Governor Spanberger Highlights New Laws in Effect to Make Virginia Safer, Stronger, & More Affordable

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger today, July 1, released the following statement celebrating new laws that have taken effect focused on lowering costs for families, expanding economic opportunity, and making sure every Virginia student receives a quality education that sets them up for success.

Since January, Governor Spanberger has remained laser-focused on creating a stronger, more affordable Virginia where families, workers, and small businesses can thrive. The Governor has signed new laws to deliver on four key priorities for Virginians - lowering costs, growing Virginia's economy, investing in Virginia schools, and strengthening public safety across the Commonwealth.

"Virginians deserve a government that delivers results - and I'm proud of the steps we've taken together to lower costs, make our communities safer, and set up the next generation of Virginians for long-term success," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "Together, we're cutting red tape to increase the supply of housing that Virginians can afford, expanding career opportunities for students across the Commonwealth, and improving protections for workers by cracking down on wage theft. I'm particularly encouraged to see my entire Affordable Virginia Agenda become law - many proposals with strong bipartisan support - as we continue to contend with economic uncertainty caused by the chaos out of Washington."

Governor Spanberger continued, "Our new budget, which takes effect today, demonstrates our ability to come together and chart a responsible path forward for the future of our Commonwealth. This budget positions Virginia as a national leader in making sure data centers pay their fair share for energy consumption, delivers record investments to strengthen public education, and dedicates hundreds of millions of dollars to lowering the cost of childcare, housing, and healthcare."

Virginia's biennium budget - in effect today - includes a record $2 billion in new public education funding, a first-of-its-kind energy consumption tax on data centers, and $1 billion to protect hardworking Virginians from federal cuts. The budget also includes tax relief for Virginians by increasing the standard deduction by $550 for single filers and $1,100 joint filers. The General Assembly accepted all 14 of Governor Spanberger's amendments, including making explicit that customers of rural electric cooperatives will receive a direct RGGI credit, cancer screenings for firefighters, and earlier salary increases for home care workers.

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Legislation Governor Spanberger signed into law that is taking effect today, July 1, includes:

MAKING VIRGINIA MORE AFFORDABLE

• HB820 (Delegate Dan Helmer), HB196 (Delegate Joshua Thomas), SB490 (Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg) -Investing $20 million to create a new mixed-income housing pilot to expand housing supply. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB655 (Delegate Michelle Maldonado), SB346 (Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg) - Boosting housing supply by making it easier to build manufactured homes. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB1191 (Delegate Irene Shin), SB377 (Senator Scott Surovell) - Permitting high energy use customers - including data centers - to invest in new energy infrastructure while protecting ratepayers from increased costs. Passed unanimously.
• HB18 (Delegate Adele McClure), SB3 (Senator Lashrecse Aird) - Lowering childcare costs by incentivizing businesses to invest in childcare for their employees. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB507 (Delegate John McAuliff) - Requiring all future data center projects to be constructed with tier 4 or equivalent generators. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB153 (Delegate Joshua Thomas), SB94 (Senator Danica Roem) - Requiring new data center projects to assess expected noise levels prior to approval by localities. Passed with bipartisan support.
• HB1022 (Delegate Atoosa Reaser), SB493 (Senator Stella Pekarsky) - Click-to-cancel: Allowing Virginians to cancel certain subscriptions with one click. Passed unanimously.

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY & GROWING VIRGINIA'S ECONOMY

• HB413 (Delegate Elizabeth Guzman) - Strengthening the healthcare workforce by creating a new program to help high school students train as certified nurse aides. 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.
• HB332 (Delegate Sam Rasoul), SB203 (Senator David Suetterlein) - Making it easier to get career and technical education teachers into the classroom. Passed unanimously.
• HB238 (Delegate Alfonso Lopez) - Protecting employees from wage theft, ensuring that employees are able to keep their hard-earned dollars while providing clarity and guidance for employers.
• HB636 (Delegate Michelle Maldonado), SB215 (Senator Jennifer Boysko) - Prohibiting employers from seeking wage or salary history, ensuring that employees are offered the pay they deserve while promoting greater transparency in the application process.

STRENGTHENING VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

• HB253 (Delegate Jackie Glass) - Filling teacher vacancies by entering Virginia into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Passed unanimously.
• HB544 (Delegate Alex Askew), SB498 (Senator Lashrecse Aird) - Supporting new investment in K-12 schools by making the Commission on School Construction and Modernization permanent and requiring a 10-year capital roadmap. Passed unanimously.
• SB817 (Senator David Suetterlein) - Empowering parents by requiring schools to notify parents of student course enrollment deadlines and the process for requesting changes to course selection. Passed unanimously.

SECURING THE SAFETY OF VIRGINIA FAMILIES

• HB19 (Delegate Adele McClure), SB160 (Senator Russet Perry) - Closing the Boyfriend Loophole to make sure convicted domestic abusers cannot exploit a legal technicality to keep their firearms.
• SB673 (Senator Tammy Mulchi) - Strengthening cyberstalking laws to protect Virginians from unwanted sexual or violent contact online. Passed unanimously.
• HB871 (Delegate Mark Downey), SB348 (Senator Jennifer Boysko) - Requiring safe storage of firearms to protect children and prevent theft.

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