2026 Session

• Governor Abigail Spanberger praised the 2026 General Assembly's passage of bills reducing heating costs (HB2, SB72), establishing a Weatherization Task Force (HB3, SB5), empowering localities on affordable housing (HB4), and improving renter protections (HB15, SB48). • Additional successes include eliminating healthcare premium fees (HB220, SB630), promoting portable solar systems (HB395, SB250), optimizing grid utilization (HB434, SB621), expanding the Eviction Reduction Program (HB527, SB628), limiting prior authorizations (HB736), and boosting healthcare workforce access (HB815, SB405). • Further measures allow communities to adopt affordable housing programs (HB867, SB74), improve power forecasting (HB892), and increase energy storage deployment (HB895, SB448) to lower costs for Virginians.

• MultiState released its March 15, 2026 chart tracking legislative deadlines, with sessions starting January 6 in Vermont and February 9 in Wyoming. • 23 states allow bill carryover between 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 sessions, while 27 require new introductions each year. • Key deadlines include Florida's January 13 bill filing and California's February 20 cutoff; Virginia ends regular session March 14 with veto session April 22.

• West Virginia Senate on March 14, 2026, passed Senate Bill 947 providing free certified birth certificates to homeless individuals under 18, waiving fees up to $12. • Senate Bill 906 allows prescription, distribution, and marketing of federally approved psilocybin-based medications, reclassifying from Schedule I status. • Bills advance women's collegiate sports via endowments at NCAA Division I public universities under Senate Bill 502.