{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/2.2-220.6.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/2.2-220.6.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/2.2-220.6.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/2.2-220.6.html"}],"law_id":352352,"edition_id":2,"section_id":352352,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.6","catch_line":"Wetlands policy task force; report","history":"2025, c. 647.","full_text":"The Secretary shall establish a wetlands policy task force to (i) evaluate existing policies regarding wetlands protection, restoration, creation, and mitigation in the Commonwealth and other states; (ii) recommend policy changes necessary to accelerate tidal and nontidal wetland identification, restoration, creation, and protection; and (iii) explore emerging science and innovation to ensure wetland health and survival. The task force shall report its initial findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 31, 2025, and shall update such report at least every two years.\n\nThe task force shall meet not less than twice annually to evaluate emerging science, policy, and best practices. One meeting shall be held jointly with the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team led by the Department of Wildlife Resources to allow the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team to review and provide feedback on the task force’s proposed recommendations. Membership of the task force shall include relevant representatives of nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the federal government, local governments or regional planning commissions, industry, and state entities, including the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Department of Wildlife Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, Marine Resources Commission, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1311704,"text":"The Secretary shall establish a wetlands policy task force to (i) evaluate existing policies regarding wetlands protection, restoration, creation, and mitigation in the Commonwealth and other states; (ii) recommend policy changes necessary to accelerate tidal and nontidal wetland identification, restoration, creation, and protection; and (iii) explore emerging science and innovation to ensure wetland health and survival. The task force shall report its initial findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 31, 2025, and shall update such report at least every two years.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1311705,"text":"The task force shall meet not less than twice annually to evaluate emerging science, policy, and best practices. One meeting shall be held jointly with the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team led by the Department of Wildlife Resources to allow the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team to review and provide feedback on the task force’s proposed recommendations. Membership of the task force shall include relevant representatives of nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the federal government, local governments or regional planning commissions, industry, and state entities, including the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Department of Wildlife Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, Marine Resources Commission, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":50390,"edition_id":2,"name":"Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources","identifier":"7","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":8,"parent_id":50364,"metadata":{"child_laws":12,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:27:39","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:47","permalink":{"id":1398827,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50390,"identifier":"7","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50364,"edition_id":2,"name":"Governor's Secretaries","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":2,"parent_id":50328,"metadata":{"child_laws":68,"child_structures":14},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:27:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:46","permalink":{"id":1398627,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50364,"identifier":"2","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50328,"edition_id":2,"name":"Office of the Governor","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":50327,"metadata":{"child_laws":191,"child_structures":39},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:26:49","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:45","permalink":{"id":1398459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50328,"identifier":"A","token":"2.2\/I\/A","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50327,"edition_id":2,"name":"Organization of State Government","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":50326,"metadata":{"child_laws":1084,"child_structures":230},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:26:49","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:45","permalink":{"id":1398457,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50327,"identifier":"I","token":"2.2\/I","url":"\/2.2\/I\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50326,"edition_id":2,"name":"Administration of Government","identifier":"2.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":3,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1509,"child_structures":292},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:26:49","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:26:45","permalink":{"id":1398455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50326,"identifier":"2.2","token":"2.2","url":"\/2.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":352342,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-215","catch_line":"Position established; agencies for which responsible","url":"\/2.2-215\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-215","metadata":false},{"id":352343,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-216","catch_line":"Coordination of water quality information; monitoring the quality of the waters, habitat, and living resources of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries","url":"\/2.2-216\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-216","metadata":false},{"id":352344,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-217","catch_line":"Friend of the Bay Award","url":"\/2.2-217\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-217","metadata":false},{"id":352345,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-218","catch_line":"Development of Watershed Implementation Plans to restore the water quality and living resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries","url":"\/2.2-218\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-218","metadata":false},{"id":352346,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-219","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-219\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-219","metadata":false},{"id":352353,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-220\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220","metadata":false},{"id":352347,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.1","catch_line":"Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement; annual report","url":"\/2.2-220.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.1","metadata":false},{"id":352348,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.2","catch_line":"Invasive species management plan for strategic actions by state agencies and related advisory group; strategic actions by state agencies to prioritize the use of native plant species","url":"\/2.2-220.2\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.2","metadata":false},{"id":352349,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.3","catch_line":"Development of strategies to collect land use and conservation information","url":"\/2.2-220.3\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.3","metadata":false},{"id":352350,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.4","catch_line":"National Flood Insurance Program; annual report","url":"\/2.2-220.4\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.4","metadata":false},{"id":352351,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.5","catch_line":"Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth; Interagency Resilience Management Team","url":"\/2.2-220.5\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.5","metadata":false},{"id":352352,"structure_id":50390,"section_number":"2.2-220.6","catch_line":"Wetlands policy task force; 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This law was first created in 2025. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 647<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1398873,"object_type":"law","relational_id":352352,"identifier":"2.2-220.6","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.6","url":"\/2.2-220.6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-220.6\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/7\/2.2-220.6","dublin_core":{"Title":"Wetlands policy task force; report","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-220.6","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Secretary shall establish a wetlands policy task force to (i) evaluate existing policies regarding wetlands protection, restoration, creation, and mitigation in the Commonwealth and other states; (ii) recommend policy changes necessary to accelerate tidal and nontidal wetland identification, restoration, creation, and protection; and (iii) explore emerging science and innovation to ensure wetland health and survival. The task force shall report its initial findings<\/span> and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 31, 2025, and shall update such report at least every two years.<\/p>

The task force shall meet not less than twice annually to evaluate emerging science, policy, and best practices. One meeting shall be held jointly with the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team led by the Department of Wildlife Resources to allow the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team to review and provide feedback on the task force’s proposed recommendations. Membership of the task force shall include relevant representatives of nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the federal government, local governments or regional planning commissions, industry, and state entities, including the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Department of Wildlife Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, Marine Resources Commission, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWETLANDS POLICY TASK FORCE; REPORT (\u00a7 2.2-220.6)\n\nThe Secretary shall establish a wetlands policy task force to (i) evaluate\nexisting policies regarding wetlands protection, restoration, creation, and\nmitigation in the Commonwealth and other states; (ii) recommend policy changes\nnecessary to accelerate tidal and nontidal wetland identification, restoration,\ncreation, and protection; and (iii) explore emerging science and innovation to\nensure wetland health and survival. The task force shall report its initial\nfindings and recommendations to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on\nAgriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on\nAgriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources by December 31, 2025, and shall\nupdate such report at least every two years.\n\nThe task force shall meet not less than twice annually to evaluate emerging\nscience, policy, and best practices. One meeting shall be held jointly with the\nStatewide Wetlands Technical Team led by the Department of Wildlife Resources to\nallow the Statewide Wetlands Technical Team to review and provide feedback on\nthe task force’s proposed recommendations. Membership of the task force\nshall include relevant representatives of nonprofit organizations, academic\ninstitutions, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the federal government, local\ngovernments or regional planning commissions, industry, and state entities,\nincluding the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Department of Wildlife Resources,\nDepartment of Environmental Quality, Marine Resources Commission, Department of\nConservation and Recreation, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science.\n\nHISTORY: 2025, c. 647.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}