The major bills Youngkin has signed in 2024
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
Hundreds of changes to Virginia law will take effect this summer.
The big picture: Gov. Youngkin has signed 777 of the 1,046 bills lawmakers passed this year, his office announced Monday night.
- He amended another 116 and vetoed the rest.
Why it matters: Some legislation that will become law, like marriage equality and a ban on legacy admissions, have been front and center since their passage. Others have flown under the radar.
Here's a rundown of some of them.
Casino
🎰 Richmond is no longer eligible to host a casino, and any city with a failed casino referendum has to wait three years before trying again.
Education
🎓 Legacy admissions are banned at Virginia's public universities.
🧠 School boards can adopt policies to increase access to mental health resources for students by expanding teletherapy options.
Food and drink
🍹 Cocktails to go are now permanent.
Guns
🚨 It's a felony for a parent or guardian to give gun access to a child deemed a threat.
Hate crimes
📝 The definition of a hate crime has expanded to include ethnicity.
Health
🔍 The use of search warrants for menstrual health data often stored in period-tracking apps is prohibited.
🤰 Health insurers will be required to cover state-certified doula services if the legislature passes the bill again next year after a state commission review.
🏥 There will be a state plan created to investigate allegations of abuse or neglect at state psychiatric hospitals by Nov. 1.
Marriage equality
💍 Same-sex and interracial marriage will remain legal in Virginia regardless of future Supreme Court decisions.
Opioids
⛑️ A series of bills will require all state agencies, plus public elementary and high schools, to have naloxone, or other opioid overdose reversal treatments, on hand.
- High schoolers will also be encouraged to be trained in administering naloxone before graduation.
Public safety
📸 Local police agencies can put photo speed monitoring devices at high-risk intersections.
👮🏻♂️ Local police are now required to annually share what surveillance technologies they use to the state.
Miscellaneous
🚽 Retail establishments who don't have public bathrooms, but have private ones for employees, are required to allow you to use it if you're pregnant or have IBS or Crohn's disease.
🚗 Towing companies have to give a 48-hour heads up before towing your car from a "multifamily dwelling unit" parking lot for an expired inspection or registration.
👶 Localities can waive zoning permit requirements to have child care programs inside office buildings.
🐻 Anyone can claim roadkill like deer or bears to use however they want.
🐝 The European honey bee is the official pollinator of Virginia.
What we're watching: Lawmakers will be back in session on April 17 to respond to Youngkin's amendments, which include letting localities ban skill games and a push to fast track the Petersburg casino.
Go deeper: The major bills Youngkin has vetoed.