March 5, 2026

Neighbors, 

I hope you enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend! I am pleased to share with you recent highlights from the 2026 legislative session and other community updates:

  • Upcoming Elections
    • Start of Early Voting for the Proposed Redistricting Constitutional Amendments
  • Budget Update
    • House Bill 30 – Budget Proposal from the House of Delegates
    • My Budget Amendments in the House Budget
  • Legislative Updates
    • Update on Senate Bill 756, “The Fairfax Casino” Bill
    • My Legislative Agenda
    • Legislative Meetings

I look forward to hearing your priorities for our community and input to legislation that is being considered during this session. As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1018 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

Best, Kathy

Kathy KL Tran

Delegate

SPECIAL ELECTION – PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Early voting begins on Friday, March 6 for the special election on the proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting.

If approved by Virginia voters, this constitutional amendment would allow the General Assembly to adopt new congressional districts as a response to other states redrawing their maps mid-decade. Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting process will resume after the 2030 census. You can review the proposed constitutional amendment on the Virginia Department of Election’s website here.

Key dates for the Redistricting Constitutional Amendment are:

  • Early Voting (In-Person): March 6 – April 18, 2026
  • Deadline to Register or Update Registration: April 14, 2026
  • Deadline to Request a Mailed Ballot: April 10, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
  • Election Day: Tuesday, April 21, 2026

You can register to vote, check your registration status, apply for a mailed ballot, or find early voting locations through the Virginia Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal.

I encourage you to make your voice heard by participating in this special election – To find early voting locations, visit the Fairfax Department of Elections’ website. 

BUDGET UPDATE

House Bill 30 – Budget Proposal from the House of Delegates

The Virginia Constitution requires the General Assembly and Governor to enact a balanced biennial budget by June 30 of every even-numbered year (e.g., 2026). As such, during this legislative session, we are considering a budget covering the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.

The House of Delegates and State Senate have each passed our respective budget proposals. The House budget relentlessly focuses on expanding affordable housing, childcare, and healthcare; supporting working families; and investing in public education. I voted in favor of the House proposal, which passed with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 83-14. 

Next, the House of Delegates and State Senate will begin negotiating a final budget for consideration by the General Assembly. You can learn more about House Bill 30 on the legislature’s website. I have included highlights of key investments in the House budget proposal below:

Lowering Housing Costs and Expanding Supply

  • $187.5 million for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund
  • $25 million to create a revolving loan fund for mixed-income housing
  • $17.6 million to support rapid rehousing efforts amid federal cuts
  • $17 million for eviction prevention assistance

Expanding Access to Quality, Affordable Childcare

  • $137.6 million increase in childcare subsidy funding for a total of $577 million over the biennium
  • $25 million to establish a public/private partnership pilot program to expand childcare benefits 

Protecting and Expanding Affordable Healthcare

  • $2.4 billion to fully fund Medicaid and CHIP plus an additional $63.1 million to partially restore federal reductions to Medicaid and CHIP
  • $79.1 million to assist Virginians who face rising healthcare premiums due to losing their federal tax credits
  • $45 million to protect core public health services
  • $10 million to provide healthcare services through Virginia’s free clinics
  • $11.1 million for sickle cell disease services

Supporting Working Families

  • Increases minimum wage to $13.75/hour in 2027 and $15/hour in 2028
  • Strengthens and expands the Commonwealth’s paid sick leave policy
  • Authorizes a Paid Family Medical Leave Program
  • $15.3 million to strengthen labor law enforcement

Public Education

  • 2% raises in each fiscal year for teachers and staff
  • $400.4 million in flexible funding for school divisions
  • $148.4 million to expand special education support

Additionally, I recommend reviewing the analysis by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a nonpartisan organization, comparing Governor Youngkin’s introduced budget and the proposals from the House of Delegates and State Senate, which is available here.

My Initiatives Included in the House Budget

I am proud that several of my budget requests are included in the House of Delegates’ proposal and have shared them below – These investments protect health care access, lift up working families, defend Virginia’s constitutional authority, and stand up for veterans and vulnerable children.

Affordable Healthcare

Lifting Up Working Families

Defending Virginia’s Constitutional Authority

  • $2.5 million for a Federal Litigation Unit in the Office of the Attorney General 

Standing Up for Veterans and Vulnerable Children

  • $1 million for Troops to Teachers to help veterans train to be K-12 teachers 
  • $7.5 million to improve child protective services and foster care services to vulnerable kids 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Nearly 2,400 bills were introduced during the 2026 legislative session. Of these, 1,530 bills were introduced in the House of Delegates and 836 were introduced in the State Senate. Much of the work to review, debate, and refine these proposals happens in our legislative committees.

I am grateful to the Speaker of the House of Delegates for appointing me to the following committees:

  • Vice Chair of the Committee on Health and Human Services and Chair of the Subcommittee on Social Services
  • Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources and Chair of the Subcommittee on Natural Resources
  • Member of the Committee on Appropriations
  • Member of the Committee on Rules

Update on Senate Bill 756 – “Fairfax Casino Bill”

This week, the House of Delegates voted on Senate Bill 756 also known as “The Fairfax Casino Bill.” Senate Bill 756, sponsored by Senator Scott Surovell, would authorize the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to hold a referendum to build a casino in Fairfax County.

I oppose Senate Bill 756. A casino is a major economic development proposal that would permanently alter the character of a community, shape its economic future, and impact housing, traffic and transportation infrastructure, and the environment. Proposals of this magnitude should be driven by broad, demonstrated public support, initiated at the request of the local governing body, and grounded in robust community engagement and comprehensive land use planning.

It is clear this legislation lacks strong support from the Fairfax County community and from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. I have received nearly 2,000 emails from constituents and Fairfax residents expressing overwhelming opposition to this bill. Further, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors made clear they have not requested this bill, noting in public testimony, “We have not asked for this authority.”

Overriding Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is unprecedented. In every other instance where the General Assembly authorized a casino referendum, the local government had requested that authority. Fairfax County is the primary economic engine for the Commonwealth, and decisions about whether and how to pursue new development projects should be initiated and led by the County, not imposed by the state. 

I voted no on Senate Bill 756 for these and other reasons. However, Senate Bill 756 passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 59-37. The final proposal is being negotiated by the House of Delegates and State Senate, and I anticipate that we will vote on an updated bill before the end of session. I will continue to oppose Senate Bill 756.

My Legislative Agenda

Standing with the Virginia Labor Coalition in support of collective bargaining rights for public sector employees

I appreciate working with constituents, advocates, and stakeholders to address priorities facing our community and the Commonwealth. I am proud that 18 of the bills that I introduced passed the House of Delegates and are being considered by the State Senate:

Lowering Everyday Costs for Virginia Families

  • Fair Rental Payment Policies and Prohibiting Unfair Rental Fees — House Bill 1005 improves tenant rights by requiring landlords to provide tenants with multiple methods to pay their rent, maintains a requirement that landlords must offer tenants a free option to pay rent, and prohibits landlords from charging “junk fees” to request normal maintenance. 

These issues were first brought to me by my constituent, Susan, and I appreciate the support of the Legal Aid Justice Center, New Virginia Majority, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and Virginia Poverty Law Center. 

  • Prescription Authority for Optometrists — House Bill 1006 improves access to medicine by allowing eligible optometrists to dispense and sell certain pharmaceutical drugs directly to patients for treating eye conditions. 

I am grateful for partnering with the Virginia Optometric Association and Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons on this bill.

  • Assistance with Utility Bills — House Bill 1002 helps individuals facing disconnection from utility services by requiring utility companies to try to connect customers to assistance programs or enroll them in payment plans. This bill also requires utility companies to provide their disconnection policies in multiple languages to improve language access for customers. 

Thank you to the Clean Virginia, Legal Aid Justice Center, New Virginia Majority, and Virginia Poverty Law Center for their support.

  • Ending Sales Tax on Certain Out of State Electric Vehicles — House Bill 1008 ends the unfair practice of collecting sales tax on electric vehicles purchased by Virginians before they become a resident of the Commonwealth. Thank you to my constituent, Terry, for bringing this issue to my attention.

Lifting Up Workers and Working Families

  • Public Sector Collective Bargaining – House Bill 1263 ensures all state and local public sector employees in Virginia will have a seat at the table by allowing them to collectively bargain. You can hear my remarks on the importance of public sector collective bargaining here.

Many organizations supported this bill, including Virginia AFL-CIO, American Association of University Professors, Carpenters Union Local 205, International Longshoremen’s Association,  National Coalition of Public Safety Officers, SEIU 512, SEIU International, SEIU Virginia State Council, Teamsters Local 322, Virginia Education Association, Freedom Virginia, National Public Employers Labor Relations Association, New Virginia Majority, and Virginia State Conference of the NAACP.

  • Employment and Other Protections for Women Experiencing Perimenopause and Menopause — House Bill 1173 prohibits discrimination against women experiencing perimenopause or menopause in employment, housing, and public accommodations. It also directs the state government to comprehensively assess healthcare coverage, needed accommodations, and related policies to support women experiencing perimenopause and menopause in the workplace. 
  • Addressing Workplace Violence Against Health Care Workers — House Bill 1489 strengthens statewide data collection, transparency, and accountability for incidences of workplace violence against health care workers in hospitals. 

I worked with the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Psychiatric Society of Virginia, the Virginia Academy of Physicians Assistants, and Virginia Nurses Association on this bill.

  • Increasing Dental Hygienists Licensure — House Bill 1036 helps meet critical workforce shortages by creating a career pathway for dentists who are trained abroad to obtain a dental hygienist license. Thanks to the Virginia Dental Association and Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics for supporting this bill.

Keeping Communities Safe and Protecting our Freedoms

  • Preventing Perpetrators of Hate Crimes from Accessing Firearms — House Bill 1015 bans people convicted of misdemeanor assault from possessing a firearm, ammunition, or explosives if they intentionally selected their victim because of the victim’s race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ethnic or national origin. 

I appreciate the support of the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Giffords, Mom’s Demand Action, and Virginia Center for Public Safety.

  • Data Sharing from the State Government — House Bill 1161 protects all Virginians’ sensitive personal information by establishing strong guardrails for when Virginia state and local government agencies are able to share sensitive personal information with other state, local, and federal governments and other entities. 

It was great to partner with the ACLU of Virginia, CASA, Legal Aid Justice Center, and New Virginia Majority on this bill.

  • Modernizing Virginia’s Birth-Injury Fund — House Bill 1007 updates Virginia’s Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program to improve fairness, efficiency, and accountability for impacted families. 

Many thanks to my constituent, Marissa, for raising this issue with me and to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologyists of Virginia and Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association for their support.

  • Voting Rights for People Under Guardianship — House Bill 1014 requires Virginia courts to determine that an individual under guardianship or conservatorship lacks the capacity to understand the act of voting before disqualifying them from voting.

I am grateful for the support of the AARP of Virginia, ACLU of Virginia, Arc of Northern Virginia, disAbility Law Center of Virginia, League of Women Voters of Virginia, and Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.

  • Establishing Centralized Intake System and Expanding Emergency Response for Vulnerable Children — House Bill 1490 improves the safety of vulnerable children by creating a centralized system at the Department of Social Services for handling child abuse or neglect reports and requiring local departments to respond to reports involving children under three within 24 hours. 

Thank you to my constituent, Lawrence, for his advocacy and for the partnership of the Department of Social Services and Virginia Children’s Partnership, and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman.

  • Oversight of Service Facilitators — House Bill 1495 improves services to individuals with disabilities receiving healthcare and support services through a Medicaid waiver by requiring the Department of Medical Assistance Services to provide oversight to Medicaid services facilitators. I appreciate my constituents Lindsay and Amanda speaking out about this issue. 

Protecting the Environment, Wildlife, and Companion Animals

  • Reduce Organic Waste — House Bill 1011 helps reduce organic waste by allowing local governments to implement their own composting policies or similar waste reduction strategies. Many thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Fund, Fairfax County, League of Conservation Voters, and Virginia Farm Bureau for their support.
  • Assessing Cumulative Impact of Permits — House Bill 1266 recognizes that we must consider the combined impact of all industrial permits on a community when issuing a new permit. It requires the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to publish updated guidance on how to assess environmental impact across certain industrial permits and how applicants for new permits can meaningfully engage in community outreach.  

I am grateful for the support of American Rivers, Appalachian Voices, CASA, Chesapeake Action Network, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund Action, Friends of the Rappahannock, League of Conservation Voters of Virginia, National Parks Conservation Association, New Virginia Majority, Southern Environmental Law Center, Virginia Conservation Network, Virginia Organizing, and Wetlands Watch.

  • Protecting Threatened Diamondback Terrapin Turtles — House Bill 1013 protects the diamondback terrapin turtle, which is native to Virginia and has experienced significant population decline, by identifying “Diamond Back Terrapin Protection Areas” and requiring the use of bycatch reduction devices on recreational crab pots in those areas. 

Thank you to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for their partnership on this legislation and to the Friends of the Rappahannock, League of Conservation Voters of Virginia, and Virginia Conservation Network for their support.

  • Protecting Household Pets from Common Poisonous Plants — House Bill 1016 helps make sure our pet cats and dogs are safe by directing the Virginia Cooperative Extension to identify a list of common household plants that are poisonous to them and for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to publish the updated list every four years.

Thank you to my constituent, Joe, for letting me know how this issue has affected his family. I appreciate Humane World for Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for their support.

Legislative Meetings

I am so glad to be able to meet with community members and hear their priorities for our state government:

Dr. Basim Khan from Neighborhood Health

SEIU Virginia State Council

Virginia Government Employees Association

Students from George Mason University

Additionally, my staff and I also met with representatives from:

  • American Battlefield Trust
  • Capital Area Food Bank
  • Church of the Latter Day Saints 
  • Dignity for the Aged
  • Federation of Virginia Food Banks
  • The Gaucher Community Alliance
  • Marquis Health Consulting Services
  • Sevita Home and Community Based Health Care
  • Tysons Stakeholders Alliance
  • United Community
  • Virginia Autism Coalition
  • Virginia Education Association-Retired
  • Virginia PACE Alliance
  • VOCAL Virginia

News