New Virginia Laws

With Democrats controlling both the House of Delegates and the State Senate, and a Republican Governor, you’d be forgiven if you expected this year’s General Assembly session to be gridlocked. After all, here in Falls Church we live in the shadow of the Nation’s Capital and watching nothing happen in Congress is our unofficial spectator sport. 

While the partisan split did prevent us from making major progress on preventing gun violence, shoring up protections for reproductive freedom, and continuing to move Virginia up the chart of easy-to-vote states (we’re currently stuck at 11, though up from 49th), we did get a lot done in sharp contrast with our federal counterparts. 

Personally, this year’s legislative session was by far my most productive. At the end of our 46-day short session, the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) ranked me the most effective legislator in the General Assembly — with 14 of the 16 bills I introduced successfully passing both chambers. 

In 2024, I proudly held the record for the most vetoes by an individual Delegate. This year, only two of those bills were vetoed, with 12 becoming law on July 1. 

That change in outcome reflected a shift in approach. During the 2024 Session, I focused on drawing a contrast between the Governor’s vision for Virginia and the vision of a freer, fairer, more vibrant Commonwealth that lifts all families and unleashes our full potential. Having made that point, I decided to focus on bills that solve problems for constituents or at least move the ball forward on issues where everyone agreed something needed to be done, even if we disagreed on the details. 

Affordable Housing & Real Estate 

As a real estate attorney and Chairman of the Housing and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, I leaned into the issue of housing affordability — both by empowering localities to require more of it, and by helping them act more efficiently to reduce the cost of increasing supply. 

At the request of the City of Falls Church, beginning July 1, the Little City will have the same authority as other Northern Virginia jurisdictions to establish and enforce an affordable dwelling unit (ADU) program. Another new law imposes tighter timelines on local planning commissions and staff to review and approve plats and plans for new projects. 

As the owner of a real estate title company, I work with a lot of local Realtors — one of whom reached out to me about an annoying practice by Homeowners and Condo Associations. They required the name of the buyer before issuing resale certificates, forcing agents to either guess or wait until a property was under contract to get the ball rolling. 

Beginning July 1, they’ll no longer be allowed to require a buyer’s name before initiating resale inspections or issuing resale certificates, giving buyers and sellers more time to know what, if anything, must be done to comply with HOA rules before closing. 

Consumer Protection 

Straddling the consumer protection and real estate categories is a new law establishing a work group to tackle the rising issue of deed fraud — a new variety of identity theft where scammers impersonate the owners of vacant property and try to trick real estate professionals and court clerks into helping them sell property they don’t own. Bringing together those in a position to detect and prevent this type of fraud should help establish minimum standards and best practices, sending the message that Virginia is not an easy target. 

I also passed a bill that will help tenants renting property better understand the most important terms of their lease. Beginning July 1, the first page of every lease must itemize the fees landlords may charge, either upfront or monthly. 

Also prompted by a constituent request: Virginia’s current anti-SLAPP laws will now be expanded to include immunity for statements made in connection with Title IX complaints. That means people who participate in Title IX proceedings will be protected from defamation lawsuits which is a crucial safeguard for survivors, students, and others engaging in good faith in these important processes. 

Starting July 1, ear piercing will be safer and better regulated. When I learned there were gaps in how Virginia oversaw these services, I worked with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) to give them authority to establish rules and safety standards for businesses specializing in ear piercing, ensuring public safety and consistency for these increasingly common services. 

Campaign Finance Reform 

And finally, after many years, we achieved a big victory in campaign finance. Campaign funds can no longer be used for personal expenses. This may seem small, but Virginia was one of the last states to make this a law — and it matters. 

All I Do is Win

The 2025 General Assembly Session is officially over and I'm glad to be back in the 13th District! With over 3,000 bills and resolutions reviewed, it was a productive, short session.

 

I’m proud to share that I was the most successful legislator this session in getting bills passed! Among lawmakers who introduced more than one bill, I had the highest batting average - meaning more of my legislation made it through the process than anyone else’s.

 

It’s not just about numbers - it’s about delivering real results for Virginians. I’ve worked hard to craft meaningful, effective legislation and build the support needed to get things done. I’ll keep fighting for the issues that matter to our community. Check out the stats for yourself: VPAP Legislator Batting Averages. Thank you for your support—I couldn’t do this without you!

 

The Last Week of Session

The 5th grade class from Oak Street Elementary School in Falls Church visited the Capitol to learn more about the legislative process and to visit with Senator Salim and myself. It was my pleasure to introduce them on the House Floor.

 

Early in the week, I participated in a press conference on campaign finance reform, specifically about legislation to prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. Although I have carried this bill for many years, my colleague, Delegate Josh Cole introduced it this year. And for the first time, the bill has passed both chambers, which means it is on its way to the Governor. The Washington Post also covered this monumental achievement.

 

On Wednesday, Delegate Webert and I presented a commending resolution for Col. Gary Settle who recently retired as the the Virginia State Police Superintendent. After nearly 50 years of service to the Commonwealth, his retirement is well-earned.

 

Emergency Committee on Impacts of the Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions

The Speaker appointed me to this special committee to study the potential impacts of the Trump Administration's cuts to the federal workforce and programs. The purpose is to ensure that the General Assembly can work to mitigate these impacts to Virginians and to the state budget.

 

Last Saturday, we had our first committee meeting. We heard presentations from the Washington Council of State Governments, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia Municipal League, and House Appropriations staff. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this critical issue as the uncertainty affects so many Virginians. You can watch the full stream of the meeting online.

 

For Fairfax County residents that are directly affected by this, the County has created a website of resources that may be helpful.

 

What's Next?

The 822 bills that the passed the House and the Senate will go to the Governor for his review, including 13 of my bills (more details below!). On April 2nd, we will return to Richmond to vote on the Governor's vetoes and recommendations.

 

We also passed a compromise budget that reflects many of our priorities. And I'm pleased to report that my budget request to provide $500,000 for the Lake Barcroft Dam to address critical infrastructure issues and maintenance is included.

 

Now, it's the Governor's turn. Over the next few weeks, we'll see what legislation he decides to sign, amend, or veto.

The End of the 2025 Session

This is the very last week of the 2025 General Assembly Session! With a short, 46-day session, it is always a challenge to make sure that we have enough time to review all the legislation that is introduced. I know it’s hard to focus on anything other than the chaos and constant stream of bad news coming from across the river in Washington, D.C, but I’m hoping that you’ll take a moment to look at what we’ve been able to accomplish so far down in Richmond.

Here in the State Capitol, the legislative branch still values the separation of powers and takes seriously its responsibility to provide a constitutional check on executive overreach. With the Governor also able to veto any bills we send to his desk and likely have them sustained, we’ve been forced to focus on items that don’t require his signature or items that are non-partisan. We’ve also been able to stop ill-advised ideas from advancing.  Here’s the round-up.  

Constitutional Amendments

One thing we can do without the Governor’s signature is propose amendments to Virginia’s constitution, enshrining personal freedom at the state level. Three constitutional amendments have passed the House and the Senate – the right to vote, the right to reproductive freedom, and the right to marriage equality. 

So, what’s next? Well, if we can keep the House majority after the election this November, then we’ll be able to pass these exact same amendments again during the 2026 Session. At that point, the last hurdle will be the 2026 ballot when voters will decide if these three constitutional amendments will become a part of Virginia’s Constitution. This means we’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then to ensure that happens! 

Northern Virginia Casino Bill Dies in Subcommittee

The bill to authorize a casino in Northern Virginia has officially died for this year. The only disappointment for me? It happened in a subcommittee I wasn’t on, so I didn’t get the chance to vote NO myself.

Regardless of where you stand on whether Northern Virginia should have a casino or whether we need the good union jobs a casino and entertainment district might provide, this bill was deeply flawed. Fairfax County never asked for the authority to put a casino referendum on the ballot. The bill’s restrictive language made it clear it was crafted to benefit a single landowner. Most importantly, I heard from thousands of constituents and neighbors opposed to it. I’m glad this bill won’t be moving forward this year. It would take a much different bill and much different circumstances to get me to a yes on a casino bill. It’s hard to imagine what those circumstances might be, but this iteration didn’t come close. 

Campaign Finance Reform

Some items take more than a session, or two, or even three to become law. For all 12 of my sessions, I was Chief Patron or Chief Co-Patron of bills to clean up what I thought was an obvious loophole in Virginia’s campaign finance laws – prohibiting the use of campaign funds for personal use. We are one of the last few states not to have laws to specifically regulate this.

This year, I worked with Delegate Josh Cole, who introduced the bill. It has passed the House and will have passed the Senate by the time you read this column. Next step is the Governor’s desk!

My Legislation

I’ve been fortunate that 13 of the 15 bills I introduced this year have passed both chambers, most with broad bi-partisan support making them unlikely to be vetoed. My resolution to study the effect of recent changes to Virginia law making it easier to challenge books in public school libraries will pass as well. 

Whether we like it or not, the level of government that may have the greatest ability to protect our personal freedom and our democratic way of life may be the state level for the next few years. I want you to know you have a strong and effective advocate in the General Assembly.

Community Meetings

As this is the last week of session, I’ll soon be heading back to Northern Virginia, my regular day job, and get to see my family. I’m looking forward to being back in the district and attending community events. If you have an HOA, community association, youth group, or local organization that would like me to give an in-person session update, please reach out to my office.

2024 Crossover Session Update

What a difference a year (and an election) makes.  

This time last year, I used my monthly column to write about how the short 45-day 2023 Session was winding down and how the only significant legislation left to deal with was the state budget. I went on to talk about how the House version of the budget, then crafted by the Republican Majority, fell short in meeting the needs of hardworking Virginians. How it focused on multi-million-dollar corporate tax breaks, putting our critical services in jeopardy. A rather bleak outlook for sure. 

Fast forward to February 2024 and we’re having a very different conversation. 

First, we aren’t nearly done yet. We’ve still got a month left in our long 60-day session. And we’ve got a Democratic Majority in both chambers, which means that not only are the bills we’re passing looking radically different, but the House budget will also look dramatically different when it comes out on February 18th. 

Now that we’ve reached the halfway point, or Crossover, we’ve had a couple of marathon days on the House Floor, ensuring that we get through all the House bills that passed committee so they can get to the Senate for review. 

My Legislative Update 

I’m also happy to report that 16 of my bills have officially passed the House and are headed to the Senate! Here are some highlights: 

It looks like the 3rd time may be a charm for Falls Church City’s charter change request. This year I amended HB 54 on the floor to get in a format that would get bipartisan support and a 97-2 vote. The charter update will allow more Little City residents to participate on local boards and commissions.  

I also got significant bipartisan support for my bill to abolish the common law crime of suicide. The criminal status of suicide stigmatizes those who have passed and escalates the pain family's face following the tragedy of a loved one's death.  

I even got a bipartisan vote on the floor to advance HB 173 which bans these unserialized “ghost guns” and plastic firearm components in the Commonwealth. 

Another firearm safety bill, HB 175 prohibits the carrying of certain (loaded or unloaded) semi-automatic weapons on any public street, public park, or any other place that is open to the public. That passed the House on a strict party line vote, as did another common-sense gun safety bill, HB 183 which requires that firearms be stored in a biometric safe when individuals under the age of 18 are present. 

To avoid fraudulent or duplicative removal petitions for certain public offices, HB 265 states that removal petitions will not be certified when the asserted grounds have been previously filed and dismissed against the same public official. It also requires the signatures collected on a removal petition be collected within 90 days of the first signature being collected.  

A consumer protection bill, HB 418 makes it possible for class action lawsuits to be established in Virginia. Under the bill provisions, the Supreme Court of Virginia is tasked with creating regulations to govern such actions.  

The last bill I introduced, HB 1539, prohibits extraditions of those who travel to Virginia for reproductive health services. It also prohibits the sharing of personal reproductive or sexual health information without the consent of the consumer under the VA Consumer Protection Act. 

Crossover Stats 

During the 2024 session, there were 1,547 House bills introduced and, of these, 734 passed the House and 185 were continued to the 2025 Session. 

Legislation ran the gamut this year, covering topics like retail cannabis, raising the minimum wage, gun safety, abortion access, housing affordability, solar accessibility, tax policy updates, and campaign finance reform - just to name a few. 

To get a little more into the weeds, 253 of the total House bills introduced went through House Courts, 187 went through General Laws, 91 through Public Safety, and 140 through Rules. That’s a grand total of 671 bills that went through my 4 committees – or 43% of the total bills introduced! 

In the Senate, 737 Senate bills were introduced and the 430 that passed will be crossing over to the House. To keep things moving, we’ve started hearing Senate bills in my committees and I’ve already been over to the Senate to present a couple of my bills this week. We’ll continue on this path until the end of session on March 9th.