The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session closed out on March 13th with the ink drying on Governor Spanberger’s signatures on a few great steps forward. It was another hectic session in Richmond with a record number of bills introduced, and the looming financial challenges from the federal level cast a long shadow over the entire endeavor. In fact, as of today, we still do not have a 2026-2028 budget because of a bloody back-and-forth fight over data center tax exemptions.
Regardless, I felt like it was time to pass along some of the highlights and lowlights of the session!
Here are some areas where Virginia made real progress this year.
PFAS “Forever Chemicals”
Grappling with PFAS chemicals in sewage sludge (“biosolids”) was a major theme this session, and there were some real wins.
Starting in 2027, owners of sewage treatment plants will be required to test sewage sludge that’s intended for sale or distribution for PFAS. Sludge that is found to have high levels will be restricted.
In addition, a bill passed that requires PFAS testing and special permitting for sewage sludge intended for land application. It also requires that land owners be informed of the test results and consent before land application is allowed.
VA also took a major step in tracking PFAS pollution at its source with legislation requiring quarterly wastewater discharge testing and reporting for industrial water users. While this does not require any change in the production processes that cause the contamination, it is a vital first step toward that.
Finally, a smaller but still very important PFAS bill passed requiring Richmond International Airport to stop using PFAS chemicals in firefighting materials. This the first in what will hopefully be a trend of similar PFAS bans across the Commonwealth.
Compost
This session also saw progress on composting in the Commonwealth. A broad compost bill passed that:
- allows smaller, local composters to compete with larger companies for contracts through the Department of General Services,
- enables localities to require entities that produce large amounts of organic waste to compost that waste, and
- states that new schools or renovations should include composting as part of proper waste-sorting infrastructure.
Data Centers
While the fight over tax exemptions is still ongoing, we had a major win on data center water use. Starting on January 1, 2027, data centers will be required to make regular reports on water use. This is a major step in grappling with the massive use of resources by data centers in Virginia.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news this session. Some of the bad news:
Waste Reduction
One win that’s easy to overlook is that the legislature sent Virginia’s first Extended Producer Responsibility law to the Governor’s desk - in the form of a Mattress Stewardship Program. This law would have required mattress producers to take steps to make sure mattresses are recycled properly when they’re done being used instead of going straight into the trash.
The bad news is that Governor Spanberger vetoed this bipartisan bill right at the end of its run through the Assembly. This bill is an excellent example of the kind of policy we need in order to reach a “Zero Waste” future, so we are hoping to see this effort — and more like it — back next year!
Additionally, there were two different “Right to Repair” bills that were introduced but ultimately unsuccessful this session.
- The first would have enforced farmers’ right to repair their own farm equipment, requiring manufacturers to publicly share the information needed for owners or third parties to repair the equipment.
- Similarly, there was a “Right to Repair” bill for electronics which would have required the manufacturers of consumer electronics to make publicly available the means for fixing and maintaining the phones and computers we rely on every day.
While neither of these bills were successful this year, we hope to see them come back next session!
Well Water Testing for PFAS “Forever Chemicals”
Another really sad defeat this session was a bill that would have supported rural Virginians in getting their water tested for PFAS. This bill failed to get traction, but is sorely needed as so much of Virginia lives with well water that is most vulnerable to PFAS runoff from farms and similar sources.
Although in some ways the session isn’t over yet with the 2026-2028 budget still up in the air, overall it was a remarkable session for pushing Virginia forward on water issues — even more than I had space for here! While there were setbacks, we also see some major opportunities going into the rest of 2026 and next year’s session, especially around waste reduction!
