The Virginia General Assembly passed every bill in Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s “Affordable Virginia Agenda” before adjourning its 2026 session over the weekend — though lawmakers left Richmond without a budget deal.
The 16-bill package, which Spanberger and Democratic legislative leaders announced in December, targets the cost of housing, healthcare and energy. Arlington Dels. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D) and Patrick Hope (D) each carried legislation in the package.
“I’m tremendously grateful to legislators for their work this session to address the challenges facing Virginia families, Virginia businesses, and Virginia schools,” Spanberger said in a statement Saturday night. “I’m particularly proud to see lawmakers pass our entire Affordable Virginia Agenda to drive down housing, healthcare, and energy costs for Virginians across our Commonwealth.”
Spanberger, who was sworn in as Virginia’s first woman governor in January, made affordability the centerpiece of her administration’s first legislative session. She and Democratic leaders framed the agenda around lowering costs at a time when rising utility bills amid data center growth, healthcare premiums and housing prices remain top concerns for voters.
The 60-day session began Jan. 14 and was constitutionally required to adjourn sine die on March 14. Lawmakers were unable to reach a budget agreement, with a dispute over data center tax exemptions fracturing negotiations between the House and Senate. Spanberger said she would call lawmakers back to Richmond on April 23 to pass a budget.
Here’s the full slate of Affordable Virginia Agenda legislation headed to the governor’s desk:
Housing
Bennett-Parker, who recently won a special election to succeed State Sen. Adam Ebbin in the Virginia Senate, carried HB4 as a delegate. The bill creates a framework for localities to preserve affordable housing by exercising a right of first refusal when publicly supported multifamily rental properties are at risk of losing their affordability restrictions. The bill passed the House 65-34.
HB15 (Del. Cia Price) and SB48 (Sen. Aaron Rouse) extend protections for Virginia renters by giving residents more time to respond to lease terminations. Under current law, landlords can file eviction proceedings five days after notifying a tenant. The legislation extends that grace period to 14 days.
HB527 (Del. Marcia “Cia” McClure) and SB628 (Sen. Mamie Locke) expand the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program, a pilot program that provides flexible financial assistance to help vulnerable Virginians avoid eviction.
HB820 (Del. Dan Helmer) and SB490 (Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg) create a revolving loan fund for the production of mixed-income housing developments, offering lower-interest financing to builders.
HB867 (Del. Kelly Cousins) and SB74 (Sen. Jeremy McPike) authorize all localities to adopt affordable dwelling unit programs that offer bonus density incentives in exchange for including lower-priced housing in new developments.
HB1227 (Del. Josh Thomas) and SB729 (Sen. Shelly Simonds Jones) leverage the Commonwealth’s bonding authority to support affordable housing production.
Healthcare
Hope’s HB220, along with companion bill SB630 (Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy), eliminates the authority of health insurers to charge higher premium rates based on tobacco use. Under current law, carriers can charge tobacco users up to 1.5 times the standard rate. The change applies to individual and small group plans entered into or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2027. A similar bill by Hope was vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2025.
HB830 (Del. Katrina Callsen) and SB669 (Sen. Aaron Rouse) crack down on pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen that negotiate prescription drug prices between health plans, manufacturers and pharmacies. The legislation bans PBMs from requiring patients to use specific pharmacies, requires disclosure of fees and costs, and mandates that rebates be passed through to reduce copays and premiums. The PBM measure drew bipartisan support.
HB736 (Del. Briana Maldonado) limits the use of prior authorizations by insurance companies, targeting delays in care for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
HB815 (Del. Rae Downey) and SB405 (Sen. Louise Lucas) makes administrative changes to a nursing scholarship and loan program, with the goal of investing in Virginia’s healthcare workforce to increase access to affordable care.
Energy
HB2 (Del. Betsy Carr) and SB72 (Sen. Kannan Srinivasan) require electric utilities to expand programs that reduce heating and energy costs for low-income customers by improving the energy efficiency of their homes.
HB3 (Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling) and SB5 (Sen. Mamie Locke) establish a Virginia Weatherization Task Force through the Department of Housing and Community Development to identify barriers to energy efficiency program enrollment and develop a plan to improve utility services.
HB395 (Del. Paul Krizek) and SB250 (Sen. Scott Surovell) facilitate the adoption of portable small solar systems, such as balcony-mounted panels, by exempting them from typical utility approval requirements.
HB434 (Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling) and SB621 (Sen. Kannan Srinivasan) direct the State Corporation Commission to optimize grid utilization, measuring how much capacity exists on current transmission and distribution lines to avoid expensive infrastructure buildouts.
HB892 (Del. David Shin) improves forecasting of power usage by ensuring the State Corporation Commission has a process to review and validate utility demand projections, which critics say have been overestimated, driving up rates.
HB895 (Del. Rip Sullivan) and SB448 (Sen. Lamont Bagby) significantly increase energy storage targets for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power. The bill expands the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s requirements for battery storage, which supporters say would allow stored energy to be dispatched during high-demand periods and lower peak prices for ratepayers. Youngkin vetoed a similar bill in 2025.
Spanberger said she is reviewing the legislation as it arrives on her desk and “look[s] forward to calling lawmakers back to Richmond on April 23 to pass a budget that delivers on the responsible, pragmatic leadership Virginians voted for this past November.”
