Sen. Kannan Srinivasan

Study; Department of Environmental Quality; groundwater supply in western Loudoun and Fauquier Counties; report. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to study the threats and challenges to the groundwater supply in western Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, to complete its meetings by November 30, 2026, and to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than December 31, 2026.

Average teacher salary in the Commonwealth; national average. Requires the Governor's introduced budget bills for the 2027 and 2028 Regular Sessions of the General Assembly to propose funding for, and state funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act enacted during any regular or special session of the General Assembly during 2027 or 2028 to fund, the Commonwealth's share of compensation supplement incentives for Standards of Quality-funded instructional and support positions sufficient to increase the average teacher salary in the Commonwealth to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of fiscal year 2029 and establishes a detailed timeline and process for satisfying such requirement.

Administration of government; language access equity; report. Requires each public-facing state agency, defined in the bill, to designate a language access coordinator who will be responsible for the agency's annual language access report, the requirements of which are set out in the bill. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources is directed to establish criteria for state agencies to procure language interpretation and translation services and to establish a policy for compensating multilingual state employees who are required as part of their job to provide interpretation, translation, or other bilingual skills at least once a month.

Commonwealth Savers Plan; State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; Virginia College Access and Affordability Scholarship Fund established; work group; report. Directs the transfer of actuarial surplus defined benefit prepaid tuition contract funds from the Commonwealth Savers Plan (the Plan) Fund into a DB529 Fund established by the bill to be deposited into the Virginia College Access and Affordability Scholarship Fund (the Access Fund) established by the bill. Under the bill, the DB529 Fund and the Access Fund operate as subfunds of the Commonwealth Savers Plan Fund. The bill further provides that the Plan shall initially deposit $500 million from the DB529 Fund into the Access Fund to be invested and managed by the Plan. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall no less than biennially complete an independent evaluation and risk assessment of the Plan's risk assessment model, assumptions, and other measures employed by the Plan related to the DB529 Fund and the Access Fund. Funds in the Access Fund shall be used to establish a scholarship program that is managed and administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council). The scholarship program provides scholarship awards to students enrolled in an eligible education program, defined in the bill, and a portion of the funds are to be devoted to college access resources or programs to assist low-income students, first generation college students, students from underrepresented communities, or other at-risk students with their introduction to the higher education system in Virginia, college applications, financial aid applications, and resources assisting with a successful transition from high school to college. The Council is required to report on the Access Fund and scholarship program no later than December 31 of each year. Finally, the bill (i) directs the Council to establish a work group of higher education stakeholders to make recommendations on allocations of funds available through the Access Fund and scholarship program and directs the work group to report to the House Committees on Education and Appropriations and Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance and Appropriations no later than November 1, 2026, and (ii) prohibits the Plan from implementing or taking part in any initiatives relating to the aforementioned college access programs on or after July 1, 2026, except for existing access programs related to a prepaid tuition contract entered into on or before June 30, 2026, and existing program offerings made available for SOAR Virginia and GEAR UP Virginia.

Public institutions of higher education; undergraduate Virginia student tuition and mandatory fees; two-year freeze. Requires the tuition and mandatory fees charged to undergraduate Virginia students at each public institution of higher education to be capped at the rate charged to such students for the first academic term of the 2025-2026 academic year. The provisions of the bill expire on July 1, 2028.

Virginia High School League; evaluation; feasibility of adding cricket as a sanctioned high school sport in Planning District 8; report. Encourages the Virginia High School League (VHSL) to conduct an evaluation of the feasibility of adding cricket as a sanctioned high school sport in Planning District 8 and, in conducting such evaluation, to (i) consult with local school divisions, athletic directors, principals, students, community organizations, and youth sports leagues in Planning District 8 to determine interest, costs, facility needs, and other relevant considerations; (ii) take into consideration any legal implications of such a change pursuant to relevant law; and (iii) submit a written report of its findings and recommendations, including a framework with which interested school divisions may petition VHSL to sanction cricket as a high school sport, to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations and each local school division in Planning District 8 no later than December 1, 2026.

Health insurance; coverage for speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering. Requires health insurance carriers whose health care plans include coverage for habilitative services and rehabilitative services, as such terms are defined in the bill, to provide coverage for habilitative speech therapy and rehabilitative speech therapy, as such terms are defined in the bill, as a treatment for stuttering. The bill provides that such coverage is not (i) subject to any maximum annual benefit limit, including any limits on the number of visits an insured may make to a speech-language pathologist; (ii) limited based on the type of disease, injury, disorder, or other medical condition that resulted in the stuttering; or (iii) subject to utilization review or utilization management requirements, including prior authorization or a determination that the habilitative or rehabilitative speech therapy services are medically necessary. The bill applies to health care plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on and after January 1, 2027.

Maddy summarySJ 83 is a ceremonial resolution commending the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work for its contributions to mental health services in the region. It has no policy provisions or direct impact on laws, regulations, or constituents - its purpose is solely to express legislative recognition. The bill passed unanimously in both the Senate and House via voice vote in February 2026 and was sent to the Governor. As a non-binding resolution, it does not alter any existing laws or create new obligations. This type of bill is common for honoring organizations but has no practical effect beyond symbolic acknowledgment.

Department of Conservation and Recreation; acceptance of property to establish a state park; Loudoun County. Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to accept from The Conservation Fund approximately 1,240 acres of real property and any buildings or structures thereon between Little River Turnpike, James Monroe Highway, and Tail Race Road in Loudoun County, known as Oak Hill Farm, for the purpose of establishing and operating a state park on such property.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally honors the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit organization that commemorates law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. It serves as a symbolic gesture of recognition without creating new laws, altering policies, or affecting any individuals or entities. The bill does not impose obligations or provide funding, as it is purely a ceremonial expression of support. It was unanimously approved by the Senate in February 2026.