Virginia Lawmakers Close 2026 Session With Focus on Lowering Costs

Virginia’s 2026 legislative session ended this weekend with state leaders highlighting a broad package of bills aimed at lowering everyday costs for residents. Governor Abigail Spanberger said she is now reviewing the measures that reached her desk after lawmakers adjourned the General Assembly session, a moment known as “sine die.”

In a statement released Sunday night, Spanberger thanked legislators for working across issues that affect households, businesses, and schools. She said the General Assembly approved the full “Affordable Virginia Agenda,” a plan introduced late last year to address rising expenses in areas such as housing, healthcare, and energy.

“High costs are top of mind in every community,” Spanberger said. “Our agenda directly responds to those concerns.”

The governor said her administration will carefully review the legislation as it prepares for the next step in the state’s budgeting process. Lawmakers are expected to return to Richmond on April 23 to finalize a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Much of the agenda focuses on energy affordability. One bill would reduce heating and energy costs for low-income households, while another would create a Virginia Weatherization Task Force to improve energy efficiency in homes across the state. Other measures support new technologies designed to lower electricity bills, including portable solar systems and expanded energy storage to reduce peak electricity prices.

Several proposals also target Virginia’s housing shortage and the rising cost of rent. Legislation passed this session allows local governments to take stronger steps to protect long-term affordable housing. Lawmakers also approved a revolving loan fund to support mixed-income housing development and expanded a pilot program intended to prevent evictions and help residents stay in their homes.

Another bill gives communities across Virginia the option to adopt local affordable housing programs. Additional legislation uses the state’s bonding authority to help finance housing construction, an effort supporters say could increase the supply of homes and ease upward pressure on prices.

Healthcare affordability was another major theme. One measure eliminates certain additional fees on healthcare premiums, while another seeks to limit delays in medical care by restricting insurers’ prior authorization requirements. Lawmakers also passed legislation to strengthen the healthcare workforce and expand access to quality, affordable care.

Prescription drug costs are also addressed in the package. A bill targeting pharmacy benefit managers, often described by critics as middlemen in the drug supply chain, aims to prevent practices that drive up medication prices.

Supporters of the agenda say the combined efforts represent a multi-front strategy to make living in Virginia more affordable. By addressing housing supply, energy infrastructure, healthcare access, and consumer protections simultaneously, lawmakers hope to ease financial pressure on families across the state.

Spanberger said her administration will continue working with the General Assembly as the legislation moves forward and as the state prepares its next budget.

“I am reviewing the legislation on my desk as we continue to focus on lowering costs for families, growing Virginia’s economy, and making sure every Virginia student is set up for success,” Spanberger said.

With the legislative session now closed, attention will shift to the upcoming reconvened session in April, when lawmakers return to Richmond to approve a final budget and address any remaining actions on bills sent to the governor.

This is the full list of agenda legislation that is headed to the Governor’s desk:

• HB2 (Del. Carr), SB72 (Sen. Srinivasan) — Reducing heating and energy costs for Virginians who need it most
• HB3 (Del. LeVere Bolling), SB5 (Sen. Locke) — Establishing a Virginia Weatherization Task Force to improve energy efficiency
• HB4 (Del. Bennett-Parker) — Empowering localities to preserve and protect the long-term availability of affordable housing
• HB15 (Del. Price), SB48 (Sen. Rouse) — Improving protections for Virginia renters
• HB220 (Del. Hope), SB630 (Sen. Carroll Foy) — Eliminating additional fees on healthcare premiums
• HB395 (Del. Krizek), SB250 (Sen. Surovell) — Facilitate the adoption of portable small solar systems to lower energy costs
• HB434 (Del. LeVere Bolling), SB621 (Sen. Srinivasan) — Optimizing grid utilization to get more out of the current distribution system
• HB527 (Del. McClure) SB628 (Sen. Locke) — Keeping Virginians in their homes by expanding the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program pilot program
• HB736 (Del. Maldonado) — Preventing costly delays in care by limiting prior authorizations
• HB815 (Del. Downey), SB405 (Sen. Lucas) — Increasing access to quality, affordable care by investing in the healthcare workforce
• HB820 (Del. Helmer), SB490 (Sen. VanValkenburg) — Creating a revolving loan fund for the production of mixed-income housing development
• HB830 (Del. Callsen), SB669 (Sen. Rouse) — Stopping predatory middlemen from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs
• HB867 (Del. Cousins), SB74 (Sen. McPike) — Giving every community the opportunity to adopt an affordable housing program
• HB892 (Del. Shin) — Improving forecasting of power usage to avoid overestimates that cause higher prices
• HB895 (Del. Sullivan), SB448 (Sen. Bagby) — Increasing the deployment of energy storage to lower peak prices for ratepayers
• HB1227 (Del. Thomas), SB729 (Sen. Jones) — Leveraging the Commonwealth’s bonding authority to support affordable housing