Legislative Update

The 2026 Virginia General Assembly Session has officially concluded, adjourning sine die on March 13 following a fast-paced and active legislative cycle. A special session will be convened the week of April 23 to finalize the state budget. This year, more than 2,800 bills were introduced, spanning a wide range of policy areas impacting the business community, infrastructure investment, workforce development, and the engineering industry.

Throughout the session, ACEC Virginia remained actively engaged on your behalf—working closely with legislators, partner organizations, and coalitions to advocate for policies that support the consulting engineering industry.

Below is a summary of key outcomes and priorities from this year’s session:

Legislation ACEC Virginia Supported

We were pleased to support several bills related to regulatory improvements and recognition of professional services:

• DPOR Regulatory Updates: Multiple bills were passed to improve regulatory board operations, including fee adjustments, quorum requirements, technical updates, and disciplinary authority enhancements. [HB796] [SB680] [HB1176] [HB1254] [HB1305]
• Geologists as Professional Services: Legislation advanced to formally recognize geologists as providers of “professional services,” aligning them with other licensed professions and exempting them from ULR requirements. [HB1289] [SB492] [HB1291]

While some supported bills did not advance this year—including efforts related to AI chatbot impersonation of certain licensed professionals [HB 669], study of federal graduate loan changes on in-state students [HB1310], and climate-adjusted design standards [HB1356]—we anticipate continued work on some of these issues heading into the 2027 session.

Legislation ACEC Virginia Opposed

ACEC Virginia successfully opposed several bills that could have negatively impacted our industry:

• “Corporate welfare” tax on large employers [HB243]
• Exemption from Uniform Statewide Building Code for homeowners that live off grid [HB314]
• Removing existing exceptions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code and establishing a process by which counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions may petition the State Building Code Technical Review Board (the Review Board) to grant single project exceptions. [HB1509]
• Legislation expanding the definition of lobbying to include local government interactions which would have impacted routine business development and professional engagement activities for our industry. [SB50]

Key Issues Monitored by ACEC Virginia

We closely monitored a range of legislation with potential implications for our members:

• Budget & Tax Policy: We tracked the ongoing budget negotiations and proposals related to corporate taxes, sales taxes on services HB900] / [SB730], and R&D tax credits. While many tax-related bills were continued to 2027, others—such as the state’s non-conformity with federal R&D tax credits [HB977] / [SB664], were incorporated into the budget bill. Discussions, particularly around revenue generation and transportation funding, are expected to continue.
• Procurement: Several procurement-related bills were reviewed to ensure protections for professional services. This includes [HB61] Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program. ACEC Virginia continues to work on amendments to establish a professional services SWaM set-aside threshold of $80,000—aligning with the existing small purchase exemption—rather than the current across-the-board $200,000 threshold included in the bill.
• Labor & Workforce: We followed legislation addressing wage history restrictions [HB636] / [SB215], worker classification [HB238] / [SB644], non-compete agreements [SB170] / [HB949], and employment contract provisions [HB923].
• Energy & Environment: Key topics included data centers, renewable energy standards (including nuclear) [HB369], flood preparedness, PFAS monitoring [SB138], and coastal resilience planning [HB237].
• Transportation: ACEC Virginia worked closely with partners on transportation-related legislation, including:
  • Engagement with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) on procurement thresholds and contract limits. [HB141]
  • Monitoring NEPA-related legislation impacting VDOT authority. [HB411] / [SB716]
  • Tracking funding and safety initiatives.
• Building Codes & Vertical Construction: Legislation related to fire prevention codes for agritourism structures was amended to a study, addressing initial concerns raised by ACEC Virginia. [HB735] / [SB132]

For a detailed look at all legislation tracked this session, please visit our full bill tracker:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l3Ox_9dAYjhMGKnde-ty5AAfwbIKoWj6YbSoF08Nk3E/edit?usp=sharing

For a more in-depth debrief, be sure to register for the ACEC Virginia Summer Conference & Annual Meeting, taking place June 10–12 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront. ACEC Virginia’s lobbyist, Patrick Cushing, will join us on Friday, June 12, to present “2026 Virginia General Assembly Session Recap & The New Virginia Political Landscape.”

Thank you for your continued engagement and support of ACEC Virginia’s advocacy efforts.

If you have questions or would like to get more involved, please do not hesitate to reach out to Kristina Preisner, kpreisner@acecva.org.