Limits Government Websites to Certain Domains
Virginia · HB707 · Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Why it matters
Local governments, school boards, and state agencies would need to move their websites and staff email to .gov addresses. Visitors would see official sites with a .gov address, which makes it easier to tell real government sites from fake ones.
What it does
- Bans official public websites from using domains other than .gov, .edu, or .museum
- Requires government employee email addresses to use a .gov domain
- Allows old domains to stay only to redirect people to the official .gov site
- Lets the Virginia Information Technologies Agency set rules, a transition period, and waivers
Status
Latest action (2026-07-21): Continued from last session
About this bill
Would bar public bodies from running official websites on any domain except .gov, .edu, or .museum. Employee email would also need a .gov address. The VITA would write rules, starting July 1, 2029.
Perspectives
💬 The case for
Cybersecurity groups would likely say .gov domains make official sites easier to trust. Limiting domains also cuts the risk of scam sites copying government names.
💬 The case against
Small local governments would likely say moving websites and email costs money and takes staff time. Some groups may also worry about losing familiar web addresses.
Sponsored by
Sponsor details for this state bill are at the source link.
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