Update on the 2026 Virginia General Assembly Session.

The City of Alexandria's 2026 Legislative Package outlines its priorities for the Virginia General Assembly, seeking state support to address critical local challenges. The package emphasizes the need for increased funding, expanded local authority, and legislative reforms across several key areas.

Key Priorities:

• Fiscal Stability & Federal Impacts: Alexandria advocates for state investment to offset federal workforce reductions and funding cuts, particularly for Medicaid and SNAP. It seeks increased state funding for "shared employees" in health departments, courts, and sheriff's offices, currently underfunded by nearly $40 million annually due to outdated formulas. The city also supports funding for localities to train staff and modernize IT systems for benefit distribution.
• Housing Affordability & Tenant Protections: The package supports measures such as a local right of first refusal for publicly-supported multifamily properties to preserve existing affordable housing. It also calls for increasing the rent eviction grace period from 5 to 14 days, enhancing anti-price gouging protections, and establishing local authority to enforce unit habitability standards. Flexible zoning opportunities for faith-based institutions and nonprofits to expedite affordable housing construction are also supported.
• Education & School Infrastructure: Alexandria urges increased state funding for school construction and full implementation of the 2023 JLARC K-12 Funding Report to address aging facilities; over 60% of the city's school facilities are more than 50 years old. Modernizing Standards of Quality for school construction and maintenance is also a priority.
• Public Safety & Health: The city seeks expanded local authority for automated traffic speed enforcement in high-risk corridors, increased funding for programs supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and the ability to impose excise taxes on tobacco, nicotine, and vaping products. Measures to address mental health crises and gun violence prevention, including background checks and safe storage, are also supported.
• Infrastructure & Environment: Priorities include securing $400 million in additional and growing annual funding for Northern Virginia's transit systems (WMATA, DASH, VRE) by FY2028 to prevent a significant fiscal shortfall. The city also aims to improve its ability to advance clean energy goals through expedited state building code adoption and streamlining municipal aggregation processes.
• Civic Engagement & Rights: Alexandria advocates for constitutional amendments to automatically restore voting rights for felons upon release, affirm the right to same-sex marriage, and protect reproductive freedom. It also seeks to restrict local law enforcement involvement in federal immigration matters.

The city's recommended positions on specific bills reflect these broad priorities, generally supporting legislation that enhances local control, improves public services, and promotes resident well-being across a wide range of issues.