Gov. Spanberger signs first large swath of bills since taking office

RICHMOND, Va. – On Tuesday, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed her first large group of bills into law since taking office.

Spanberger said the legislation signed on Tuesday was primarily aimed at making healthcare, housing and energy more affordable in Virginia.

“No Virginian should ever have to choose between seeing their doctor, paying their rent or mortgage, or keeping their lights on. I am signing this legislation to respond to the real, pressing concerns I have heard from Virginia families across the Commonwealth about high costs — particularly at the pharmacy counter, in the housing market, and on their utility bills. I’m grateful to the lawmakers who made addressing rising costs a priority during this legislative session.

We are holding pharmacy benefit managers accountable for hiking up drug costs, cutting red tape so more Virginians can find housing that fits their budget, and tackling the high energy costs Virginians are facing across the Commonwealth. Over the coming weeks, I look forward to taking further action to address rising healthcare, housing, and energy costs. As additional bills are sent to my desk, I will continue to sign them into law as we work to build a stronger, safer, and more affordable future for every Virginian.”

Gov. Abigail Spanberger

The following bills were signed and described by the Office of the Governor on Tuesday:

• SB669 - “Stopping predatory middlemen from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs.”
• SB405 - “Increasing access to quality, affordable care by investing in and growing Virginia’s healthcare workforce.”
• HB220 and SB630 - “Eliminating additional fees on healthcare premiums.”
• HB60 - “Protecting Virginians’ access to critical preventive healthcare.”
• HB1227 and SB729 - “Leveraging the Commonwealth’s bonding authority to support the development of new affordable housing.”
• SB628 - “Keeping Virginians in their homes by expanding the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program pilot program.”
• HB655 and SB346 - “Boosting housing supply by making it easier to build manufactured homes.”
• HB1191 and SB377 - “Permitting high energy use customers to invest in new energy infrastructure while protecting ratepayers from increased costs.”
• HB369 - “Encouraging investment in cutting-edge energy technology, like fusion and nuclear.”
• SB505 - “Evaluating how to best protect ratepayers from paying excessive costs due to market spikes in fuel costs.”
• HB562 - “Encouraging electric co-operatives to provide more reliable power for customers and help ease demand on the grid.”
• HB889 and SB497 - “Streamlining permitting of new high-voltage transmission infrastructure in existing utility and highway corridors.”
• HB1225 and SB407 - “Supporting the development of electric vehicle charging stations to expand access and reliability.”
• HB94 - “Expanding the exemption from annual vehicle registration fees for disabled Veterans.”
• HB1180 and SB591 - “Creating a free tax filing program for individuals to reduce the burden on working Virginians during tax season.”

You can find all legislation that has been signed by Spanberger here.