HomeMy WebLinkAboutGeneral Assembly Update1
2026 General Assembly
Week 7
2
2026 Session
Today’s update:
•Status of Legislative Agenda items
•Legislation of interest
Goal of today’s presentation is to provide an update on the General
Assembly session and highlight legislation of interest
3
Legislative Agenda items
10:1 Charter Election
System
HB 187 Convirs-Fowler
SB 681 Rouse
•Passed House 83-13-1; Passed Senate 31-9 and
now heads to the Governor
•Passed Senate 27-13; Passed House 72-25-1 and
now heads to Governor; March 5th deadline
Cancer Screenings for
Public Safety
HB 393 Askew •Passed House 97-0; Carried over to 2027 in
Senate Finance to await results of pilot
program
EMS "Four for Life"
funding
HB 57 Feggans •Passed the House 98-0
•Passed Senate Transportation 15-0;
•S-Finance continued to 2027 14-0
Subaquatic Vegetation HB 390 Askew •Passed House 98-0
•Passed Senate 37-0 with substitute, now goes
back to the House
10-1 General Law HB 168 Askew
SB 51 Rouse
•Passed House 75-24; Passed Senate 23-17 and
now heads to the Governor
•Passed Senate 26-14;Passed House 72-26 and
now heads to the Governor; March 5th deadline
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Legislation with Fiscal Impact
SB 378 Surovell
HB 1263 Tran
Collective Bargaining for Public
Employees
•SB 378 passed Senate 21-19; referred to Labor &
Commerce
•HB 1263 passed House 61-35; rereferred to
Finance 8-6
HB 569 Feggans
SB 518 Rouse
Requires prevailing wage for public works
projects
•HB 569 passed House 62-35; Rereferred to Finance
8-6
•SB 518 passed Senate 20-19; Referred to L&C
HB 5
Convirs-Fowler
SB 199 Favola
Requires one hour of paid sick leave for
every 30 hours worked for all employees.
Delayed effective date of July 1, 2027
•Passed House 63-35;Passed S-Finance
•SB199 passed Senate 21-19;Passed Labor and
Commerce 15-6 & on 3rd reading
SB 2 Boysko
HB1207 Sewell
Establishes a mandatory paid family and medical leave insurance program with benefits beginning January 1, 2029. Premiums assessed to employers and employees beginning January 1, 2028
•SB 2 passed Senate 21-19; referred to Labor & Commerce
•HB 1207 passed House 62-34; Passed S-Finance
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Revenue Streams
SB 661 Rouse
HB 1272 Hayes
Skill Games authorization and tax
$800/per month per machine tax –
15% to local government where
machine is located
•SB 661 Passed H-General Laws with substitute 11-9;
on 3rd reading
•HB1272 Passed S-Finance
SB 542 Aird
HB 642 Krizek
Establishes a framework for the
creation of a retail marijuana market in
the Commonwealth
•SB542 Passed H-Appropriations with substitute 16-6
•HB642 Passed S-Finance
HB 334 Rasoul Authorizes all counties and cities to
impose an additional local sales and
use tax at a rate not to exceed one
percent with the revenue used only for
capital projects for the construction or
renovation of schools if such levy is
approved in a voter referendum.
•HB 334 passed House 70-28; Referred to S-Finance
6
Land Use Legislation
HB 804 Helmer
SB 488
VanValkenburg
Requires localities to increase their total housing stock by at
least 7.5% over the five-year period
•HB 804 passed 63-35 then
stricken by patron
•SB 488 stricken by patron
HB 611 Cohen
SB
531 Srinivasan
Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinances for
single-family residential zoning districts accessory dwelling
units
•HB 611 Continued to 2027
•SB 531 passed Senate 21-19;
Passed CCT 13-8
HB 816 Helmer
SB 454
VanValkenburg
Requires a locality to include in its zoning ordinance allowing
for by-right development of multifamily residential uses on at
least 75 percent of all land contained in commercial or
business zoning districts
•HB 816 passed 64-35; Passed S-
Local Gov 9-6 w/ 4-year sunset
•SB 454 passed 21-19; Passed
CCT 11-10
HB 1279 J. Cole
SB 388 McPike
"Faith in Housing" , allows for the development and
construction of housing on land owned by religious
organizations or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations
•HB 1279 passed 60-36; Passed
Local Government 9-6
•SB 388 passed 21-18; Passed
House 61-37 & in conference
HB 888 Shin Sets limits on minimum parking requirements in designated areas where residents have mass transit access •Passed House 61-37; Passed
Local Government 8-7
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Legislation of Interest
HB 707
Hayes
Prohibits a public body from maintaining an official website for use
by the public with a domain other than a .gov domain
Continued to 2027
HB 343Martinez Permits localities to adopt ordinances requiring children 14 years of age or younger to wear protective helmets whenever riding or being carried on a motorized skateboard or scooter or a nonmotorized scooter.
Passed House 75-22;Reported from S-Transportation committee (8-Y 4-N 1-A) & on 3rd reading
HB 1120 Singh Directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a work group for improving the safety of electric power-assisted bicycles Headed to Governor
HB 514 Martinez Establishes an outreach program to ensure military service members transitioning from military to civilian life and their family members can easily access federal, state, and local benefits and other programs and services available to them.
Continued to 2027
SB 50 Expands the definition of "lobbying" to include influencing or attempting to influence local government action Passed Senate 21-19; Referred to General Laws subcommittee
HJ 28 Askew Establishes a workgroup to study public transit systems to ensure it meets needs of region Reported from Finance 15-0
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Discussion