Dear Friend,

I hope you are staying warm and safe during this winter snow & ice event. The email blast I sent yesterday has links to some helpful information. In case you missed the email, click here. If you can, check-in on vulnerable friends and neighbors, many are struggling to manage the life-threatening impacts of this event.

My bills that were heard by their respective committees received a green light and they are now on their way to the Senate floor. See subsequent paragraphs for more information on these bills. I am pleased to say that the tone of committee deliberations is noticeably more bipartisan (from my Republican colleagues) regarding how we can get to “yes” with respect to affordability and fairness issues. In fact, Republican lawmakers are attempting to influence legislation in ways that are more reasonable and less ideological than in past years. I attribute this new and welcome dynamic to the existence of a Democratic trifecta.  

In short, this past week was full of engagement and immersion in the legislative process. I kicked off the first meeting of the Senate Education & Health Committee, convened stakeholders to refine my bills and committee bills, met with constituents and much, much more!

The Redistricting Amendment:

The General Assembly, with concurrence from Governor Spanberger, is expected to set April 21st, 2026, for a special election on the constitutional question of whether state lawmakers should be granted a one-time authority to draw Virginia’s congressional districts. The constitutional amendment question has passed both chambers and is ready to go before the voters. It is important to remember that this request results from a power grab by Republican lawmakers in other states who are attempting to silence voters dissatisfied with President Trump’s policies.

The goal of President Trump (who strong armed Republican states to redraw their maps) and like-minded Republican lawmakers is to secure a Republican controlled House of Representatives in perpetuity. Patrick Henry warned against the dangers of tyranny and the erosion of rights. Disenfranchising voters is a serious erosion of rights, and such actions put our democracy at risk and undermine the very principles upon which our country was founded. We must pass this limited authority by approving the constitutional amendment.  More information on how you can help with this effort will be forthcoming.

Chairing Senate Education & Health Committee:

I kicked off the first meeting of the Senate Education & Health Committee (Ed & Health) this past Thursday. As is often the practice, I invited Marvin Figueroa, Virginia’s new Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Resources (HHR) and Jeffrey Smith, Ph.D., Virginia's new Secretary of  the Department of Education (VDOE) and the former Superintendent of the Hampden School Division. It is so refreshing to have a Secretary of Education who has run a public school division and has a track record of narrowing the achievement gap. Before being named Secretary of HHR, Marvin Figueroa was a deputy secretary of HHR and brings federal experience in health policy. He was an advisor to Senator Mark Warner.

As Chair of Ed & Health, I also serve on the Committee’s four subcommittees: Public Education, Health, Higher Education, and Health Professions. I assign most bills to a subcommittee where a detailed review and a robust discussion are made easier because of a lighter workload and expert lawmakers at the table. In short, I have managed the deliberations and ensured that necessary bill revisions were made on over 30 bills thus far. Over 140 bills have been assigned to the Ed & Health Committee. It is one of the busiest committees in the Senate.

Important Budget Notes:

The 2026 biennium budget will allocate funds to support re-benchmarking. It is my hope we can come closer to covering the full cost of implementing the Standards of Quality.  Moreover, I am advocating for additional dollars to support the At-Risk pass through grant, the English Language Learners program and the Individuals with Disabilities program. My SB 90 is aimed at establishing a model where additional dollars are available for students requiring additional resources to succeed. A more child-based funding formula for the subject grant programs will help all school divisions and children across the Commonwealth.

I am delighted that bi-partisan support appears to exist for human services that help children learn and thrive.  As a member of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee (SFAC), I will work to find state dollars to replace  the loss of federal funding in the school meals programs, access to primary and preventive care, baby wellness programs, and prenatal and post-partum care for immigrant mothers who are legally residing in the United States, commonly referred to as the FAMIS MOMS program. Fully funding the FAMIS MOMS program is one of my top budget priorities.

Senator Favola chairing the Senate Education & Health Committee.

My Bills Moving Through the Legislature:

I successfully defended 12 of my bills in front of various committees this week. These bills address a range of economic and fairness issues that Virginians are facing in their daily lives and I’m thrilled that they have all made a step toward landing on Governor Spanberger’s desk. You can track my legislation here, and highlights on some of the bills featured this week are noted below:

Criminal Justice Reform:

Ensuring Mental Health Assessments for Justice-Involved Youth (SB35): Authorizes courts to request a mental health or disability needs evaluation before sentencing a juvenile deemed to be delinquent. This bill is intended to encourage judges to seek a full picture of a juvenile’s challenges. This use of this authority will, hopefully, spark interest in diverting the juvenile to appropriate treatment options rather than detention. This bill passed out of the Courts of Justice Committee 15-0.

Increasing Access to Justice for Child Sexual Assault Survivors (SB37): This bill would allow an adult who was sexually assaulted as a child or an incapacitated adult to re-open the statute of limitations to bring civil charges against their abuser, if new corroborating evidence has now become available or was overlooked during the trial.  Corroborating evidence is defined as any evidence that strengthens the original evidence against the abuser, such as new testimony, DNA tests that are now available and records that have been overlooked. My bill attempts to align the law with scientific advancements made in understanding the human reactions to trauma. My bill passed out of the Courts of Justice Committee 14-0.

Judicial Checks on Indeterminate Stays for Juveniles (SB64): When a minor is convicted of an offense and sent to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), many sentences are “indeterminate.” This bill requires DJJ to petition the court if DJJ believes that the juvenile should be detained beyond the recommended length of stay according to DJJ guidelines. DJJ must provide an explanation of why the juvenile should be detained longer and specifically cover the youth’s participation in educational and rehabilitation programs and whether such programs were offered to the youth in a timely manner. This is a recommendation of the Commission on Youth, a Commission which I chair, and it passed out of the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee 12-0-3.

Diversion as an Option for Youth (SB70): Before an adjudication hearing, the juvenile would be allowed to petition the court to request a diversion sentence (with the consent of the Commonwealth Attorney). This was a recommendation of the Commission on Youth, a commission which I chair. The bill passed out of the Courts of Justice Committee 15-0.

Public Education:

Flexibility with at Risk Funds (SB33): Indicates that at-risk program funds can be used to place registered nurses or advanced placement nurses in public schools. This bill is a recommendation of the School Health Services Committee, a committee which I chair, and aims at expanding initiatives to support the physical and mental health of students. This bill successfully reported out of the Public Education Subcommittee and will now be in front of the full Education & Health Committee next week.

Healthcare Quality:

Allowing for End of Life Care for Terminally Ill Patients (SB71): Authorizes a hospital’s Patient Care Consulting Committee (PCCC) to make healthcare decisions for patients who are incapacitated and have no next of kin. This bill idea came to me from a registered nurse working in the ICU unit who is also an attorney. SB71 bill is on its way to the Senate floor after passing the full Education & Health Committee 11-2-1.

Improving Quality of Nursing Home Operators (SB247): Establishes change of operator obligations on nursing homes when there is a change of nursing home ownership. These obligations include a requirement for new operators to obtain a change of operator license from VDH. The license application would now include much detail on the performance history and quality reviews of the new operator. It is a step forward on ensuring better quality of care in Virginia's nursing homes. This bill was reported out of Education & Health unanimously and will be heard on the floor next week.

Other Happenings at the Capitol:

This week I met with dozens of constituents and advocacy groups. I appreciate the effort each advocate takes to speak up about the issues about which they are passionate. I was particularly excited to be able to connect with a group of students, parents, and educators that were visiting the Capitol with the Virginia PTA.

Senator Favola speaking with students from Arlington outside of a committee meeting.

I was pleased this week to participate in a press briefing with Voices for Virginia’s Children, a non-profit organization that advocates for quality education, mental health supports, and economic security for children across the Commonwealth. I was glad to highlight some of the legislative priorities that will most dramatically affect our children, including my SB125, which will provide further protections for foster youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

Lastly, thank you for the ongoing calls and emails.  The volume of correspondence from constituents and others has been very high. But I always appreciate hearing from you.

I hope you’ll visit my website at BarbaraFavola.org and subscribe to my regular newsletters. I also have a dynamic social media presence through Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). I hope you’ll follow my work using one or both of those platforms. You may also track legislation through Virginia’s Legislative Information System. The Commonwealth’s General Assembly website is a useful tool as well. You can follow events, find pertinent information, observe sessions, and monitor committee meetings through the site.

It is an honor and privilege to represent you in Richmond.

Sincerely,

Barbara Favola

Representing District 40