What to Expect from the 2026 Virginia General Assembly: A Guide for VFC Members
The 2026 Virginia General Assembly (VGA) Session is just around the corner—and with major changes in leadership and momentum for gun violence prevention (GVP), this year promises to be one of the most consequential in recent memory. Whether you’re new to legislative advocacy or have been engaged for years, here’s everything you need to know about how the session works, what bills we may see, and what Virginians for Change will be fighting for.
VGA BASICS: What’s Happening and When?
The General Assembly meets every year, but the length of the session differs:
Even years: 60 days
Odd years: 45 days
And here are the key dates for the 2026 session:
January 14: Session officially begins
January 23-ish: Bill submission deadline
February 17-ish: Crossover—the point when each chamber must finish work on its own bills
March 14: Session ends
Who’s in the Room Where it Happens?
House of Delegates
100 seats
Relevant Committees: Public Safety and Courts of Justice
Senate of Virginia
50 seats
Relevant Committee: Courts of Justice
These committees play a crucial role in shaping public safety and firearms legislation before it ever reaches the floor.
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Virginia
If you’re following legislation for the first time, the process can feel complex—but here’s a simple walkthrough:
A Delegate or Senator writes and patrons a bill (if there are matching bills coming out of both chambers, they are called companion bills)
The bill is assigned to a subcommittee
If approved by the subcommittee, it moves to the full committee (and sometimes a finance committee)
If it is approved at the committee level, it goes to the House or Senate floor for a vote
CROSSOVER: Each chamber must send approved bills to the other (even for companion bills!)
The process repeats: subcommittee → committee → floor vote
If it passes both chambers, the bill goes to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law
2025 Elections: A New Landscape
The 2025 statewide elections marked a major shift in leadership and energy around gun violence prevention.
Governor: Abigail Spanberger
Lt. Governor: Ghazala Hashmi
Attorney General: Jay Jones
13 VGA seats flipped blue
0 seats flipped red
Virginians for Change endorsed 65 candidates—47 WON!
This new leadership, combined with significant legislative gains, has created real momentum for progress in 2026. While VFC is an organization dedicated to bipartisanship, we note blue v. red flips as in our state’s recent history, Democrats have been strong supporters of gun reform while the GOP generally votes against all GVP bills. You can check out this post for documentation.
Virginians for Change: Our Mission for 2026
Our work this year is focused on two key groups—our members and our lawmakers—each essential to creating lasting change.
Our Members & Volunteers
We aim to:
Make political engagement comfortable, accessible, and empowering
Educate our community on the research behind GVP policies
Increase voter awareness of the important GVP work done in the General Assembly
Share weekly calls to action to keep engagement steady and effective
Our Work with Elected Officials
We’re focused on:
Ensuring Virginians for Change is recognized and respected by legislators
Supporting pro-GVP champions in the General Assembly
Making sure pro-gun lawmakers know their constituents expect better
What Gun Violence Prevention Bills Might We See in 2026?
Based on current conversations and ongoing advocacy needs, here are the likely bills that could appear this session:
🟦 SAFE STORAGE
Child Access Prevention: Penalties for gun owners whose guns are used illegally by a minor
Required Locking Devices: A lock must be sold with every firearm, plus a safety warning
Preventing Gun Thefts from Cars: Eliminates loopholes that allow unsecured firearms in vehicles
🟩 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Closing the Boyfriend Loophole: Expands firearm prohibitions to dating partners
Protecting DV Survivors: A clear, enforceable process for separating offenders from firearms
🟧 SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS
Assault Weapon Ban: Stops the future sale of new assault weapons
No Assault Weapons in Public: Keeps these firearms out of public spaces
Ban Automatic Conversion Kits: Outlaws devices that make guns fire like automatic weapons
Raise the Purchase Age to 21: For handguns and assault-style firearms
🟪 FIREARM RESTRICTIONS & SAFETY MEASURES
Gun Permit Reciprocity: Ensures out-of-state concealed carry permits meet Virginia’s standards
No Guns on Campus: Allows colleges to ban firearms
Ban Weapons in Hospitals & Mental Health Facilities: Protects vulnerable populations
Five-Day Waiting Period: Establishes a brief cooling-off period before firearm purchase
Looking Ahead to 2026
With new leadership, energized lawmakers, and a clear voter mandate, the 2026 General Assembly is poised to make bold advancements in gun violence prevention. Virginians for Change will be on the ground, educating, mobilizing, and ensuring that the voices of safety-minded Virginians are heard.
This is our moment to push for the policies that save lives—and together, we’re ready.