We just wrapped up the first week of the 2026 General Assembly Session! I have had the opportunity to meet with constituents, attend my first committee meetings and press conferences of the year, and proudly vote in favor of important constitutional amendments. I am also tremendously honored to have been named Vice Chair of the House Public Safety Committee. This has been an exciting first week back and I have several updates to share with you.

Legislative Updates

On Wednesday, four important constitutional amendments passed the house floor. I proudly voted in favor of HJ 1, HJ 2, HJ 3, and HJ 4. These amendments will safeguard reproductive freedom, marriage equality, voter protections, and democracy. Now that it has passed the Senate, these will be on the ballot for Virginians to decide later this year. 

Here is a brief recap of each constitutional amendment:

HJ 1: enshrines reproductive freedom in the Virginia Constitution, protecting access to contraception, abortion care, IVF, prenatal and postpartum care, miscarriage management, and infertility treatment. 

HJ 2: guarantees the automatic restoration of voting rights for returning citizens.

HJ 3: Enshrines marriage equality into the Constitution of Virginia. It will also remove Virginia’s outdated constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and protect marriage equality.

HJ 4: provides a one-time exception to redraw congressional districts and give Virginians a crucial voice, while ensuring Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting process will resume after the 2030 census.

Voting Boards for all four constitutional amendments

House Democratic Caucus Press Conference 

On the first day of session, I had the pleasure of participating in the Virginia House Democratic’s Press Conference. House Speaker Don Scott outlined our legislative priorities for the 2026 session, including affordability, health care, gun laws, energy, and more.

House Democratic Caucus standing together for an affordable, secure, resilient Virginia

Adele’s 2026 Legislative Agenda

I’ve officially filed fifteen bills for this session (and I may be filing 2-3 more bills soon). With your feedback in mind, I’ve worked to craft legislation that will benefit Arlington residents and people all across the Commonwealth. You may recognize several bills from last year that were unfortunately vetoed by Governor Youngkin. 

Here is a brief overview of all my proposed legislation:

HB 18: Establishes the Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program, which will incentivize employers to contribute to employee child costs by matching funds. I secured $25M in the budget last year to create and fund this pilot. Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin line-item vetoed this in the budget last year. This year, I’m bringing it back to make childcare more affordable and help businesses retain and support their workforce. 

HB 19: Ensures that no individual convicted of assault and battery against an intimate partner will be able to purchase, possess, or transport a firearm. This closes a deadly loophole in our gun laws by clearly acknowledging abuse by intimate partners.

HB 20: Ensures farm laborers are finally included and protected under Virginia’s Minimum Wage Act by removing the exemption existing in current legislation and correcting a Jim Crow Era relic.

HB 82: Extends the deadline for absentee ballots from noon to 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election, increasing voter access and flexibility. 

HB 329: Protects tenants by expanding the list of actions that landlords cannot retaliate against. It will strengthen renter protections. 

HB 330: Allows for locally approved signs (like ads or public notices) to be placed on property owned by WMATA (Metro), specifically on their parking garages. This is an innovative way to allow WMATA to raise additional funds for operations, service improvements, infrastructure, etc. 

HB 331: Ensures that no one will be convicted solely for failing to pay court costs if they’ve completed all other requirements of a deferred case. Unpaid costs will still be owed and collected through existing methods. 

HB 524: Allows Arlington County to adopt a tourism improvement district model that allows for more public-private partnerships that will enhance the county’s ability to conduct destination marketing, promote hospitality, and increase tourism to our area. 

HB 527: Expand and make permanent the Eviction Reduction Program to help prevent evictions, support housing stability, and identify barriers that lead to evictions, with annual reports to the General Assembly. 

HB 833: Allows local governments to require new commercial, industrial, and multi-family developments to include infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. This bill also directs the Commonwealth to further study and report on grid needs for future EV charging in new residential developments. 

HB 834: Requires landlords to work with tenants after fire/disaster damage (such as offering a similar unit or discussing alternatives) before ending a lease. This bill also provides tenants the right to request a re-evaluation of whether the unit is still habitable. This prevents unnecessary and abrupt displacement of renters. 

HB 835: Allows elected officials and candidates the choice to protect their personal contact information. With the increase in political violence across the country, legislators and candidates should be afforded the opportunity to feel safe.  

HB 837: Expands eligibility for the Eviction Diversion Program throughout the Commonwealth, requires courts to attach information about the program to eviction summonses, and allows courts to set eligibility for tenants within the program. I carried and passed legislation to make this program permanent and available to localities across Virginia. Now it’s time to expand the criteria for this successful program to allow more individuals to participate and prevent evictions in Virginia. 

HB 838: Allows the Medicaid program to cover doula care, including support during labor and delivery and up to two incentive payments for doulas. 

HB 839: Directs the Judicial Council to form a work group to study how child custody proceedings can better support victims of family abuse/coercive control, with a report of findings and recommendations due to the General Assembly by November 1st, 2026.

Committee Assignments 

I have been reassigned to my three committees: General Laws, Transportation, and Public Safety. I am honored to be appointed Vice Chair of the House Public Safety Committee. I am looking forward to this new role and continuing to work on important safety-related legislation for our district and beyond. Track all three of my committees throughout session below.

Upcoming Events

Inauguration Weekend 
I’m looking forward to seeing so many familiar faces this weekend at the inauguration festivities as we celebrate this historic administration. If you see me, say hi! 

MLK Day of Service 
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by giving back to the Arlington Community we love! Join Volunteer Arlington for several service projects dedicated to serving our community and connecting individuals of all ages. Volunteer Arlington is a public-private partnership between the Leadership Center of Arlington and Arlington County. Please register here. 

When: Monday, January 19th, 2026, 8:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m
Where: Washington-Liberty High School 
1301 N. Stafford St. Arlington

Make sure to enter through door #1 on the N. Stafford St. side of the building.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office anytime. We have so much work to do, and I appreciate your feedback and ideas. 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 Service,
Delegate Adele McClure, HD-2 

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