In the last quarter of the year, Virginia’s legislative process quietly goes into a very productive phase, as boards, commissions, and legislative working groups meet and discuss issues for potential bills in 2027. Some have mandates from the General Assembly to issue formal reports responding to specific questions.
One such legislative working group convened to discuss a legal framework for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles. While this group was initially created after the House of Delegates considered legislation in 2025, it never met in 2025. This led me to introduce my bill, SB670, in 2026, a framework for autonomous vehicles that passed the Senate 35-4. That vote sent a clear message: the Senate of Virginia knows autonomous vehicles are coming, and we want to ensure they are operated safely and responsibly on Virginia’s roads, while protecting Virginians.
The working group met 5 times in 2026, but was unable to reach a consensus on many of the details. This is not unusual, as these groups are designed to bring together parties with competing interests. The report this workgroup issues will be an interesting glimpse into the competing interests of the auto manufacturers, professional drivers, consumer safety advocates, and local governments, all of whom will seek to convince the General Assembly that their ideal legislation is the right policy for Virginia.
Another legislative workgroup is analyzing SB717, my bill to increase development of housing near major transit hubs like the Silver Line. This workgroup was created through language in the state budget directing the Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a statewide review of opportunities and obstacles for transit-oriented housing. That report is due in December, a short time before the next legislative session begins, but its findings will help craft policy to build more housing that takes advantage of our existing transportation infrastructure.
The Joint Commission on Health Care and the Health Insurance Reform Commission are permanent commissions with the task of studying Virginia’s healthcare system and insurance market. Our goal in the Senate Democratic Caucus has been to bring that number to zero, so that every individual legally present in the Commonwealth of Virginia has access to the healthcare system when they need it. Through Medicaid Expansion, the Affordable Care Act, and Virginia’s Health Insurance Marketplace, the number of Virginians without health insurance coverage had been brought below 7%, the lowest it has ever been.
Federal cuts in Trump’s H.R.1 are threatening to reverse that progress. New work requirements for Medicaid mean more than 300,000 Virginians are at risk of losing coverage unless they are able to document suitable work or an exemption, and more than 24,000 of them live in Fairfax County, Fairfax City, or Falls Church. New citizenship requirements mean many legal residents will no longer be eligible for either Medicaid or premium assistance under the ACA, making health insurance impossible to afford. The vast majority of those impacted by this change live here in our community. Creative legislation and targeted budget measures to ensure healthcare is available and affordable for everyone will be one of our top priorities next year.
Finally, two of my bills about artificial intelligence were reviewed by commissions: SB585 about landlords using AI to set rent, and SB586 about health insurers using AI to deny claims. They were sent to the Virginia Housing Commission and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science for study in part because of President Trump’s threat to cut funding to states that regulate AI. While I do not expect either to issue a formal recommendation for a bill, the reports create a greater awareness of the issues among both legislators, the professional staff of the commissions, and the public. In the case of healthcare, a recent lawsuit claims that one insurer’s AI tool erroneously denies claims 90% of the time.
In one year, an idea that nobody ever heard of can become a well crafted policy with broad support if enough people lean in and do the work. Virginians are counting on it, because the rent is too high, and an erroneous claim denial in a critical healthcare situation could have life altering consequences. I know that these are the kinds of problems facing families in my district every day, and I will continue to work to find solutions that can make all our lives better.
