Virginia Crossover Day: Status of the Progressive Agenda

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Crossover Day: Status of the Progressive Agenda

Richmond, Virginia—February 13 is Crossover Day in the General Assembly. Here’s a recap of the status of several crucial bills, broken down by issue area and current posture.

“Our community has been very clear: we demand a safer, more progressive Commonwealth where everyone’s rights are protected, and working families have what they need to grow and thrive,” said LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director of Progress VA. “People in our community sent these legislators to Richmond to get things done, and as we move into crossover, we have a lot to celebrate. As bills move through their last hurdles before ending up on the Governor’s desk, we will turn our attention to Governor Glenn Youngkin. His job is to serve all of the people of Virginia, not just his wealthy donors, and we are going to work hard to make sure that he signs these important bills into law.”

Reproductive Rights

Passed:

• SB238: ensures insurance companies are required to pay for birth control
• SB237: establishes a proactive  right to obtain contraception
• HB78: prevents the Commonwealth from using its warrant powers to access people’s personal data from menstrual tracking apps

Failed or Tabled: 

• HR5: an anti-abortion resolution designed to shame people who have abortions (tabled)
• HB664: an anti-abortion bill that stokes fear and spreads misinformation about  abortion
• HB1364: a total abortion ban with very narrow exceptions (passed by indefinitely)
• HB8: would have allowed health care providers & facilities to opt out of providing any medical care they disagreed with, including abortion care

Pending or Continued: 

• SB278: a bill to ensure that everyone can access abortion care provided regardless of gender identity (continued to 2025)
• SJ1 & HJ1: a constitutional amendment establishing a fundamental right to reproductive freedom (continued to 2025)

Healthcare

Passed: 

• SB231: Cover All Kids, a bill to expand Medicaid coverage to all eligible kids in the Commonwealth regardless of immigration status (a companion bill, HB902, was tabled in the house)
• HB935: allows doula care to be covered by medical insurance

Failed or Tabled:

• HB970: House companion to SB231/Cover All Kids (tabled)
• HB560: would have required infertility treatment to be covered by insurance (tabled)

Labor & The Economy

Passed:

• SB1: raises the minimum wage to $13.50 effective starting January 1st, 2025, and again to $15 effective the following year
• HB1: House companion to SB1, which raises the minimum wage
• SB373: establishes a fund for statewide paid family and medical leave (a House companion, HB737, was left in Appropriations.)
• HB157: allows farmworkers to be covered by minimum wage protections for the first time

Failed or Tabled:

• SB374: supported collective bargaining by public employees (left in Appropriations)

Pending or Continued: 

• SB183, would allow taxpayers to take a 20% refundable earned income tax credit, helping low income families keep more money in their pockets (continued to 2025)

• HB348: establishes paid sick leave for home health care workers (continued to 2025)
• HB865: Fair Share Tax: establishes a new tax bracket for millionaires (continued to 2025)

Environmental Justice

Passed:

• SB480 would keep utility companies from disconnecting services during extreme temperatures, during a state of emergency, and on days when the next day is a state holiday. This bill passed the Senate 40-0.

Failed or Tabled:

•  HB28: establishes a moratorium on fossil fuels by state agencies (tabled)

Pending or Continued: 

• SB233 would allow religious organizations to aid in the affordable housing crisis by permitting them to construct affordable housing on real estate they owned (continued to 2025)

Equality

Passed:

• SB101: says marriage is legal regardless of the sex of the parties, and bans officials from refusing a marriage license to same-sex couples.
• HB174https://progressva.actionkit.com/go/49048?t=30&akid=27393%2E1836%2Em9_APs: House companion to SB101

Failed or Tabled:

• HB670:  would have forced teachers and guidance counselors to out trans kids and put them in potentially unsafe situations (passed by indefinitely)
• SB723: would have banned trans athletes from participation in sports (passed by indefinitely)

Pending or Continued: 

• SJ11: a constitutional amendment to repeal the provision defining marriage as between one man and one woman; establishes an affirmative right to marry regardless of race, sex or gender (continued to 2025)
• HJ9: House companion of SJ11 (continued to 2025)

Education

Passed:

• SB104: aims to give teachers a much-needed pay raise, requiring them to be paid at or above the national average
• HB1221: ensures  menstrual health education in health classes

Pending or Continued: 

• HB500: reworks K-12 SOLs and allows them to be given in languages other than English for English language learners (continued to 2025)

Gun Violence Prevention

Passed:

• SB2 bans assault weapons and weapons of war from being sold or possessed in the Commonwealth
• HB2: House companion for SB2
• HB173: prohibits “ghost guns” that can evade metal detectors and lack serial numbers
• HB454: prevents carrying firearms near or on Capitol Square
• HB585: prevents carrying, selling, and buying firearms near schools
• HB498: establishes a notification system to remind parents to safely store their firearms in the household

Failed or Tabled:

• HB1030: would have permitted unlicensed carrying of firearms (tabled)
• HB1230: would have allowed school board members to carry a firearm on school grounds (passed by indefinitely)

Voting Rights

Failed or Tabled:

• HB1176: would have rolled back the early voting period and established onerous voter ID provisions (tabled)
• HB932 and HB44: would have rolled back the early voting period (tabled)
• HB393: would have established further barriers to voting and rolled back several critical election reforms (tabled)
• SB42: would have rolled back the early voting period (passed by indefinitely)
• SB81: would have restricted types of voter IDs, making it more difficult for  people in marginalized communities to vote (passed by indefinitely)
• SB45, a bill requiring photo identification to vote, which would disproportionately impact older and low-income voters (incorporated into SB81 then passed by indefinitely)

Pending or Continued:

• SJ2: constitutional amendment to establish a fundamental right to vote, including for returning citizens (continued to 2025)
• HJ2: House companion  for SJ2 (continued to 2025)
• HB941: establishes absentee voting in person by incorporating voter satellite offices (continued to 2025)