Hundreds of bills passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin earlier this year have gone into effect this week. Many of these bills will have a direct, positive impact on the everyday lives of Virginians.
“I’ve been proud to sign hundreds of bipartisan common-sense bills into law this year, most of which have now taken full effect,” said Governor Youngkin. “Many of these bills are the culmination of years of work to improve outcomes for Virginians—from supporting mothers and babies, to establishing bell-to-bell cell phone-free education, strengthening criminal penalties for fentanyl dealers, and ensuring a safe and secure Commonwealth. While there is always more to do, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
New Laws Now in Effect:
Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone-Free Education
HB 1961 and SB 738 codify the Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone-Free education policy established by Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order 33. Recent studies have indicated that children who spend more than a few hours per day on social media have double the risk of poor mental health. Additionally, excessive screen time and social media use have also been linked to increased risks of poor social and emotional health. Bell-to-bell cell phone-free education has been proven to improve student academic performance as well as student health outcomes, helping to reclaim childhood and restore excellence to education.
Supporting Mothers and Babies
HB 2573 and SB 1279 will save lives, helping to ensure mothers and babies are safe during childbirth. This new legislation requires all hospitals, licensed birthing centers, and free-standing emergency departments to adopt standardized protocols, known as “safety bundles,” for identifying obstetric emergencies for both inpatient and outpatient care. The new laws build on the Youngkin Administration’s maternal health initiative, “Healthy Moms, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities,” which has centered around three key pillars: improving data, expanding targeted high-quality care, and increasing awareness. Over the past three years, maternal mortality in Virginia has declined by 50 percent.
Holding Fentanyl Dealers Accountable
SB 746 creates a new crime of involuntary manslaughter for knowingly manufacturing, selling, or distributing fentanyl-laced drugs that result in another person’s death. Since taking office, Governor Youngkin has launched a comprehensive, multi-faceted effort to curb fentanyl’s devastation of Virginia communities. That approach has rested on four principles: interrupting the drug trade, enhancing penalties for drug dealers, educating people about the dangers of fentanyl, and equipping individuals to save the life of someone in crisis. The Administration’s efforts to educate Virginians on this poison also includes First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin’s “It Only Takes One,” to remind Virginians that while it only takes one pill to kill, it only takes one conversation to save a life. The It Only Takes One initiative includes partnership with over 100 fentanyl family ambassadors who have turned the personal tragedy of losing a loved one to fentanyl into a mission to save lives by spreading awareness. As a result of these concerted efforts, culminating in this year’s legislation, Virginia has become a national leader in reducing overdose deaths.
Strengthening Virginia’s Child Welfare System
HB 1777, SB 1406, and SB 801 will strengthen Virginia’s child welfare system by empowering foster youth and expanding access to critical services. Passed with unanimous bipartisan support, these bills ensure children aged 12 and older in foster care are informed about the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman (OCO) and codify eligibility for Children in Need of Services (CHINS) under the Children’s Services Act (CSA), reinforcing Virginia’s commitment to family preservation and child safety. The legislation is a key part of Governor Youngkin’s Safe Kids, Strong Families initiative, a bold effort to unify and advance Virginia’s child welfare reforms.
Providing Transportation Flexibility for Rural School Divisions
Thanks to HB 2720, rural school divisions with fewer than 4,500 students will now be able to explore alternative student transportation methods, opening up flexibility for school divisions and families. Virginia is the tenth state to allow this level of flexibility in small school divisions. Specifically, this legislation allows qualifying school boards to enter partnerships with community colleges, contract private transportation providers, and utilize ride sharing and carpooling services to supplement traditional school bus routes.
Prohibiting Drones Over Military Bases
SB 1272, along with HB 1726 and SB 757, create a new class 4 felony for flying drones over military bases, contracted military defense facilities, and other critical infrastructure locations. Governor Youngkin stressed the need for this legislation in his State of the Commonwealth address in January. “We are also seeing increased threats to our national security, with increased drone incursions over sensitive and critical infrastructure sites,” the Governor said at the time. “We’ve come together before to prevent the sale of Virginia farmland and real estate to entities controlled by foreign adversaries. I’d ask us again: Send me the bill to make flying a drone over critical infrastructure a class felony.”
Delivering A Strong, Dynamic, Winning Budget
Earlier this year, Governor Youngkin signed the Virginia state budget bill, HB 1600, amending the Commonwealth’s biennial budget. The amended budget provides an additional $1 billion in tax relief, $9 billion over the administration, for Virginians, enabled by the roughly $2 billion surplus in Fiscal Year 2025 thanks to commonsense pro-growth leadership. The budget also includes record investment in education, fully funds Medicaid, gives a 1.5 percent bonus for state and state supported local employees in addition to the already approved 3 percent raise, allocates $50 million for Disaster Response and Relief in southwest Virginia and provides $25 million for drinking water infrastructure grants at the Virginia Department of Health—helping ensure clean drinking water for families across the Commonwealth.
Additional amendments added by the Governor provide $4.2 million, totaling $10 million over the biennium, to expand the ability for Special Conservators of the Peace (SCOPS) to help individuals under a temporary detention order waiting for an available hospital bed and an additional $2 million to reimburse local law enforcement for the transportation of individuals pertaining to emergency custody or temporary detention orders. The vital support for the SCOPS program equips them to de-escalate crises, taking strain off law enforcement by allowing them to return to their core safety duties.
The Governor signed 720 bills into law that were passed by the General Assembly during the 2025 Regular Session and vetoed 195 bills.
The full list of signed bills for the 2025 Regular Session is available here.
The full list of vetoed bills for the 2025 Regular Session is available here.