Gov. Glenn Youngkin, now in his last year in office, has made decisions on nearly 900 pieces of legislation from this session. Of those bills, he signed 599, amended 159, and vetoed 157. Here are some of the standouts.
Bill Signed Into Law
Food Dyes in School Lunches
SB 1298 prohibits public elementary and secondary schools from serving food that contains specific color additives. These include Blues No. 1 and 2, Green No. 3, Reds No. 3 and 40, and Yellows No. 5 and 6.
Crosswalk Safety
SB1416 says that it’s a traffic infraction if a driver doesn’t stop for pedestrians. If that failure to stop causes serious bodily injury or death to a pedestrian, it’s a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Fentanyl Testing
HB 2742, known as Malcom’s Law, requires hospitals to include a test for fentanyl when conducting a urine drug screening.
Fusion Energy
HB 1779 expands the definition of clean energy to include fusion energy. The bill also creates an official definition for fusion energy. It’s significant because in December 2024, Youngkin announced plans for Commonwealth Fusion Systems to create the “world’s first” nuclear fusion power plant in Virginia.
Cyberbullying
Public schools must adopt anti-cyberbullying policies under SB 908. These policies must include incidents that happen out of school, must not deter victims from reporting cyberbullying, and the school must include a list of resources for cyberbullying victims.
Vetoed Bills
Minimum Wage
HB 1298 would have increased the minimum wage incrementally to $15 per hour by January 1, 2027. The current minimum wage is $12.41 per hour. In his veto statement, Youngkin called the proposed increase “arbitrary,” and argued that it would increase business operational costs.
Paid Sick Leave
HB 1921 would have granted all employees of private employers and state and local governments at least one hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked. Youngkin vetoed this bill on the basis that small employers may be unable to comply, and that employers should have the flexibility to design their own leave policies.
Cannabis Control
Legislation to establish a retail market for marijuana has been vetoed again. Youngkin’s veto statement says use of the drug “endangers Virginians’ health and safety.” It is legal for adults to possess cannabis in Virginia, but multiple legislative attempts to establish a retail market have failed.
AI Regulation
HB2094 would have created new regulations for the use of “high-risk artificial intelligence.” Youngkin called these regulations “burdensome” and said that they would undermine the progress of Virginia’s AI industry.
Feature image of Glenn Youngkin by Michael Butcher
