By the time the Virginia General Assembly adjourned Feb. 22, over 900 bills had been approved and sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk to be signed. With a March 24 deadline, the Governor had approximately one month to take action on each of these bills. Ultimately, Youngkin signed 599 bills, amended 159 and vetoed the remaining 157. Of these bills, several — both approved and vetoed — may impact college students throughout the state, including at the University. Enacted legislation will go into effect July 1.
One piece of legislation that Youngkin signed into law was Senate Bill 1016 which will establish the Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program to address student food insecurity at public and eligible private institutions of higher education. The bill was introduced by Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas and co-sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, and aims to establish long-term and sustainable solutions and build strategic partnerships which will further goals to reduce food insecurity on college campuses.
According to the text of the bill, institutions of higher education that choose to participate must meet certain eligibility criteria, such as creating on-campus initiatives to address student food insecurity and utilizing the funds from the grant to eliminate this concern.
Eleanor Steiner, executive director of the University Community Food Pantry and fourth-year College student, said that the CFP Student Executive Team has been advocating for SB1016 with the support of Swipe Out Hunger — a national nonprofit that aims to end college food insecurity — since early 2024. She said that with the leadership of this organization, the CFP was able to assist with organizing an advocacy day Jan. 28 in Richmond and host Deeds and Del. Amy Laufer, D-Charlottesville for a tour of the food pantry.
“Our goal is, and has always been, to serve as a resource for students experiencing food insecurity,” Steiner said. “We know that 21 percent of college students across the nation face food insecurity every day, and at U.Va. those numbers may be even higher. Currently, we have been unable to meet needs with the resources available but hope that this opportunity will help us serve all students at U.Va.”
According to 2019 and 2020 health assessments conducted by the University’s Office of Health Promotion, between 24 percent and 33 percent of students had experienced food insecurity at some point in the past 30 days.
Located in the Student Activities Center on the first floor of Newcomb Hall, the U.Va. Community Food Pantry is a student run initiative that aims to eliminate financial hardships of students and staff by providing free food and hygiene products. According to their website, the organization also advocates for a more just food system to support all members of the University community.
Although it remains unclear exactly when the grant program will open for application and funds will become available, Steiner said that the CFP will apply when the program allows. The bill’s language does not clarify whether universities or individual food pantries will submit applications.
Steiner also said that were they able to receive these funds, the pantry would order more food for distribution to students and that the bill will transform the pantry’s ability to provide services and meet the increasing need on Grounds.
According to Steiner, students who experience food insecurity are more likely to drop out of school, have lower GPAs and face increased challenges with mental health and overall wellbeing. Steiner said she hopes this new legislation will help the CFP serve all students at the University to foster a healthy, happy and thriving community.
“The bill not only acknowledges the reality of food insecurity, but also provides practical, sustainable solutions,” Steiner said. “Its goals — to offer immediate assistance, develop long-term strategies and foster partnerships — are essential for creating meaningful change.”
A piece of vetoed legislation that would have had a considerable impact on the University community was SB 917. Introduced by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, the bill would have granted collective bargaining rights to all Virginia public employees. Student employees at the University would have gained the right to commune with their colleagues to negotiate better working conditions or wages if necessary.
Because the bill was vetoed, the existing ban on collective bargaining remains in place. According to a veto statement released by the Governor’s office, Youngkin vetoed SB 917 due to a lack of funding mechanism for its implementation and because it would be costly to Virginia taxpayers.
“The legislation represents a fundamental shift in employment policy in the Commonwealth of Virginia that would threaten the funding and delivery of critical state and local services and will collectively [cost] taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year,” Youngkin said.
Other notable bills that Youngkin signed — which will have less of an effect on the University — focused on maintaining Virginia’s status as a welcoming state for businesses. These include measures to allow site development grants to be allocated to businesses planning to launch in smaller localities and grants for manufacturers of semiconductors and lithium-ion battery separators.
Other bills that Youngkin vetoed included measures to establish a retail market for marijuana, raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2027 and expand paid sick leave to cover all employees of private employers and state and local governments. Youngkin also returned House Bill 1600 — the biennial budget proposed by the General Assembly — making a total of 205 amendments and vetoing eight items.
As a new governor will be elected in November during the Virginia general election, this was Youngkin’s final time reviewing legislation. During his four years in the governorship, Youngkin vetoed a total of 399 bills, more than any other governor in Virginia history. 358 of Youngkin’s vetoes occurred during his final two years in office, after Democrats flipped control of the House of Delegates in 2023.
The General Assembly also voted to pass three amendments to the Virginia constitution. House Joint Resolutions 1, 2 and 9 would enshrine reproductive rights, voting rights and marriage equality into the Virginia constitution, respectively. To amend the Virginia constitution, a resolution must pass two votes by the General Assembly with an election in between the two votes. If the amendment passes both votes, it will then appear on the ballot for Virginia residents to vote for or against it, instead of the governor approving them such as with bills.
Virginia residents will go to the ballot box in November 2026 to vote on the three proposed amendments to the state constitution if the amendments pass their second vote during the 2026 convening of the General Assembly.
Enacted legislation from this legislative session will go into effect July 1 unless otherwise stated in the bill.
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