Askew, Alfonso H. Lopez, Amy J. Laufer, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Bonita G. Anthony, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Candi Mundon King, Charniele L. Herring, Dan I. Helmer, David A. Reid, David L. Bulova, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, JJ Singh, Jackie H. Glass, Jeion A. Ward, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karrie K. Delaney, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Laura Jane Cohen, Luke E. Torian, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marcus B. Simon, Mark D. Sickles, Marty Martinez, Michael J. Jones, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Patrick A. Hope, Paul E. Krizek, Phil M. Hernandez, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Sam Rasoul, Shelly A. Simonds, and Vivian E. Watts | HB2531 | 01/08/2025 | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, Joshua E. Thomas, and Shelly A. Simonds | HB2533 | 01/08/2025 | Counties, cities, and towns; comprehensive plan may include tiny homes or accessory dwelling units. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB2534 | 01/08/2025 | Nonhospitalized individuals; crisis stabilization services. |
Information for this report comes from the Virginia State House. The data source is available here.
