Youngkin signs 738 new bills Tuesday including many sponsored by Lewis and Bloxom

RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin signed 738 bills into law, offered substantive and technical amendments to 78 bills, and vetoed three bills, taking action on a total of 819 bills sent to his desk during the 2023 General Assembly Session.   

“At the conclusion of the Session, I was honored to sign key pieces of bipartisan legislation that bolster law enforcement, cut red tape, make Virginia more competitive, and build on my commitment to restore excellence in education. While the 2023 Session leaves many big items unfinished, including the adoption of a budget that offers serious tax relief for Virginians and makes significant investments like our Right Help, Right Now initiative to transform behavioral health care, we have made significant progress in advancing commonsense policies that deliver for everyone,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. 

The Govern or signed several bills originated by Senator Lynwood Lewis and Delegate Rob Bloxom.   These bills include but are not limited to:

HB 1805 (Bloxom) and SB 1401 (Lewis) – Allows the Virginia Resources Authority to finance community development housing projects,including those for low income families.

SB 1187 (Lewis) – Encourages localities to consider strategies to address resilience in their comprehensive plans.

HB 1950 (Bloxom) and SB 1160 (Stuart) – Directs the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to review and update its “Guidelines for Establishment, Use and Operation of Tidal Wetland Mitigation Banks in Virginia” and its regulations, Wetlands Mitigation-Compensation Banks and Supplemental Guidelines.

SB 1388 (Lewis) – Directs the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to develop plans for studying the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of menhaden populations in the waters of the Commonwealth and to provide a report on its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.

HB 1951 (Bloxom) and SB 1478 (Lewis) – Makes the Chincoteague pony the official pony of the Commonwealth.

HB 2325 (Bloxom) and SB 1438 (Stuart) – Prohibits foreign adversaries of the United States from acquiring interest in Virginia’s agricultural land. The Governor has offered technical and clarifying amendments related to enforcement.

HB 2444 (Bloxom) and SB 1441 (Locke) – Provides for preferred recovery of costs associated with the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) electric generation components that will benefit the Commonwealth economically. To increase ratepayers’ protection, the Governor’s amendment ensures competitive solicitation for the second phase of CVOW development.

There were other bills by Del. Bloxom and Senator Lewis signed by the Governor among other bills that became law Tuesday.