As the 2026 Legislative Session enters its final week, I am still hard at work finalizing decisions on the bills that will shape Virginia’s policies and priorities for the year ahead. With committees wrapping up, legislation ending its journey, and final votes occurring, this is a critical time for key measures affecting our communities, economy, and quality of life.
Early Voting on Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum Has Started
Early voting on redistricting Virginia’s Congressional Districts started. In this referendum, Virginia voters will decide on a proposed state constitutional amendment that would temporarily allow the General Assembly to redraw Virginia’s Congressional districts. The proposal is intended as a response to other states that have undertaken mid-decade redistricting, and would give Virginia lawmakers the authority to revisit the current Congressional map outside of the usual post-census redistricting cycle.
The amendment is designed with guardrails. The authority would be temporary and it would preserve Virginia’s long-term redistricting process, including the bipartisan redistricting framework adopted in 2020.
At a time when the balance of representation in Congress is being affected by decisions made in other states, with this referendum, Virginia has the opportunity to take action in response. Now is not the time to be passive, and I encourage Virginians to review the proposal carefully and consider voting yes in the upcoming referendum.
To learn more about voting and registration deadlines, please visit https://www.loudoun.gov/vote.
Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the pivotal women whose courage, leadership, and determination have shaped our communities, our Commonwealth, and our nation. We honor the trailblazers who broke barriers, challenged expectations, and opened doors, and we recognize the women today who are building what’s next.
In that spirit, we celebrate Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s first female governor, who made history and continues to inspire the next generation of leaders. Her achievement reflects the progress made possible by generations of women who refused to be limited by the status quo.
Let us reaffirm our commitment to expanding opportunity, elevating women’s voices, and ensuring that leadership reflects the strength and diversity of our Commonwealth.
Ongoing Conflict in Iran
As many of you know, my family and I left Iran after the Iranian Revolution, as my parents feared women would not be allowed to pursue education or have equal access to economic opportunity and self-determination. As recent years have shown, their fear was well-founded. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to reach my potential as an American and to now be a voice for Loudoun and all of Virginia.
Given my personal history, and as the highest-ranking elected Iranian-American in Virginia, I shared a public statement on social media when the United States carried out military strikes in Iran early last week. Moreover, I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives and U.S. service members. Every life lost in war is a profound tragedy, and my heart is with all who are grieving. I hope and pray for a free Iran and for an end to further loss of civilian and military lives.:
This Week at the General Assembly
Here’s a recap of the week including: constituent and stakeholder visits, final committee meetings, presenting in the Senate, intern goodbyes, and more.
Update on My Legislation
As the legislative session continues, I will share updates on the bills that continue to progress, on which I am serving as Chief Patron or Chief Co-Patron. This legislation reflects the priorities I hear from our community and my continued focus on delivering meaningful results.
Economy
HB 557
Creates a Business tax incentive for electric lawn equipment as a clean alternative to gas-powered equipment. Passed the Senate.
HB 1022
Protects Virginians from recurring charges for subscriptions they no longer want. Passed the Senate.
HB 594
Allows localities to adopt expedited, administrative zoning approvals for qualifying all-affordable housing developments that increase density, and prioritizes such localities for state housing grants and loans. Passed the House.
HB 402
Modernizes “home bakery” laws by removing sales limits and permitting online sales. Passed the House.
Education
HB 125
Ensures year-round protection of teachers’ due process rights. Passed the Senate.
HB 814
Establishes a board to advise on social studies and history SOLs. Passed Senate Committee.
HB 1278
Ensures schools develop and share their language assistance plans so parents can be meaningfully included in the education of their children. Passed the Senate.
HB 1367
Requires VDOE to report ELL spending data to ensure proper funding is allocated to cover the actual cost of education for English Language Learner students. Passed the Senate.
HB 1323
Directs the VDOE to update the state’s school accountability and performance framework, giving families clear explanations and tools to understand how student growth and performance are measured. Combined with HB 643. Passed Senate Committee.
HJ 77
Establishes Nowruz, the Persian New Year, as an annual day celebrated in Virginia. Passed Senate Committee.
HB 201
Requires school boards to inform parents annually about the safe storage of prescription drugs and firearms in the home. Passed the Senate.
HB 288
Requires the VDOE to post instructional resources on the Indigenous peoples of the Commonwealth developed by the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium. Passed Senate Committee.
Community Safety
HB 123
Replaces mandatory juvenile license denials with judicial discretion, aligning consequences with rehabilitation rather than automatic punishment. Passed the Senate.
HB 124
Ensures retired district court judges recalled to duty have the same protections as active judges. Passed Senate.
HB 556
Amends the requirement to provide a Social Security Number when filing for divorce if one is not available. Passed the House.
HB 1020
Ensures survivors of child sexual assault can pursue civil causes of action when new evidence emerges, strengthening accountability and public safety. Passed the Senate.
HB 46
Increase the maximum number of circuit court judges in Loudoun, subject to Judicial Council review, to better meet caseload and judicial staffing needs. Combined with HB 443. Passed Senate Committee.
Health
HB 794
Designates VDH to lead the coordination of a statewide plan in response to the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Passed Senate Committee.
HB 795
Requires health insurers to cover overdose reversal medication, expanding access to life-saving treatment. Passed the House.
HB 1019
Ensures outpatient patient-level reporting so doctors can coordinate care more effectively. Passed Senate Committee.
If you are interested in looking at the legislative history and bill text of my proposals, you can view them on the Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS). LIS HERE
Resources to Take Part in the Legislative Session
Are you interested in watching the hearing for a bill you are particularly passionate about? Are you looking for a way to give testimony for bills that you support or oppose? Are you wondering what’s in the state’s budget? The General Assembly has these services and more to allow you to participate and view the entire General Assembly Session!
Virginia Legislative Information System (“LIS”)
The Virginia Legislative Information System tracks bills from their introduction to their passage! You can create lists of bills that interest you through the lobbyist in a box feature, look through the calendar to find when important bills are being heard, and see the overall stats of this session.
Virginia General Assembly Website
The General Assembly website streams every floor session, committee, and subcommittee meeting, gives a detailed explanation on how a bill becomes a law in Virginia, and showcases the history of the General Assembly and the Capitol Building. If you are interested in watching meetings of the General Assembly or learning more about our legislative process, you can find it on the link below.
How My Office Can Help You
Navigating state agencies can be confusing and difficult at times. As the delegate for House District 27, I can help you communicate with state agencies such as the Virginia Employment Commission, Departments of Taxation, Social Services, Transportation, and more! I can also submit inquiries with those agencies on your behalf. There are limits to what I can do, however. For example, I am unable to expedite cases or force state agencies to favor your inquiry, provide legal advice or recommend a specific attorney, intervene with judicial issues, overturn decisions, or be involved with matters between private businesses.
Whether you require my office’s assistance, want to bring an issue to my attention or invite me to a community event, please reach out here: https://atoosareaser.com/help/.
Alongside constituent services, I can submit drafts for commending and memorial resolutions. If you know of a person or organization in the district that deserves special recognition, please submit a request here: resolution request form.
Yours in Service,
Atoosa Reaser (she/her)
Virginia House of Delegates
District 27 (Eastern Loudoun)
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