A Second Overview of Legislation Introduced by Local Lawmakers
More from Josh Cole, plus legislation introduced by Nicole Cole and Tara Durant.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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The Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 Session begins Wednesday morning. Here’s an a second overview of legislation that local elected officials have introduced so far.
Josh Cole (D—House District 65)
Cole introduced seven bills in late December and has introduced seven more since then:
HB 89, which would require the Department of Elections to develop and implement an online filing system to accept any form, petition, or notification filed by electronically by a party official or candidate for office.
HB 241, which would allow registered motor vehicles to display a single license plate on the rear of the vehicle (instead of one on the front and back), except for tractor trucks, which shall display the license plate on the front of the vehicle.
HB 242, which would prohibit a public utility from raising the monthly payment for customers enrolled in a budget plan more than once every 12 months, or without notifying the customer in writing at least 30 days in advance of such an increase.
HB 243, which would impose on large employers a corporate welfare tax equal to 100% of the qualified employee benefits received by any employees.
HB 320, which would prohibit initiating, participating in, or viewing a live-stream while driving.
HB 360, which prohibits the sale of any kratom product to any person younger than 21.
House Joint Resolution 8, requesting the Judicial Council of Virginia to study the current boundary of the 15th Judicial Circuit and determine if the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties should be removed from the current judicial circuit boundary lines and a new judicial circuit composed of those localities be established.
All of Cole’s bills have been assigned to committees, except for HB 320 and HB 360, which have committee referral pending.
Nicole Cole (D—House District 66)
Nicole Cole was elected in November to represent House District 66, which includes parts of Spotsylvania and Caroline counties. She unseated incumbent and longtime representative Bobby Orrock. She introduced the following bills this week, all of which have pending committee referrals.
House Bill 412, which would require funding allocated for education by a local governing body to meet or exceed funding requested in the needs-based budget prepared and approved by local school boards.
HB 418, which would require localities to permit manufactured housing in all zoning districts “where site-built housing is allowed.” The bill provides that manufactured housing shall be subject to the same development standards as site-built single-family dwellings, “but that such standards shall not have the effect of excluding manufactured housing.”
HB 419, which would require localities to take final action to approve, approve with conditions, or deny any land use application for the rezoning or development of property that includes residential development within 12 months from the date of submission.
HB 420, which would allow rate increase cases to be reopened with the State Corporation Commission under certain circumstances.
HB 421, which refers to how lost profits are determined during condemnation proceedings on public waterworks systems.
HB 422, which would prohibit a public water or sewer service from filing an application for a rate increase more than once every three years.
Tara Durant (R—State Senate District 27)
Durant was elected in 2023 to represent State Senate District 27, which includes all of Fredericksburg City and parts of Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. She has introduced the following bill for the 2026 General Assembly session:
Senate Bill 114, which would modify the program rules for consumer-directed services available through certain Medicaid waivers to allow an individual receiving services to serve as the employer of record (EOR) for his own service delivery. This bill was referred on January 5 to the Senate Committee on Education and Health.
The Fredericksburg area’s other General Assembly members—Phil Scott (R-House District 63); Stacey Carroll (D-House District 64); Richard Stuart (R-Senate District 25); and Bryce Reeves (R-Senate District 28)—have not yet introduced any legislation, according to Virginia’s legislative information system.
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