RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia House Democratic Caucus released the following statement after Governor Abigail Spanberger signed more than 700 bills introduced by House Democrats into law:
“More than 700 House Democratic bills are now law because we stayed focused on what matters most to Virginians — lowering costs and making life more affordable.
“These new laws will help bring down the cost of housing, healthcare, childcare, and energy bills while putting more money back into the pockets of working families.
“With the largest Democratic majority in decades, House Democrats got to work, listened, and delivered real results to make an Affordable Virginia.”
Highlighted legislation passed by House Democrats:
Top priorities:
- HB1 (Ward) – Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028.
- HB2 (Sickles) – Electric utilities; energy efficiency upgrades, report.
- HB3 (LeVere Bolling) – Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force; established, definitions, report.
- HB4 (Bennett-Parker) – Affordable housing; preservation, definitions, civil penalty.
- HB5 (Convirs-Fowler) – Employment; Paid sick leave, civil penalty.
- HB6 (Price) – Contraception; establishes right to obtain, applicability, enforcement.
Child care
- HB18 (McClure) – Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program; established, report.
- HB211 (Gardner) – Head start, etc., Head Start State Collaboration Office to develop for endorsement a report, etc.
- HB1208 (Sewell) – Public education; early childhood care and education; child care access calculation; report.
Energy & Utilities
- HB397 (Herring) – Clean energy and community flood preparedness; market-based trading program.
- HB422 (Cole, N.) – Water utilities; reopening rate case in certain instances.
- HB434 (Levere Bolling) – Electric utilities; electric grid utilization metrics; State Corporation Commission.
- HB770 (Herring) – Public utilities; water and sewerage companies; discounted rates for low-income customers.
- HB1062 (Hernandez) – Electric utilities; pilot program for electric energy conservation, generation, and storage.
Healthcare
- HB484 (Shin) – Health insurance; ethics and fairness in carrier business practices; downcoded claims.
- HB618 (Shin) – Health insurance; reporting requirements.
- HB625 (Henson) – Health insurance; limit on cost-sharing payments for prescription drugs under certain plans.
- HB676 (Maldonado) – Health insurance; carrier business practices; electronic attachments.
- HB701 (Maldonado) – Health insurance; notice of adverse determinations and right to request external review.
- HB1207 (Sewell) – Paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements; civil action.
- HB1214 (Delaney) – Health insurance; cost-sharing payments for insulin and diabetes equipment and supplies; limit.
Housing
- HB174 (Feggans) – Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant Act; early termination of rental agreement by military personnel.
- HB281 (Callsen) – Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; defense to action for possessions for nonpayment of rent.
- HB616 (Anthony) – Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; tenant records.
- HB837 (McClure) – Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Eviction Diversion Program, alters eligibility.
- HB1005 (Tran) – Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; rental payment methods, prohibited fees.
- HB1325 (Maldonado) – Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; landlord obligations.
- HB1408 (Schmidt) – Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, rental agreement noncompliance.