Obenshain: New laws in Virginia that take effect July 1

With the approach of July, I wanted to provide you with an update on new laws that are taking effect as well as an update on the Commonwealth’s budget.

Every year, the General Assembly passes bills during Session which starts in early January and goes for either 45 days or 60 days depending on if it’s a budget year or not. If bills pass the legislature, they go to the Governor and if he signs them into law, most will go into effect on July 1 of that year.

Additionally, every two years (on even-numbered years), the General Assembly passes the Commonwealth’s two-year budget which is then amended or signed by the Governor. Governor Youngkin recently sent back a short list of amendments on which the General Assembly then voted and on Wednesday, he signed the budget for the next two years.

Below is a list of some of the most notable and important items that will go into effect as well as items that would have been good for Virginians but were not passed this year.

• The budget included $4.2 billion in tax relief in the form of one-time tax rebates, a reduction in the grocery tax, tax relief for veterans, and an increase in the standard deduction.

• $730 million was included for over two years for salary raises for teachers.

• Law enforcement officers are receiving $113 million in overdue salary increases.

• $45M in additional funds to support placing an SRO in schools that do not currently have one.

• The grocery tax was partially repealed. Despite pledging their support for its full repeal for years, the Democrats balked and would agree only to reduce it from 2.5 cents to 1 cent.

• Although my bill to expand the ability to open charter schools failed, the House and Senate passed a bill to allow for lab schools to be started in conjunction with colleges and universities across the Commonwealth.

• Language was included in the budget to create a criminal charge for possession of over 4 ounces of marijuana.

• The House and Senate passed legislation that would make the votes of the Virginia Parole Board subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

• A bill requiring school principals to report to law enforcement and parents criminal offenses passed the House and Senate and was signed into law.

• On March 1, Youngkin signed an order that ended school mask mandates statewide. You can read more about it here.

• A bill requiring parental notification about sexually explicit material in schools passed the General Assembly.

• Senate Democrats defeated a bill that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks and a bill that would have required consent before an abortion.

• Senate Democrats defeated a number of bills that would have rolled back gun control efforts passed in past years by progressives. I outlined them in my update here.

• Democrats voted in a block to reject Governor Youngkin’s proposed three-month gas tax holiday.

• My bill that would have reinstated Virginia’s photo ID requirement in order to vote was defeated in the Senate.

If you have any questions about laws that are going to be taking effect in July or any bills that did not make it out of the General Assembly this year, don’t hesitate to email me at mark@markobenshain.com.

Mark Obenshain