Happy Crossover!
We have officially made it to the halfway point of the 2026 Legislative Session, which is marked by the start of Crossover. “Crossover” is when all the bills that have passed the House go through (or crossover to) the Senate for further consideration, and vice versa. Bills must pass both chambers before being sent to the Governor for final approval. I am pleased to announce that a grand total of fifteen of my bills have passed the House this session!
Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement – please read on for more information about each of my bills that are on their way to the Senate.
My Passed Legislation
HB18: This bill would establish the Employee Child Care Assistance Program to incentivize employers to match child care costs for their employees. Last year, I secured $25 million in the budget for this program, but unfortunately, the previous Governor line-item vetoed it in the budget. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 91-7, and now heads to the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee.
HB19: This bill would close the deadly “dating partner” loophole that exists in current law, by ensuring that no individual convicted of assault and battery against an intimate partner would be able to purchase, possess, or transport a firearm. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 61-35, and now heads to the Senate Courts of Justice committee.
HB20: This bill would finally provide our farmworkers with long-overdue minimum wage protections by removing the farmworker exemption and temporary foreign worker exemption from the Virginia Minimum Wage Act. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 61-35, and now heads to the Senate Courts of Justice committee.
HB82: This bill moves the deadline for receiving absentee ballots and submitting identification for provisional ballots from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election, making voting more accessible to working voters and combatting frequently delayed mail deliveries. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 60-35.
HB329: This bill would strengthen protections for tenants facing landlord retaliation. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 85-13, and now heads to the Senate General Laws and Technology committee.
HB330: This bill would allow locally approved advertisements to appear on WMATA-owned property, which will create revenue opportunities for the WMATA to support their operations and service improvement efforts. This bill passed through the House floor unanimously, and now heads to the Senate Transportation committee.
HB331: This bill would prevent individuals from being convicted for simply having outstanding court fees. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 65-32, and now heads to the Senate Courts of Justice committee.
HB524: This bill would allow Arlington County to adopt a Tourism Improvement District model to enhance the county’s ability to conduct destination marketing, promote hospitality, and increase tourism to our area. This is huge for our County and our Commonwealth. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 68-28.
HB527: This bill would expand and make permanent the Eviction Reduction Program to help prevent evictions, support housing stability, and identify barriers that lead to evictions. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 64-33.
HB833: This bill would allow local governments the authority to require new commercial, industrial, and multi-family developments to include infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 60-34.
HB834: This bill would require landlords to make a reasonable effort to meet with tenants whose units have been damaged by fire or other casualties, discuss the extent of the damage and determine whether there are reasonable alternatives to terminating the tenancy. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 68-30, and now heads to the Senate General Laws and Technology committee.
HB835: This bill would provide elected officials and candidates the choice to protect their personal contact information from appearing on public facing documents unless otherwise consented. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 79-19, and now heads to the Senate Privileges and Elections committee.
HB837: This bill would broaden the eligibility for the Eviction Diversion Program, lowering initial cost barriers and removing overly strict late-payment disqualifications. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 62-35, and now heads to the Senate General Laws and Technology committee.
HB838: This bill would give the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) the authority to update the existing state plan to include language from my bill last year (HB1614) to include payments for doula services. This bill passed through the House floor unanimously.
HB1405: This bill would allow the Department of Social Services to establish a burial assistance program and begin issuing regulations to allow local social services departments to pay reasonable funeral expenses for a deceased person who may be eligible for the program. This bill passed through the House floor with a vote of 74-24.
Second District Crossover Town Hall
This Sunday, I will be hosting another virtual town hall for my 2nd District constituents. I will be sharing a legislative overview of the 2026 Session thus far, and addressing constituent concerns, questions, and comments. It is my hope that you will join me in celebrating another successful General Assembly Session so far, and discuss what happens next during Crossover!
When: Sunday, February 22, 2026 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual, Zoom link will be shared prior to the meeting
Sign up here!
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office! As we begin Crossover, I continue to appreciate your ideas, questions, and concerns. Don’t hesitate to email my office in Richmond at [email protected], or give us a call at (804) 698-1002. I look forward to hearing from you!
Yours in Action,
Delegate Adele McClure, HD-2