The 2026 General Assembly convened on January 14 and began hearing legislation shortly after completing the traditional first-day organizational business. Newly elected legislators took their seats, and both the House and the Senate adopted a procedural resolution setting out a schedule for the conduct of business this session (please see this article for key dates) and announced updated committee assignments.
The General Assembly moved swiftly to consider four Constitutional amendments that had previously passed in 2025. The House Privileges and Elections Committee reported the House version of the amendments, which were subsequently passed by the full House; the Senate acted similarly on its version of the amendments, and it is expected that both chambers will complete work on the amendments by the end of the week. These amendments address reproductive rights, restoration of voting rights for individuals convicted of felonies, marriage, and temporary provisions for mid-decade redistricting. It is anticipated that the redistricting amendment could be placed before voters in April.
In the evening, Governor Youngkin delivered his final State of the Commonwealth address to a joint assembly of the legislature. In his remarks, the Governor expressed gratitude to the legislature, members of the Cabinet and the Administration, and fellow Virginians. He touted successes from his tenure, including economic development gains and investments in teacher compensation, public safety, substance use disorder prevention and treatment, behavioral health, child care, maternal health, and water quality. He exhorted legislators to maintain pro-business policies, cautioning against making changes to Virginia’s right-to-work laws and encouraging policymakers to ensure reliable, affordable energy supplies.
Bills continue to be filed in advance of the January 23 bill filing deadline, with more than 1600 bills submitted as of this morning, and committees are beginning to hold initial meetings to receive briefings and to begin hearing legislation. Budget amendments are due tomorrow. Governor-Elect Spanberger, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Hashmi, and Attorney General-Elect Jones will take office on Saturday.
VACo Contact: Katie Boyle