2026 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

Check out our Draft 2026 Policy Priorities. Advocate with us in Richmond on January 21 for Day for All People!

Affordable Housing

  • Expediting Affordable Housing. The affordable housing crisis in Virginia means we need to streamline projects to build affordable housing. This bill would allow localities to create an administrative approval process for affordable housing developments.
  • Yes in God’s Backyard. This bill would allow faith communities everywhere in Virginia to build affordable housing on their property without having to go through rezoning, fighting “not in my backyard” attitudes with “yes in God’s backyard” (YIGBY).
  • Funding for affordable housing. Virginia needs to address our housing unit shortage, strengthen tenants’ rights, and combat rising eviction rates.
  • Tenant Protections. Support people who rent by providing clarity in rental applications, stronger enforcement mechanisms for localities, and protections against frivolous evictions.

Criminal Justice Reform

  • Higher Education in Prison: VICPP is working to increase access to college for people who are incarcerated through the Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison (VCHEP).
  • Restoration of Voting Rights: This bill would take the next step in amending the Virginia Constitution to restore voting rights to persons with felony convictions after they have completed their sentences. Currently, the Governor has the sole authority to restore voting rights. In Virginia, a constitutional amendment needs to be passed by a simple majority vote in both chambers over two consecutive legislative sessions to be certified for the ballot.
  • Safe harbor for pregnant moms struggling with substance abuse: This bill will remove automatic “abuse/neglect” label for all cases of prenatal exposure to potentially addictive substances. It creates safe harbor for parents willing to pursue substance use treatment along with prenatal care.

Health Equity

  • Bias Reduction: This bill requires that bias reduction training become an eligibility criterion for license renewal for all health care professionals licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine and Virginia Board of Nursing.
  • Expand access to midwives: This budget amendment clarifies that Virginia moms on Medicaid are able to access Cardinal Care (Virginia’s Medicaid system) with a Licensed Midwife upon entry into care. Such care should include labor support during a transfer from home/birth center to hospital.
  • Increase access to health providers in schools: This bill permits the use of at-risk add-on funding to hire registered nurses (RNs) and advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) to support the physical and mental health of students in public schools.

Economic Justice/Supporting Working Families

  • Paid Sick Days. This bill would ensure all workers in Virginia have access to paid sick days. It would create a standard to require all employers to provide up to five paid sick days (40 hours) each year. Employees would earn one hour of time off for every 30 hours worked.
  • Child care. VICPP will support the initiatives of the Virginia Promise Partnership to reduce childcare waitlists for subsidized childcare.

Other Issues

  • Protecting immigrants
  • Tax Reform
  • Gun Safety
  • Defending past gains, including access to Medicaid and SNAP