Bill to curb car exhaust noise vetoed

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation passed by the General Assembly that would have made it easier for the police to enforce the ban on noisy vehicles.

House Bill 2550, sponsored by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6th District), would have given Fairfax County a tool to crack down on illegal, modified exhausts that create significant noise pollution and safety issues.

The bill called for a pilot program to allow Northern Virginia localities to use noise monitoring devices to record and enforce vehicle exhaust system violations. The bill was a key item on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ legislative agenda.

Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw, chair of the board’s Legislative Committee, expressed disappointment in the veto but said “I was even more disappointed that the governor’s veto statement suggests that he is unfamiliar with both the current law related to vehicle exhausts and the police officer safety issues that the current law creates.”

Loud modified exhausts are illegal, but police officers have to visually inspect exhausts to determine whether they have been modified. “Asking police officers to crawl underneath a vehicle on the shoulder during a traffic stop puts them at risk,” Walkinshaw says.

Youngkin’s explanation of his veto says: “Current law already gives localities sufficient authority to enforce noise restrictions. Additionally, allowing only certain localities to use noise cameras with specific decibel limits would create inconsistent enforcement and confusion for motorists across the state.”

HB 2550 is just one of 157 bills vetoed by Youngkin. He has vetoed more bills in a single year than any other Virginia governor in recent history vetoed during their four-year term.

Among the many other bills passed by the General Assembly that Youngkin vetoed:

Marijuana – HB 2485 would have established a framework for creating a retail marijuana market administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The bill would have allowed that agency to begin issuing marijuana licenses on Sept. 1, 2025.

Minimum wage – HB 1928 would have increased the minimum wage incrementally to $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2027. The current minimum wage in Virginia is $12.41.

Assault weapons – Legislation passed by the General Assembly (HB 1607) would have banned the purchase, sale, and transfer of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices. Violation would be Class 1 misdemeanor.

Drug prices – HB 1724 would have created a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to protect Virginians from the high cost of prescription drugs.

Paid sick leave – HB 1921 would have required all employees compensated on a fee-for-service basis to accrue paid sick leave. In addition to meeting their physical and mental health needs, the bill would have allowed paid sick leave for services or relocation due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking.

Labor unions – HB 6724 would have repealed the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees and would have created a Public Employee Relations Board to determine appropriate bargaining units and certify union elections.

Solar energy – HB 2037 would have allowed localities to require developers of non-residential projects to install a solar canopy over a surface parking area.

Voter purges – HB 2002 would have prohibited the general registrar from canceling the registration of any voter based on data or reports from any source other than the Department of Elections.

Tenant protections – Senate Bill 812 would have extended the grace period from five days to 14 days for a landlord to terminate a rental lease for nonpayment after written notification to the tenant.

Taxes – SB 1307 would have allowed counties and cities to impose an additional local sales and use tax of up to 1 percent to fund school construction.

In other action by Youngkin:

The governor signed into law HB 2165, which prohibits the use of campaign funds for personal expenses.

Youngkin amended a bill passed by the General Assembly (HB 1678) that requires school boards to inform students’ families about how to safely store prescription drugs and firearms. The governor added language to also require schools to notify parents if a student asks to have staff affirm their “gender incongruence,” such as by using pronouns that don’t match their legal documents.

In addition, Youngkin amended a bill on data centers. HB 1601 would have required data center developers to submit a site assessment before rezoning permits are approved in order to examine the project’s noise impact on nearby homes and schools. Youngkin amended the bill to make it optional.

The Democratic-led legislature will reconvene in Richmond on April 2 to take up the governor’s vetoes and amendments. Lawmakers need a two-thirds supermajority to override a veto.