(The Center Square) – Virginia’s legislative session reached a key turning point late Monday as Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger finalized action on hundreds of bills, sending many back to lawmakers for a final decision later this month.
Lawmakers will return April 22 to consider the governor’s amendments and decide which measures move forward as written, which are revised and which fail.
Spanberger signed several bills into law while amending others across labor, immigration and election policy, signaling support for the proposals while adjusting how they would be carried out.
“I know some people think Virginia has to choose between being pro-worker and pro-business, but I reject that – because our economic success has always come from supporting both,” she said. “As a commonwealth, this is not an either-or proposition, and these bills reflect that. In the end, we need to get these new laws right from the beginning, which is what my amendments seek to enable.”
Several labor-related measures were sent back to the General Assembly with amendments, including legislation on collective bargaining, paid family leave and paid sick leave.
House Bill 1263 would allow public sector employees to participate in collective bargaining by repealing the current ban. Spanberger’s amendments give local governments more control over how agreements are structured and require that any agreements with budget impacts be approved by local governing bodies, placing final cost decisions in the hands of local officials.
House Bill 1207 would create a statewide paid family and medical leave program, allowing workers to take up to 12 weeks off with partial pay. The program would be funded through contributions from workers and employers and operate similarly to unemployment insurance.
Spanberger’s amendments focus on how the program would be developed and implemented, including aligning it more closely with federal policy, clarifying eligibility and definitions, and outlining how the benefit would be administered.
House Bill 5 would require employers to provide at least five days of paid sick leave. The governor’s amendments clarify definitions and implementation details, including how the requirement would apply across different employers and how businesses would comply.
On immigration and law enforcement policy, Spanberger amended Senate Bills 351 and 352, which address cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities.
Senate Bill 351, which is identical to House Bill 650, establishes limits and conditions on certain immigration enforcement activities in locations such as courthouses and schools, while outlining when judicial warrants or subpoenas are required, directly affecting how and where federal immigration actions can take place.
The governor’s amendments revise how those provisions would be carried out.
Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim voiced concerns regarding the changes, saying they weaken the intent of the legislation.
“I am deeply concerned about the amendments to SB351 and SB352 because they fall short of the urgent need to protect immigrant communities and uphold basic principles of fairness, dignity, and public safety,” Salim said in a statement. “The amendments would make the bills toothless, a right without a remedy.”
In elections policy, Spanberger signed Senate Bill 322, adding Virginia to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement among states to award their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.
The compact will only take effect once enough states join to reach 270 electoral votes, meaning the change would not immediately alter how presidential elections are decided, but could shift how Virginia allocates its electoral votes in future presidential races.
The governor’s actions now move to the reconvened session, where lawmakers will decide whether to accept, reject or modify her amendments before the bills can take full effect.
