eNews – February 17, 2026
Costly collective bargaining bill heads to the Senate, Photo speed enforcement bills improved, Budget Sunday is this weekend...and more!
Tuesday, February 17, 2026/Categories: eNews
This edition of eNews is sponsored by PMA Architecture, committed to planning, creating and preserving places that enhance our perception and understanding of the natural and built environment...Learn more >
VML’s 2026 General Assembly resources can be found on our website here >.
In this issue:
Budget
Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee
Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
Senate Courts of Justice Committee
Senate Education and Health Committee
Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee
Senate General Laws Committee
Senate Privileges and Elections Committee
Senate Transportation Committee
House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee
House Courts of Justice Committee
House Labor and Commerce Committee
House Public Safety Committee
VML News
Opportunities
Budget
It’s time! A few things to remember as the House and Senate unveil their budgets this weekend
Every year at this time, we’re reminded of how opaque and arcane the Commonwealth’s budget process is.
After making the case for our budget amendments over the last few weeks (along with everyone else around Capitol Square), the members and staff of the money committees cloister behind closed doors on the 12th and 13th floors to piece together the puzzle that will eventually become the House and Senate budgets. Only when the metaphorical white smoke billows this coming Sunday will we know what lies in store.
First, let’s revisit what we can expect this Sunday and the remaining days of the 2026 Session when it comes to the budget. The House and Senate are on the verge of agreeing to changes to the caboose bill, weeks ahead of recent precedent. That bill, HB29 (Torian), appropriates funds for the current 2024-26 biennium and is likely headed to Governor Spanberger later this week. Given the urgency with which the General Assembly has sent HB29 to the governor, she’s expected to quickly sign it into law.
Fast forward to this Sunday, February 22, 2026, when the House Appropriations (HAC) and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees (SFAC) will roll out their modifications to the introduced budget. At the committee meetings held that day, each of the respective chairs will describe their subcommittee’s proposed changes to the Governor’s budget. The Subcommittee Reports will include a short narrative document highlighting changes included in the budget, for example, K-12 education or Health and Human Resources. Appended to the narrative document will be a spreadsheet that itemizes each budget amendment. Some of the actual amendments may be attached to the Subcommittee Report, depending upon the amount of time that staff have had to translate decisions into budget amendments.
Each of the committees will provide additional information to explain what is included in their respective budgets. For example, HAC staff will provide an overview of the subcommittee’s amendments after the narrative report is given by the chair of the subcommittee. In the SFAC, a summary of the items included in the Senate’s budget will be made available.
While these supporting documents will be helpful, what’s provided likely will be incomplete. Only when all the committee’s budget amendments are made public, likely around noon on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, will we know exactly what the House and Senate contemplate in their budgets.
As when Governor Youngkin released his budget in December, the House and Senate reports are likely to raise the spotlight on the goodies they’ve included in their amendments and gloss over the proposals they had to discard to balance their budget.
When they become available, the budget amendments should be posted here >. They will be categorized as Committee Approved under the Budget Amendments tab once they are publicly released.
Later next week, after VML staff have had ample time to review the House and Senate budget amendments, we’ll provide an update on those items of importance to local governments. Until then, we’ll continue to push our priorities and hope for good news this Sunday!
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee
House PFAS bill arrives in the Senate; improvements are hopefully in the works
HB1443 (Lopez) Owners of sewage treatment works; land application, marketing, or distributing of sewage sludge; perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; testing requirements. Establishes limits on PFAS and PFOA in sewage sludge eligible for land application for agricultural purposes. HB1443 includes amendments that include operational considerations from municipal wastewater operators. This bill passed the House and will next be heard in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.
The companion Senate bill, SB386 (Stuart), passed the Senate and will next be heard in the Chesapeake Subcommittee of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.
Note: A possible compromise was announced on the floor of the Senate for SB386 and HB1443, however language has not been posted. VML will keep members appraised developments as they are available.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
Costly collective bargaining bill being considered by full Senate; Also, public hearings for real estate conveyances and local government lobbying bill updates
SB378 (Surovell) Collective bargaining by public employees; individual home care providers; Virginia Home Care Authority established; Public Employee Relations Board established; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The fiscal impact is shown to reach hundreds of millions of dollars. The bill was reported by the Finance and Appropriations Committee, and is on the Senate floor for debate. VML opposes the bill as a costly impact on many localities.
SB334 (Roem) Conveyances of interests in real property; public hearing required. This bill requires that a public hearing be held whenever a locality is planning to sell land or convey a permanent easement or right-of-way for 1. major transmission lines over 69 kilovolts, 2. data center power lines over 69 kilovolts, and 3. power lines over 69 kilovolts for any commercial or industrial facility. The bill prescribes that the advertising and hearing be done in accordance with the rules for land use actions (two ads). The Senator worked with VML and others to improve it. It is now being considered on the Senate floor.
SB50 (Rouse) Lobbying; registration; local governments; penalty. Expands the definition of "lobbying" to include influencing or attempting to influence local government. The Senate approved the bill. It will be heard by the House General Laws Committee.
VML Contact: Mark Flynn, markkflynn@gmail.com
Senate Courts of Justice Committee
Vested rights for landowners bill now on Senate floor
SB504 (Deeds) Vested rights; rulings or orders of the local circuit court. This bill redefines vested rights in certain situations by adding a rule that a court order concerning the rezoning of more than 25 parcels would affect the rights of a landowner, the landowner’s rights remain vested, so long as it is pursuing a project in a manner that otherwise establishes that the owner’s rights are vested. The bill is on the Senate floor.
VML Contact: Mark Flynn, markkflynn@gmail.com
Senate Education and Health Committee
At-Risk Program bill passes House, heads to Senate
HB92 (Rasoul) Equity in public school funding and staffing; special education students; at-risk students; English language learner students. As substituted, creates and codify the At-Risk Program to support students that are educationally at risk as well as creates an add-on for special education students.
This bill passed the House 94 to 3 and will likely be referred to Senate Education and Health
VML Contacts: Josette Bulova, jbulova@vml.org; Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee
Cannabis retail sales bills pass full Senate, head to House
SB542 (Aird) Cannabis control; retail market; penalties. The Senate of Virginia approved legislation to establish a statewide cannabis retail market. Notably, this legislation authorizes a locality to levy a 3% local tax on cannabis retail sales, includes local zoning and land use authority, authorizes localities to regulate the hours of operation of a cannabis retailer or decrease the minimum distance between cannabis retailers and prohibit the use of cannabis products in public.
The bill establishes a 14% state tax on retail sales and limits potency of edible products to 10mg of THC per serving and a maximum of 100mg per package and further limits the sale of cannabis products to 2.5 ounces per transaction. The legislation establishes a process for the issuance of various cannabis cultivation, processing, distribution and retail licenses with cannabis retails sales set to begin on January 1, 2027. Cannabis retailers are limited 150 licenses statewide until 2028.
SB543 (Aird) Marijuana and hemp products; enforcement. Authorizes a locality to revoke the business license for any business that repeatedly violates the Cannabis Control Act. Establishes criteria for the revocation of state licenses and authorizes civil penalties for businesses that violate the Cannabis Control Act.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Senate General Laws Committee
Legislation requiring .gov addresses for public bodies still in play
HB707 (Hayes) State government; transaction of public business; prohibited website domains would require any public body as defined in the bill to obtain and maintain a .gov domain as an official website and email address.
This bill passed the House 54 to 43 and will likely be assigned to Senate General Laws.
VML Contacts: Josette Bulova, jbulova@vml.org; Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Senate Privileges and Elections Committee
Coming soon to the Senate: Dual office holding, ranked choice voting, and impersonating an elected official bills
HB505 (McAuliff) Counties, cities, and towns; dual office holding; members of governing body not to hold certain employment. As substituted, HB505 now states that any member of a governing body in a locality that was employed by a governmental agency in that locality, has a continued personal interest for two years. With a personal interest, the member of the governing body, which was a former employee, cannot vote on any matters that may benefit their former employment agency. This codifies for former employees what is already in statute for current employees.
This bill passed the House 63 to 34 and will likely be referred to Senate Privileges and Elections
HB630 (Callsen) Elections; conduct of election; ranked choice voting; locally elected offices; report would expand the ability to conduct elections using ranked-choice voting methods to all governing bodies which now include towns. This bill maintains ranked-choice voting as a permissive choice.
This bill passed the House 63 to 34 and will likely be referred to Senate Privileges and Elections
HB1150 (Hodges) Impersonating any local, town, city, or county elected official; penalty would prohibit any person from falsely assuming or exercising the functions, powers, and duties of any local town, city, or county elected official. Willfully impersonating any local elected official is now a Class 1 Misdemeanor.
This bill passed the House 97 to 0 and will likely be referred to Senate Privileges and Elections
VML Contacts: Josette Bulova, jbulova@vml.org; Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Senate Transportation Committee
Photo speed enforcement bills amended to no longer threaten local sovereign immunity
HB994 (Seibold), HB1220 (Delaney), and HB1330 (Seibold) were amended on the House Floor on Monday to eliminate language that jeopardized local sovereign immunity protections.
- HB994 expands where photo enforcement devices can be used
- HB1220 adds new requirements for signage, calibration, warning periods, universal summons, and other requirements for the operation of a photo speed enforcement program.
- HB1330 authorizes a locality to use photo pedestrian and stop violation enforcement to the existing statute on photo speed enforcement.
These bills passed the House of Delegates and will be heard next in the Senate Committee on Transportation.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee
Senate PFAS bill arrives in the House; improvements are hopefully in the works
SB386 (Stuart) Owners of sewage treatment works; land application, marketing, or distribution of sewage sludge; perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; testing requirements. Establishes limits on PFAS and PFOA in sewage sludge eligible for land application for agricultural purposes. This bill proposes limits on PFAS and PFOA in sewage sludge that are too restrictive and will have the effect of prohibiting the use of sewage sludge for land application and require municipal wastewater operators to either landfill or incinerate sewage sludge in perpetuity necessitating the construction of capital-intensive incinerators and landfills.
This bill passed the Senate on Tuesday and will next be heard in the Chesapeake Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.
The companion House bill, HB1443 (Lopez), passed the House and will next be heard in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.
Note: A possible compromise was announced on the floor of the Senate for SB386 and HB1443, however language has not been posted. VML will keep members appraised developments as they are available.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
House Courts of Justice Committee
Law-enforcement duty to render aid bill headed to the Senate
HB273 (Helmer) Law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb; civil immunity. Provides that a law-enforcement officer, while engaged in the performance of his duties, has a duty to render aid to any person that he observes suffering from a serious bodily injury or life-threatening condition as circumstances objectively permit. The bill provides immunity for such officers from civil liability for any acts or omissions that are not due to gross negligence or willful misconduct resulting from the rendering of such aid. The House passed the bill and it will now be considered by the Senate Courts Committee.
VML Contact: Mark Flynn, markkflynn@gmail.com
House Labor and Commerce Committee
Prevailing wage for public contracts bill improved
HB569 (Feggans) Prevailing wage rate for public works contracts; localities. The introduced version of the bill required all contractors doing work for a city, town, or county to pay the prevailing wage rate, consistent with the federal Davis-Bacon Act. In the House Appropriations Committee, the patron agreed to remove local governments from the mandatory payment of prevailing wages. Localities may participate but are not required to do so.
VML Contact: Mark Flynn, markkflynn@gmail.com
House Public Safety Committee
Firearm Give-Back Program bill headed to Senate
HB702 (Cole) Virginia Firearm Give-Back Program and Fund established. This bill requires all local law enforcement agencies to adopt a gun buy-back program, with exceptions for weapons that are evidence in a criminal prosecution. This was asked for by the City of Fredericksburg. The bill passed in the House and will be heard next in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
VML Contact: Mark Flynn, markkflynn@gmail.com
VML News
Coalition of Loudoun Towns (COLT) publishes letter opposing zoning legislation
COLT has published a letter to Senator Russett Perry asking him to oppose legislation that would interfere with a local government’s authority to develop, pass, and enforce local zoning ordinances. The specific bills for the 2026 session identified in the letter are HB804, SB488 , HB816, SB454, and SB531.
View/Download the letter here >.
VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Pre-Conference afternoon of programming being added to Small Towns Conference happening in May
The Small Towns Conference provides an overview of topics related to local government management specifically geared towards small town issues. This conference invites elected officials, including council members and mayors, town managers, and leadership staff to learn, network, and share resources and ideas.
This year the Small Towns Conference will be held May 14-15 at the Chincoteague Center.
Make plans to arrive early, as we are planning a special afternoon of land use sessions for May 13. Details are coming together and will be posted soon!
Additional lodging options, information, and agendas will be posted to VML’s website here as they become available.
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
“If I Were Mayor” essay contest open to 7th and 8th graders
Deadline to submit entries is March 23
The Virginia Municipal League (VML) invites all eligible Virginia 7th and 8th Graders to join its “If I were Mayor” essay contest.
Regional winners selected from around the state will each receive a $150 gift card and a plaque. One statewide winner chosen from the regional winners will receive a $250 gift card and a plaque. The runner-up from the region that receives the statewide award will become that region’s winner.
Winning essays will be featured in the May/June issue of VML’s magazine Virginia Town & City.
Learn more about the contest and how to submit entries here >.
VML Contact: Manuel Timbreza, mtimbreza@vml.org
Opportunities
Complete the 2025 Local Residential Construction Fees Survey
The link to the 2025 Local Residential Construction Fees Survey is live and available here: 2025 Local Residential Construction Fees Survey.
Section 15.2-2209.3 of the Code of Virginia requires localities with populations greater than 3,500 to provide information on fees for processing, reviewing, and permitting of applications for residential land development and construction activities, including fees connected to individual residential developments for the 2025 calendar year (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025).
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Commission on Local Government (CLG) are asking the chief administrative officers or designee in each affected county, city, and town to provide essential information about the fee collection policies in the locality. The 2025 survey remains largely unchanged from the 2024 survey. Definitions and additional points of clarification have been added to assist with the completion of the survey. Submitted survey responses will be made available to the public on the DHCD website. The deadline for completing the survey is March 1, 2026.
Please contact DHCD as soon as possible if your locality anticipates difficulties with complying with the March 1 deadline.
DHCD Contact: Joseph Dennie, joseph.dennie@dhcd.virginia.gov
Register for Virginia Housing's Community Impact Sessions
Virginia Housing is back on the road for another Community Impact Session series in 2026!
In February and March, Virginia Housing will offer six opportunities to join an in-person overview of Virginia Housing’s programs and how they support communities in developing affordable and workforce housing.
These sessions will feature presentations from Virginia Housing staff and other partners, along with a chance for you to offer feedback and input about your needs and the challenges your region faces.
Registration is required to attend, and capacity is limited. Dates, locations and registration links for each Community Impact Session are as follows:
- Feb. 24 - Kilmarnock, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- Feb. 25 - Chesapeake, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- Feb. 26 - Warrenton, 1 - 3 p.m. (Register here)
- March 3 - Lexington, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- March 4 - St. Paul, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- March 5 - South Boston, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
Those interested in receiving regular updates from Virginia Housing can sign up for the Strategic Housing Newsletter for updates and announcements.
Virginia Housing Contact: Luke Tate, Luke.Tate@VirginiaHousing.com
Deadline to apply for National Civic League’s Virginia 2026 All-America City Award extended to March 4
To help accommodate the many competing priorities communities are navigating, the National Civic League (NCL) has extended the application deadline for the 2026 All-America City Award to March 5, 2026. This additional time is intended to give communities more flexibility to refine their applications and fully tell their civic story.
Open Office Hours
To further support applicants, the program is hosting three informal open office hours to answer questions about the application process. These sessions are designed to be flexible; participants are welcome to join for a few minutes or stay for the full hour and may attend one or all sessions.
Office Hours Schedule:
- February 13 at 1:00 PM ET
- February 20 at 1:00 PM ET
Register here: AAC Open Office Hours
If none of these times work for you, applicants are encouraged to email Rebecca Trout to schedule a one-on-one conversation.
These opportunities are intended to help communities feel confident, prepared, and supported as they complete their applications.
About the All-America City Award:
The theme for 2026 is “America at 250: Strengthening Civic Health and Building Trust.” NCL is seeking communities that are bringing our founding ideals to life by ensuring that people have the power and opportunity to shape their collective future.
Apply here >.
VML Executive Director Michelle Gowdy, who was recently appointed to the NCL board, encourages all VML member localities to apply to join the 21 communities from Virginia that have previously won the All-America City Award!
You can view the full list of past recipients here.
NCL Contact: Rebecca Trout, rebeccat@ncl.org
Register for Virginia Housing's Community Impact Sessions
Virginia Housing is back on the road for another Community Impact Session series in 2026!
In February and March, Virginia Housing will offer six opportunities to join an in-person overview of Virginia Housing’s programs and how they support communities in developing affordable and workforce housing.
These sessions will feature presentations from Virginia Housing staff and other partners, along with a chance for you to offer feedback and input about your needs and the challenges your region faces.
Registration is required to attend, and capacity is limited. Dates, locations and registration links for each Community Impact Session are as follows:
- Feb. 24 - Kilmarnock, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- Feb. 25 - Chesapeake, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- Feb. 26 - Warrenton, 1 - 3 p.m. (Register here)
- March 3 - Lexington, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- March 4 - St. Paul, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
- March 5 - South Boston, 10 a.m. - noon (Register here)
Those interested in receiving regular updates from Virginia Housing can sign up for the Strategic Housing Newsletter for updates and announcements.
Virginia Housing Contact: Luke Tate, Luke.Tate@VirginiaHousing.com
Grant funding opportunity: 2026 AARP Community Challenge Grants – Apply by March 4
Are you working on a project to make your community more livable for residents of all ages? AARP is now accepting applications for the 2026 Community Challenge grant program, and they encourage your organization to apply.
Since 2017, this program has funded over 2,100 "quick-action" projects across the country that spark long-term change. Whether you are looking to improve public spaces, increase housing options, or boost digital literacy, there is likely a funding opportunity for you.
Grant opportunities for 2026
AARP is offering three distinct grant tiers to support different project scales:
- Flagship Grants: Typical awards range from a few hundred dollars to $15,000 for projects involving public spaces, transportation, housing, or disaster resilience.
- Capacity-Building Microgrants: $2,500 grants that include technical coaching and resources for Walk/Bike Audits, home modifications (HomeFit®), or disaster training.
- Demonstration Grants: Awards up to $25,000 for replicable projects focused on pedestrian safety, high-speed internet access, or housing design.
Key deadlines & dates
- Public Q&A Webinar: January 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET (Register Here)
- Application Deadline: March 4, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. ET
- Project Completion: All projects must be finished by December 15, 2026.
Who should apply?
The program is open to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) nonprofits, as well as government entities. Projects should deliver tangible improvements that benefit residents—especially those age 50 and older—in areas like walkability, affordable and accessible housing and transportation, and community engagement.
How to apply & additional information
Applications must be submitted through the online portal. You can find the full application requirements, scoring criteria, and sample applications at the link below:
www.aarp.org/communitychallenge
Contact: Timothy Bothe, 804-344-3042, tbothe@aarp.org