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Virginia’s reported $207 billion spending plan for the 2026–2028 biennium was finalized June 29 after the General Assembly adopted Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s fiscal amendments. A package of housing, employment, health care and education measures began taking effect July 1, although scheduled minimum-wage increases will come later.
Spanberger said the finalized budget invests more than $100 million in housing affordability, lower energy costs and household stability. The measures apply statewide, with direct relevance for residents of Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria.
Several provisions address eviction prevention. House Bill 15 and Senate Bill 48 increase the nonpayment notice period before a landlord may initiate eviction proceedings from five days to 14 days. House Bill 527 and Senate Bill 628 expand the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program into what the source describes as a permanent, data-driven eviction-prevention framework.
Senate Bill 4 and House Bill 867 address local housing-authority powers, building preservation and zoning options intended to expand the supply of affordable housing.
Employment measures include pay-transparency requirements and restrictions on salary-history inquiries during hiring under House Bill 636 and Senate Bill 215. Spanberger said the changes “will ensure that employees are offered the pay they deserve while promoting greater transparency in the application process.”
House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 retain a $12.77 hourly minimum-wage baseline and schedule increases to $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2027, and $15 on Jan. 1, 2028. Those increases are not part of the measures taking effect July 1, 2026.
House Bill 238 adds wage-theft protections, including criminal consequences for threatening to report a worker to immigration authorities or withholding earned wages. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry investigates wage claims for workers, according to the source.
In health care, House Bill 625 and Senate Bill 161 regulate pharmacy benefit managers, while House Bill 736 limits prior-authorization practices. The source says baseline benefits created by the health care measures apply automatically to people enrolled in commercial or employer-sponsored health plans, though the scope and exemptions require verification.
The budget also increases funding for local school divisions and English Learner initiatives. The source reports that Alexandria City Public Schools serves students from 118 countries, with approximately 37.5% to 38% of students requiring English Learner support.
The measures form a broad affordability agenda, but the precise enactment status and effective date of each cited bill, as well as the details of several provisions, still require confirmation against Virginia’s enacted statutory text.