The 2024 General Assembly session adjourned sine die (a Latin term that signals the adjournment of session) on Saturday, March 9. Several good bills on reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and criminal legal reform passed the Virginia legislature and are now on the Governor’s desk, pending executive action by April 8.

Know your legislative process:  

When bills pass out of the General Assembly with more than seven days remaining in session, the Governor has seven days from the date the bills are officially sent to his desk in which to act on them.  

When bills pass out of the General Assembly with fewer than seven days remaining in session, the Governor has 30 days from the date of adjournment in which to take action on them. This year, the legislature adjourned on March 9, which means the Governor has until April 8 to act on any piece of legislation that reaches his desk. 

The Governor can sign, veto, or amend the bill. If the Governor does not act on the bill, it will become law without his signature.   

After the Governor takes action, Virginia lawmakers will return to Richmond on April 17 for a Reconvene Session. The Virginia General Assembly will vote to accept or reject the Governor’s amendments to a bill; or to override the Governor’s veto. 

Unless otherwise specified in the legislation itself, bills that become law will go into effect on July 1, 2024. 

At a glance: 

Here are the seven-day bills we support upon which the Governor already acted : 

  • HB174: affirms the right to marriage (SIGNED) 
  • SB238: provides insurance coverage for contraception (AMENDED WITH RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION) 
  • SB35: requires unconscious bias and cultural competency training for healthcare providers and medical professionals (AMENDED TO NARROW SCOPE OF APPLICATION) 
  • SB235: clarifies that parental notification and opt-out policies cannot be used to censor books in public schools (VETOED) 
  • SB606: requires Virginia to re-establish membership in the interstate Electronic Registration Information Center (“ERIC”) (VETOED) 

For the  bills that are still on the Governor’s desk, click on each issue area below. 

 

Reproductive Freedom

Every person in Virginia should be able to decide if, and when to start a family—free from government interference.

burgundy background with abortion pills and a sign that says "so grateful for my safe abortion"

We’ll work to expand abortion access and promote reproductive freedom in Virginia, the last abortion access state in the South.  
 
Alongside the Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance and partners like Planned Parenthood of Virginia, we’re raising awareness about the need for a constitutional amendment that would guarantee reproductive freedom for every person in Virginia. Traditionally, constitutional amendments are introduced on odd number years preceding a House of Delegates election, such as 2025.  

The stakes for this one couldn’t be higher: Virginia is the last state in the South without a post-Dobbs restriction on abortion. Until the Commonwealth has an amendment enshrining it in our constitution, Virginians’ access to reproductive healthcare will depend on the whims of politicians. We’re deeply committed to working to make a constitutional amendment for reproductive freedom a reality in order to eventually put power back into Virginians’ hands on the 2026 ballot. 
 
In addition, we seek to strengthen protections for those accessing reproductive healthcare and providers.

We’re ready to defeat any bill that takes away a person’s right to decide what to do with their reproductive freedom. 

Bills we support on the Governor's desk: 

  • HB609/ SB237: establishes and protects the right to contraception 

  • SB15: prohibits extradition for providing certain reproductive health care services 

  • HB1539: prohibits extradition for providing certain reproductive health care services 

  • SB16/ HB78: protects menstrual health data from search warrants 

  • HB819: provides insurance coverage for contraception 

  • HB935/SB118: provides health insurance coverage for doula services 

Bills we oppose: 

  • HB1364, HB1184: seeks to ban abortion (DEAD)
  • HB8/SB153: allows medical providers to refuse to provide care based on religious objections (WITHDRAWN BY PATRON)
  • HB404: bans public funding for abortion (DEAD)

 

LGBTQ+ Rights

LGBTQ+ Virginians, especially trans & nonbinary youth, deserve to live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights. 

A banner reading "Protect trans kids"

We’ll continue to push for legislation and policy changes that make our Commonwealth a place where LGBTQ+ people can live freely as their authentic selves.  

Alongside our partners, we’re continuing our effort to repeal the outdated, regressive ban on same-sex marriage — a stain on our state constitution. Traditionally, constitutional amendments are introduced on odd number years preceding a House of Delegates election, such as 2025. We will continue to work to put a constitutional amendment for marriage equality on the 2026’s ballot for Virginians to decide. 
 
The Youngkin administration seems to be focused on violating the rights and even trying to erase the existence of LGBTQ+ people, especially young people. We defeated all anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the 2023 General Assembly session, and we will do so again this year. Legislation that will result in harm or discrimination against LGBTQ+ people has no place in Virginia. 

Bills we support on the Governor's desk: 

  • SB101: affirms the right to marriage 

  • HB224: requires school teachers and other personnel to take mental health awareness training that focuses on at-risk youth, including LGBTQ+ youth

  • HB536: clarifies and expands current anti-bullying law to include enumerated classifications, including sexual orientation and gender identity 

Bills we oppose: 

  • HB8/SB153: allows medical providers to refuse to provide care based on religious objections (WITHDRAWN BY PATRON)
  • SB37/HB670: allows the principal of a school or their designee to forcibly out LGBTQ+ students (DEAD) 
  • HB1229: bans trans students from playing on the sports team or use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity (DEAD)  
  • SB68: bans trans students from participating in sports (DEAD)
  • HB1120: bans trans students from participating in sports (DEAD)
  • SB671: bans gender-affirming care for trans people (DEAD) 
  • SJ49/HJ86: attempt to erase trans people from the law and public life by disavowing the diverse spectrum of gender identities. (DEAD) 

Criminal Legal Reform

Virginia locks up too many people for way too long. It’s time to address the root causes of crime and incarceration in Virginia.

Graphic of prison door open and two hands in each other to symbolize people coming home from prison

We will continue to push for criminal legal reform in Virginia & work to strengthen our communities by bringing people home.

We went back to the capitol again this year with our partners Sistas in Prison Reform, Nolef Turns, the Humanization Project, and FAMM and had a successful Lobby Day to advocate for Second Look legislation, which would let judges take a second look at people who have received long sentences. Many of those people have done the hard work to transform themselves, but they're stuck behind bars for years – or even decades – on taxpayers' tab. It’s time to change that.   
 
In addition, we continue to advocate for independent oversight of Virginia’s Department of Corrections, affordable prison communications, more humane prison conditions, and other initiatives that would protect the rights of people who are incarcerated, reunite families, and provide reconciliation and rehabilitation to Virginia. 
 
We stand ready to defend the progress we’ve made to expand earned sentence credits, end pretextual policing, and treat substance use disorder as a mental health issue rather than a crime.   

Bills we support on the Governor's desk: 

  • HB29 and HB30 (biennial budget bills): a provision within the proposed state budget would fully enacts the Expanded Earned Sentence Credits program, as passed in the 2020 Special Session. 

  • HB555/SB456: codifies independent oversight of VADOC 

  • HB45: provides that time served pretrial can be included in earned sentence credit calculation (VETOED)

  • HB801: provides prison communications at a reduced cost for families of incarcerated people 

  • HB161: protects incarcerated people from disciplinary action if they seek help for themselves or for someone else who is overdosing (VETOED)

  • HB159: restricts use of patrol canines in prisons and juvenile correctional facilities (SIGNED INTO LAW)

  • HB1114: exempts incarcerated people from “failure to appear” charges if they were in custody at the time they were required to appear in court 

  • HB457/SB80: permits people serving probation for certain offenses to earn credit toward reducing their supervision periods 

Bills we oppose: 

  • SB52, SB367, SB602: imposes extreme mandatory minimum sentences on people who use and share drugs if fentanyl is detected and death results (DEAD)
  • HB391: repeals recent reforms limiting certain police stops that are often used as pretexts for racial profiling (DEAD) 

First Amendment

Virginia students deserve the freedom to learn and Virginia educators deserve the freedom to teach.

Collage-style graphic of a classroom with blackboard, chairs, tables, dialogue bubbles, and a student wearing backpack with their back to the viewer.

We will bring the full weight of our efforts to advance legislation that protects the freedom to learn for Virginia’s young people. We’ll work hard to keep classrooms a free and open space for learning and growing. 
 
We will oppose any bills that further censor books or ban the teaching of accurate, inclusive history in our schools. 

Bills we oppose: 

  • HB1260: enables public school censorship (DEAD)
  • HB757: creates model policies to allow public school censorship (DEAD)
  • HB1206: expands definition of obscenity in school materials, another effort at classroom censorship (DEAD) 

Voting Rights

Voting is the building block of our democracy. Our communities are stronger when more people can participate.

graphic with hands dropping ballots into a box

We will work to advance voting rights and expand Virginians’ access to the ballot box, keeping Virginia among the top states for ease of voting.  
 
We have been advocating for a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to vote for every Virginian over the age of 18 for many years, and we have not lost sight of the critical need to end felony disenfranchisement in our state constitution. Traditionally, constitutional amendments are introduced on odd number years preceding a House of Delegates election, such as 2025. We will continue to work to put a Right to Vote constitutional amendment on the 2026’s ballot for Virginians to decide. 
 
We will be vigilant to defend the progress Virginia has made over the last three years to make voting easier and more accessible. 

Bills we support on the Governor's desk: 

  • HB1003: requires that notice of changes to precincts and polling places be mailed at least 30 days before election 

  • SB605/ HB441: makes more voters with disabilities eligible for assistance outside of polling places

  • SB428: allows any local or constitutional office to be conducted via ranked-choice voting  

  • HB26: expands accepted forms of voter identification  

  • SB300, HB904: improves Virginia’s voter roll maintenance and gives voters new due process protections against wrongful voter purges  

 

Bills we oppose: 

  • SB92: eliminates same-day voter registration (DEAD)
  • SB81, SB45: brings back restrictive voter photo ID requirements (DEAD)
  • SB42: shortens the window to vote absentee in-person (DEAD)
  • SB32: requires voter registrars to verify the Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for voter registration applicants and to annually verify SSNs for their voter rolls (DEAD)

Privacy and Surveillance

Going about our day-to-day activities shouldn't mean surrendering our privacy protections. 

Graphic with lady justice holding the scale to symbolize criminal legal reform

We are committed to protecting Virginians’ right to privacy, free from government and technological surveillance.  
 
We are working to strengthen protections against mass surveillance by Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), which includes greater oversight and transparency on data usage, distribution, and retention. 
 
We will be vigilant against efforts to infringe on the privacy of people in Virginia.

Bills we support: 

  • HB920/SB539: requires a search warrant for law-enforcement access to automated license plate reader (ALPR) data after 48 hours; authorizes use of ALPRs on state highway rights-of-way (DEAD) 

Bills we oppose:

  • HB 775: authorizes expansion of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) to state highway rights-of-way (CONTINUED TO 2025) 

  • SB 503: authorizes expansion of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) to state highway rights-of-way (DEAD) 

Related Issues

Related content