Marking 100 Days in Office, Governor Spanberger Signs Bipartisan Bills in Roanoke to Expand Opportunity, Grow Virginia’s Economy

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger today - on her 100th day in office - signed 12 bipartisan bills focused on connecting students with apprenticeships, creating economic opportunity in every single region of the Commonwealth, and strengthening Virginia schools.

At the Roanoke Higher Education Center - a workforce development hub offering more than 100 training programs, Governor Spanberger signed bipartisan legislation to expand access to apprenticeships for high school students, increase the number of instructors qualified to teach Career and Technical Education courses, and make the Roanoke Community Builders Pilot Program permanent to reduce youth violence. The Governor was joined by bill patrons Senator David Suetterlein, Senator Christopher Head, Delegate Sam Rasoul, and Delegate Ellen McLaughlin, students, and regional leaders.

"Since day one, my administration has hit the ground running to make our Commonwealth more affordable for Virginia families, make Virginia a great place to do business, and bring people together while we get it done. Because that's what being a Commonwealth is all about: finding common ground, common purpose, and commonsense solutions," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "All of us have a responsibility to open more doors for our next generation. The bills I am signing today speak to that mission: preparing our workforce and doing everything we can to train and retain talented people. Thanks to the efforts of the bill patrons here today - members of both parties who agree that Virginia should provide all kinds of different pathways to a good career, we are putting that philosophy into practice."

Governor Spanberger continued, "We're also continuing to open new doors for businesses. Just last week, we announced several million dollars in grants to grow advanced manufacturing in the Roanoke Valley. And in the last 100 days alone, we've announced nearly $5 billion in new business investment and more than 3,000 new jobs. I look forward to continuing to bring new companies to Virginia - and create new opportunities for Virginians."

Earlier in the day, Governor Spanberger toured HOPE Pharmacy - a community pharmacy serving Richmond residents - to highlight bipartisan legislation she signed into law to crack down on predatory PBMs raising prescription drug costs for Virginia families. During the event, the Governor met with HOPE Pharmacy owner Dr. Shantelle Brown, her team, other healthcare professionals, and local leaders to discuss the serious challenges created by President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill that has jeopardized healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of Virginians.

Governor Spanberger signed the following bipartisan bills to connect Virginians with apprenticeships, expand economic opportunity, and strengthen Virginia schools:

• HB332 (Delegate Sam Rasoul), SB203 (Senator David Suetterlein) - Making it easier to get career and technical education teachers into the classroom. Passed unanimously.
• HB275 (Delegate Sam Rasoul), SB10 (Senator David Suetterlein) - Allowing more high school students to start an apprenticeship in culinary arts or information technology. Passed unanimously.
• HB423 (Delegate Sam Rasoul), SB242 (Senator Christopher Head) - Supporting Virginia's healthcare workforce by adding the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Virginia's only three-year Doctor of Pharmacy Program, to the Board of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB1153 (Delegate Sam Rasoul), SB820 (Senator David Suetterlein) - Reducing youth violence by expanding the Community Builders Pilot Program established in Roanoke City Public Schools and Petersburg City Public School.
• HB924 (Delegate Sam Rasoul) - Directing the Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction to support the improvement of low-performing schools. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB643 (Delegate Sam Rasoul) - Strengthening the new School Performance and Support Framework accountability system based on recommendations from JLARC. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB1283 (Delegate Ellen McLaughlin), SB742 (Senator Christopher Head) - Ensuring clear graduation requirements for Virginia students and parents. Passed unanimously.

BACKGROUND

In her first 100 days in office, Governor Spanberger has remained laser-focused on building a stronger, safer, and more affordable Virginia. The Governor has signed bipartisan legislation to lower costs for families, announced more than $4.7 billion in new business investment creating more than 3,000 new jobs across the Commonwealth, and worked to contend with the uncertainty coming from Washington that is making life more expensive for all Virginians.

Since January, Governor Spanberger has worked alongside legislators to make healthcare, housing, and energy more affordable, accessible, and reliable for Virginians. The Governor recently signed her entire Affordable Virginia Agenda - a package of bills to address high housing, healthcare, and energy costs announced by the Governor and General Assembly in December - into law.

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