During the 2019 Session, the General Assembly approved Chapter 429 of the Acts of the Assembly (HB 2322), directing the Department of Health (Department) to develop a plan for the oversight and enforcement by the Department of requirements related to the inspection and pump-out of onsite sewage systems (OSS) pursuant to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA). The plan is limited to counties eligible for participation in the Rural Coastal Virginia Community Enhancement Authority (RCVCEA) pursuant to Chapter 76 (§ 15.2-7600 et seq.) of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia (the Code). The RCVCEA covers the 12 counties within the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and Accomack-Northampton planning districts: Accomack, Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland.

Pursuant to HB 2322, the Department is required to present the plan to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health prior to implementing the plan. The Department is currently working with a diverse set of stakeholders to develop a plan to transition oversight and enforcement of the pump-out program as requested in HB 2322, and would like to update the General Assembly on our progress.