By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger outlined a package of legislative priorities focused on housing, health care and energy policy.
The agenda includes more than a dozen proposals that would require legislative approval and, in some cases, regulatory action if adopted by lawmakers.
Several of the proposals reflect bills already filed for the upcoming session, while others would be introduced during the 2026 legislative cycle.
In announcing the agenda, Spanberger said her focus heading into the 2026 session would be on affordability across major policy areas.
“My overarching, unrelenting focus in 2026 will be making the commonwealth more affordable for our fellow Virginians,” Spanberger said.
Energy proposals
Spanberger’s energy agenda includes legislation to expand the use of energy storage by electric utilities, allowing stored power to be used during periods of high demand. The proposals would increase the energy storage targets that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy must petition the State Corporation Commission to meet.
Spanberger also backs legislation requiring utilities to expand energy efficiency programs for low-income customers and to create an income-qualified energy efficiency and weatherization task force within the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
Other proposals include easing approval requirements for certain small residential solar systems and requiring the State Corporation Commission to review utilities’ load forecasts and consider grid utilization when evaluating future investments.
Housing initiatives
Spanberger’s housing agenda supports legislation extending the notice period between a landlord’s lease termination notice and the filing of eviction proceedings, increasing the required window from five days to 14 days.
Other proposals would authorize local governments to adopt affordable housing dwelling unit programs and give localities the right of first refusal when tax credit–supported affordable housing properties leave affordability restrictions.
Additional proposals include creating a revolving loan fund to support mixed-income housing development, expanding the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program to meet demand, and increasing the commonwealth’s use of bonding authority to finance affordable housing projects through the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Health care priorities
Spanberger’s health care priorities call for tighter rules on pharmacy benefit managers, including barring practices that steer patients to affiliated pharmacies, prohibiting predatory clawbacks and retroactive denials to pharmacies, and setting standards to ensure independent and community pharmacies are fairly reimbursed.
Spanberger also proposes limiting how often insurers can require prior authorization for chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
The agenda includes a 2026 proposal to create a pilot program offering targeted premium assistance for people most likely to drop coverage from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace due to rising premiums.
Separately, the plan supports eliminating additional insurance premium fees by removing the sunset on an existing ban on extra charges for tobacco users. The proposal references legislation introduced in 2025 by Del. Patrick Hope that was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Several elements of the agenda would require legislative approval, regulatory action by the State Corporation Commission, or future funding decisions that have not yet been detailed.