By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
More than half of the roughly 2,400 bills introduced during Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly session did not pass, even as lawmakers moved hundreds of others forward.
Data from the Virginia Public Access Project shows lawmakers passed about 47% of the bills they introduced in the House of Delegates. Democratic delegates passed about 55% of their bills, while Republican delegates passed about 22%, highlighting how legislation moved through a chamber with majority of Democrats.
A similar pattern played out in the state Senate. Senators passed about 53% of the bills they introduced overall. Democratic senators passed about 64% of their bills, compared with about 35% for Republican senators.
Together, the numbers show a consistent gap between the parties in both chambers as legislation moved through the process.
Voting patterns also showed differences in how lawmakers aligned on close votes. In the House, Democrats voted together about 81% of the time in closely contested votes, compared with about 70% for Republicans, according to VPAP. In the Senate, Democrats showed higher voting unity, at about 92%, while Republicans were closer to about 62%.
Lawmakers approved a range of high-profile proposals during the session, including a measure to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028 and legislation establishing a right to obtain contraception.
Other proposals stalled earlier in the process. A bill that would have changed the state income tax standard deduction did not advance out of committee, while a proposal dealing with felony prosecution timelines was carried over to the 2027 session.
Many proposals never made it to a full vote. In Virginia’s legislative process, bills must clear committee before reaching the floor, and a large share are defeated or left in committee each year. That step often determines which proposals advance and which do not, regardless of party control.
Lawmakers also ended the session without finalizing a state budget, which will require a special session.
