Virginia legislators started filing bills for the 2026 General Assembly this week, and Senator David Suetterlein has filed six of the first 17 Senate Bills. Senator Suetterlein’s first bills focus on ensuring permanent tax relief for working Virginians and expanding hands-on learning opportunities for high school students.
Protecting Working Virginians from an Automatic Tax Hike
“With rising costs, the last thing working Virginia families need is an automatic tax hike. Making the enhanced Standard Deduction and refundable Earned Income Tax Credit permanent provides real, reliable relief to working Virginians’ household budgets,” said Senator Suetterlein.
Senator Suetterlein’s Senate Bill 7 ensures that Virginia families do not face an automatic tax hike in 2027. By making both the enhanced Standard Deduction and the partially refundable Earned Income Tax Credit permanent, the bill protects more than 85% of taxpayers from an annual tax increase of $632 per family and maintains critical support for low-income working families.
Senator Suetterlein previously worked with Governor Glenn Youngkin and Delegate Joe McNamara to eliminate the state grocery tax and has filed Senate Bill 9 to eliminate the remaining local grocery tax while fully backfilling localities with state revenue.
Expanding Workplace Learning Opportunities
“We need to do more to prepare students for success in life beyond academic tests. Expanding workplace learning gives young Virginians hands-on experience that can fundamentally change their career trajectory and gives employers a larger pipeline of motivated talent,” said Senator Suetterlein.
Coming at the request of local public schools and businesses, Senator Suetterlein’s Senate Bill 10 expands workplace learning opportunities (currently limited to haircare) for students older than 16 years old to other industries. The legislation requires verifiable proof, such as industry certifications, that the student can perform assigned duties safely and in compliance with accepted standards.
Additional 2026 Legislation
In addition to tax relief for working Virginians and expanding workplace learning opportunities, Senator Suetterlein has also filed bills creating a new motorcycle driver improvement program, extending flexibility for students’ mid-year growth assessment, and updating Virginia’s abandoned vehicle process. Senator Suetterlein is also drafting legislation on electricity, career and technical education, healthcare, and election reforms for the 2026 General Assembly.
2026 Legislative Process
The Virginia General Assembly began accepting legislation for the 2026 session on Monday, with every Senator, re-elected Delegate, and Delegate-elect able to file bills with the respective Clerks’ offices. All forty Virginia Senators are expected to convene at Radford University this Thursday and Friday for the Senate Finance Retreat focused on various financial presentations and discussions.
On December 17, Governor Youngkin will present his proposed two-year budget for legislators to consider. The 2026 General Assembly regular session will begin on Wednesday, January 14. Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger is scheduled to take the oath of office on Saturday, January 17. The General Assembly’s regular session is expected to conclude on March 14.
Early 2026 Legislation Prefiled by Senator Suetterlein
SB 7 Extending Tax Relief for Working Virginians
SB 9 Eliminating the Local Grocery Tax & Backfilling Localities
SB 10 Expanding Students’ Workplace Learning Opportunities
SB 15 Creating Motorcycle Driver Improvement Program
SB 16 Extending Alternative Through Year Growth Assessments
SB 17 Updating Virginia’s Abandoned Vehicle Statute
Virginia Senator David Suetterlein represents all of Salem, Roanoke City, Christiansburg, Vinton, and most of Roanoke and Montgomery Counties. He lives in Roanoke County with his wife Ashley where their children attend public schools. He is a Realtor with the Roanoke Valley owned and operated MKB, REALTORS.
