Governor-Elect Spanberger, General Assembly Leaders Announce Key Legislative Priorities to Lower Costs for Virginia Families

Governor-Elect Spanberger: “My Overarching, Unrelenting Focus in 2026 Will Be Making the Commonwealth More Affordable for Our Fellow Virginians”

The ‘Affordable Virginia Agenda’ Includes More Than 15 Bills Focused on Saving Virginians Money

RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today joined Virginia House and Senate Democratic leaders at the General Assembly Building in Richmond to announce their joint ‘Affordable Virginia Agenda’ — key legislative priorities focused on lowering housing, healthcare, and energy costs for Virginians across the Commonwealth.

During her remarks at the event, Spanberger previewed these legislative priorities ahead of the upcoming General Assembly session — and highlighted her continued commitment to making life more affordable for every family in Virginia. Additionally, House and Senate leaders stressed how they will work with the incoming Spanberger Administration to deliver progress on these items.

“As the next Governor of Virginia, my overarching, unrelenting focus in 2026 will be making the Commonwealth more affordable for our fellow Virginians,” said Governor-elect Spanberger. “Today, I’m proud to unveil the beginning, the first step, of these efforts — our agenda to build a more affordable Virginia.”

“Last month, Virginians made it clear. They want their leaders in Richmond to come together, unite for Virginia’s future, and lower costs for Virginia families,” Spanberger continued, “Our mandate is to get things done. Not to grandstand, not to gloat, but to come together for a stronger, safer, and — importantly — a more affordable Virginia. Today, I know that our House and Senate leaders are ready to act on this mandate.”

“Virginians sent us here to lower costs and deliver results. Working alongside Governor-elect Spanberger, we’re taking on the bills families feel every month — healthcare, housing, and energy,” said Speaker Don Scott. “This agenda is about putting more money back in the pockets of working Virginians and making the Commonwealth a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.”

“Lowering costs for families will be front and center of Senate Democrats’ work come January,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. “Our caucus is ready to hit the ground running together with Governor-elect Spanberger to pass this agenda that provides relief for Virginians who are feeling squeezed at the pharmacy counter, by their utility bills, and on the housing market.”

“The cost of living in Virginia is becoming unsustainable for too many families. From soaring rent to rising grocery prices, folks are being priced out of the communities they call home,” said Senator L. Louise Lucas. “I’m ready to work alongside the Spanberger Administration to make sure affordability is at the center of our agenda.”

“We need common sense answers to the real issues of affordability that face the families of the Commonwealth,” said House Majority Leader Charniele Herring. “Moving forward together, we can address the issues of today and prevent even larger ones in the future.”

“Too many Virginians are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of groceries, housing, and everyday essentials,” said VSDC Caucus Chair Mamie Locke. “Affordability must be a top priority; I’m committed to working with Governor-elect Spanberger to ensure every Virginian has a fair shot at a stable, affordable life.”

Read the first stage of Spanberger’s ‘Affordable Virginia Agenda’ below.

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HEALTHCARE: Lowering the cost of insurance premiums, doctors’ visits, and prescription drugs

Stop predatory middlemen from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs, 2026 bill proposal: Prevent pharmacy benefit managers from steering patients to their affiliated pharmacies, require drug rebates to be passed through to health plans or patients, ban misleading statements, prohibit predatory clawbacks and retroactive denials to pharmacies, and set standards to ensure independent and community pharmacies are fairly reimbursed.

Prevent costly delays in care by limiting prior authorizations, 2026 bill proposal: Efficient access to care prevents delays or extra appointments that could lead to higher costs from complications or having to pay out of pocket. Limit how often insurance companies can make patients get special approval before they can receive medicines for chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma.

Increase access to quality, affordable care by investing in the healthcare workforce, 2026 bill proposal: A strong healthcare workforce is critical to ensuring efficient and cost-effective access to care. Realign management of the health incentives programs from the Virginia Department of Health to the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority to ensure every Virginian can see a provider who meets their needs, whether it is a check-up or complex care.

Stabilize the ACA Marketplace with targeted premium assistance, 2026 bill proposal: Establish a pilot program to provide targeted premium assistance specifically for individuals most likely to drop from the Marketplace due to premium hikes resulting from federal inaction. Ensuring that critical populations retain coverage will help to moderate price impacts for all Virginians on the Marketplace.

Eliminate additional fees on premiums, HB1639 (Del. Hope, 2025): Keep healthcare affordable for Virginians who need it the most. Remove the sunset for existing law that bans extra insurance charges for tobacco users.

ENERGY: Reducing the cost of Virginians’ utility bills

Increase the deployment of energy storage to lower peak prices, HB2537 (Del. Sullivan, 2025), SB1394 (Sen. Bagby, 2025): Increasing the use of energy storage allows stored energy to be used during high-demand periods in place of expensive peak power, lowering costs for customers over time. Increase the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion are required to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure.

Reduce heating and energy costs for Virginians who need it the most, HB2 (Del. Sickles, 2026), (Sen. Srinivasan, 2026): Require electric utilities to expand programs that help low-income customers improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Establish a Virginia Weatherization Task Force to improve energy efficiency, HB3 (Del. LeVere Bolling, 2026), SB5 (Sen. Locke, 2026): Direct the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to establish the Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force to determine barriers to access and enrollment in the current energy efficiency programs for income-qualified energy customers and develop a plan to address improvements for utility services and resources.

Facilitate the adoption of portable small solar systems, Commission on Electric Utility Regulation recommendation: Easily installable systems make it easier for Virginia families — particularly in denser neighborhoods — to adopt solar, the cheapest form of energy. Define a new class of small solar systems (i.e. solar on apartment balconies) and exempt these systems from typical utility approval requirements.

Improve forecasting of power usage to avoid overestimates that cause higher prices, 2026 bill proposal: Accurate predictions reduce the risk that utilities may overestimate demand, which ultimately leads to higher costs. Ensure the State Corporation Commission has a process in place to review and validate the estimated power usage of all the utilities in Virginia.

Optimize grid utilization to get more out of the current distribution system and minimize the need for expensive new transmission, 2026 bill proposal: Establish a process for the State Corporation Commission to measure grid utilization and use those measurements when planning future investments.