Patroned by State Del. Bill Wiley, a new bill seeks to update licensure processes and redefine professional standards for geologists in Virginia, the Virginia State House reports.
The measure, filed as HB1289 on Jan. 14, 2026, for the 2026 regular session, carries the description: “Geologists; added to definition of “professional services,” continuing education.”
The following summary is based on the full bill text and aims to clarify key components of the legislation.
This proposal incorporates geology into the list of professional services under Virginia’s public procurement act, changes how geologists are licensed, permits the Board for Geology to exempt the exam requirement for those with at least 12 years of qualifying geological work or who hold valid licenses from other U.S. areas with similar standards, and mandates eight hours of yearly continuing education for renewing or reinstating licenses. It also specifies requirements for coursework, instructor credentials, course assessments, documentation and the calculation of credit hours.
Support for the bill comes from Rep. Bill Wiley (Republican-32nd District), Rep. Shelly A. Simonds (Democrat-70th District), and Rep. Amy J. Laufer (Democrat-55th District).
So far this session, Wiley has submitted three additional bills.
Wiley earned a BS from George Mason University in 1993.
A Republican, Wiley joined the Virginia State House in 2024 to represent the 32nd District, taking over from David Reid.
In Virginia, the path for a bill starts with an introduction in either the House of Delegates or the Senate, assignment to committees for review or amendment, and, if moved forward, the measure is debated and voted on in both chambers. Passage leads to the governor for approval, veto, or unsigned enactment. The General Assembly’s regular session starts the second Monday in January, with hundreds of bills brought forward annually—though not all advance to law.
| Legislative Session | Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Bill Wiley, Shelly A. Simonds, and Amy J. Laufer | HB1289 | 01/14/2026 | Geologists; added to definition of “professional services,” continuing education. |
| 2026 | Bill Wiley | HB1288 | 01/14/2026 | Enforcement of vehicle liens; increases property value. |
| 2026 | Bill Wiley | HB1290 | 01/14/2026 | Commercial motor vehicle; expands definition. |
| 2026 | Bill Wiley | HB1291 | 01/14/2026 | Geologists; regulations, exemptions. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley, Delores Oates, Ian T. Lovejoy, and Wren M. Williams | HB1552 | 01/08/2025 | Critical access hospitals; swing beds. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley, David Owen, and Ian T. Lovejoy | HB1567 | 01/08/2025 | Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority; operational plan submission. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley | HB1568 | 01/08/2025 | Law-enforcement jurisdiction; Frederick County Sheriff’s Dept. jurisdiction in/upon certain bldgs. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley | HB1835 | 01/08/2025 | Geologists; regulation, licensure, penalty. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley | HB1836 | 01/08/2025 | Driver training schools; definitions, operation and licensure. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley | HB2502 | 01/08/2025 | FOIA; exclusion of certain information held by Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. |
| 2025 | Bill Wiley, Bill Wiley, Ian T. Lovejoy, Ian T. Lovejoy, W. Chad Green, and W. Chad Green | HB2503 | 01/08/2025 | Virginia coordinate systems; updates several references in Code. |
Details for this report come from the Virginia State House. Original source data is available here.
