My full end of session letter here:

As the 2025 legislative session in Richmond comes to a close, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve as your Delegate and give you an update on what we accomplished this year. This session, I continued to focus on several key areas that directly impact our district both through the legislation I carried and the legislation I supported. I'm proud to report that we made significant progress, passing nine bills through the House, eight through the Senate and getting five signed into law by the Governor:

HB1682: Supports the Virginia Railway Express (VRE). This will help save roughly $100,000 a year and help streamline the process of procuring insurance for the VRE.

HB1800: Clarifies that individuals with disabilities have the right to fully and freely use public playgrounds. This means all new or renovated public playgrounds must be accessible and inclusive.

HB1804: Streamlines the application process for Medicaid Works. This bill requires the state to check if people are eligible to participate in the Medicaid Works program when they apply for Medicaid. Currently, Virginia has one of  the lowest participation rates in the country.

HB1805: Focuses on improving the transition process for students with disabilities when moving from high school to college. This bill ensures that students who graduate high school with a current IEP will no longer have to re-prove their disability at any public college or university in Virginia.

HB1806: Allows public school students with a disability to have accommodations and supports during emergency situations and evacuations included in their IEP. This means the IEP team (including the student and their parent/guardian) will come up with and have to sign off on the best plan to help the student be informed and safe in an emergency.

My final bill, HB1678: Safe Firearm and Prescription Drug Storage Notification came back to the General Assembly with an amendment from the Governor that was completely unrelated to the original bill. The Governor tried to attach language about transgender students onto a bill about safe and secure storage. At our reconvene session, the Speaker ultimately ruled the Governor's change as not germane to the bill and therefore it was struck. The bill has now been sent back to the Governor (in its original form) and awaits his action but is, unfortunately, likely to be vetoed.

This session we also passed the first round of our constitutional amendments to protect reproductive health care, enshrine marriage equality, and guarantee the automatic restoration of voting rights. These constitutional amendments will now move to the next phase of the process, requiring approval by the General Assembly again in 2026 before being placed on the ballot for Virginians to vote on in November of that year.

On transportation issues, I fought hard this session for several measures that would make our communities safer. I pushed for $1 million in the budget to go towards pedestrian and bike safety initiatives, particularly with a focus around our schools. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of accidents, and unfortunately fatalities involving student pedestrians. My request was not ultimately included in the budget this year as there is a lot of uncertainty in regard to federal spending, but I am going to continue to work in the offseason and come back next year in the hopes that it will be included in the 2026 biennium budget. Additionally, I carried legislation to expand the distance of school zones to allow localities more flexibility in speed and enforcement and, ultimately, increase safety. This bill was tabled as the General Assembly seeks a total overhaul of our code sections regarding speed cameras. I intend to reintroduce this bill next year. 

This session we made meaningful progress toward unlocking Virginia’s full potential by passing a budget that puts families first, boosts our economy, and supports our local communities. This responsible, family-focused plan tackles the housing shortage, improves access to childcare, makes college more affordable, and helps working Virginians keep more of their hard-earned money. It also makes strong investments in our schools, ensuring every child can receive a world class education and every family has the chance to succeed. I am specifically proud to have supported the final removal of the cap on funding for school support positions that has been in place since 2007.

I’m grateful to everyone who came forward with ideas for bills this session and so happy to see these important bills get signed. While we’ve made significant progress, there is still so much work to be done. I’m excited to continue to fight for our community and advocate for the issues that matter most to you. As always, I welcome your feedback and encourage you to reach out to my office with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have.

Together, we can build a stronger, better future for all Virginians. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your delegate.

Sincerely,

Delegate Laura Jane Cohen