Gov. Abigail Spanberger and General Assembly leaders are continuing to make lowering costs for Virginia families a top priority during the 2026 legislative session. The House of Delegates or Senate have passed more than half of their “Affordable Virginia Agenda” proposals to bring down healthcare, housing, and energy costs.
“My overarching focus in 2026 is to deliver relief for Virginia families who are feeling the strain of high costs — particularly at the pharmacy, in the housing market, and on their utility bills,” said Spanberger. “I look forward to continuing to work with General Assembly leadership to make sure I can sign every piece of our Affordable Virginia Agenda into law.”
Recently, legislation backed by the Governor to stop predatory middlemen — pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs passed through the Senate with unanimous support. Spanberger made clear on the campaign trail that she would crack down on PBMs responsible for inflating the cost of medication that Virginians rely on.
Spanberger is also using the full power of her office to make life less expensive for Virginians. On her first day as Governor, she signed executive orders to start building a stronger, more affordable future for all Virginians — including by directing her cabinet secretaries and all executive branch agencies to quickly identify ways to reduce costs for families. The Governor also made clear in her first joint address to the General Assembly that she will work with both Republicans and Democrats to drive down costs.
Among legislation passed by the Virginia House of Delegates or Senate:
HB2 — Reducing heating and energy costs for Virginians who need it most
HB3 — Establishing a Virginia Weatherization Task Force to improve energy efficiency
HB4 — Empowering localities to preserve and protect the long-term availability of affordable housing
HB15 and SB48 — Improving protections for Virginia renters (passed by House and Senate)
HB220 and SB630 — Eliminating additional fees on healthcare premiums (passed by House and Senate)
HB395 — Facilitate the adoption of portable small solar systems to lower energy costs
HB434 — Optimizing grid utilization to get more out of the current distribution system
SB669 — Stop predatory middlemen from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs
HB820 — Create a revolving loan fund for the production of mixed-income housing development
HB867 and SB74 — Give every community the opportunity to adopt an affordable housing program (passed by House and Senate)
HB1227 — Leverage the Commonwealth’s bonding authority to support affordable housing.
