Annually on July 1, new laws go into effect from the preceding legislative session. These new Virginia laws range from every possible topic and issue imaginable. To easily review these laws, the Division of Legislative Services provides an updated version of their publication In Due Course with each new law categorized in one place.

We’re pleased that several of our bills have been signed and have gone into effect as well. Specifically, SB483 which ensures indoor vertical farm operations are treated the same as equipment used in traditional farm operations. Emerging industries like Plenty in Chesterfield and Beanstalk Farms in Manassas now benefit from this legislation and allow for a significant expansion of their investment in this cutting-edge industry. A few others we were pleased to see pass include:

March 9th marked the official end of the 60-day 2024 General Assembly Session. As I reflect on this date—marking “sine die” (pronounced sigh-knee dye), and March generally when I formally launched my campaign for Senate a year ago—I was struck with sincere gratitude for the opportunity to once again fight for policies that will uplift the communities I represent.

We began the 2024 General Assembly session with legislators introducing 2,816 bills and resolutions. Moving at a rapid pace, committees have been meeting to deliberate these introduced policies, sometimes altering their initial concepts before advancing in the legislative process or sending the patron to continue their work in the interim for next session. February 13, was the deadline for the House and Senate to complete action on those bills in each respective body. Known as “crossover” only 1,341 bills survived and remained for us to act on over the next three weeks.

In just under one week we will begin a new era of leadership in our Commonwealth as the General Assembly Session officially convenes on January 10, 2024. I could not be prouder to be part of this historical period in Virginia—being part of the largest incoming class in decades as the representative for Senate District 13. With 18 new Senators and 34 new members of the House of Delegates, we not only have representation that reflects the rich diversity of our Commonwealth but an opportunity to bring forward meaningful change long desired by our communities.