Workplace Violence Reporting, Midwifery Practice Authority, Nursing Program Funding & More
Earlier this month, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin reviewed 916 bills from the 2025 General Assembly session, signing 599, amending 159, and vetoing 157. He returned the proposed budget (HB 1600) with 205 amendments and 8 line-item vetoes. The General Assembly then reconvened to vote on these amendments and vetoes.
All recommended amendments from Governor Youngkin require both chambers to approve them by a majority vote for the amendment to be adopted. If any amendments to a bill are rejected, the Governor may then either sign or veto the legislation. If his recommended amendments are agreed to, the bill goes into law.
The General Assembly may pass a bill, despite the Governor's veto, with two-thirds of the members of each chamber voting to override the veto. Otherwise, the legislation is dead.
Below you'll find some key highlights on legislation the Virginia Nurses Association has followed this session. For the full list of 2025 legislation we're tracking, please click here to navigate to our 2025 Bill List!
Bills Approved by the Governor:
Workplace Violence Reporting: SB 1260 & HB 2269
Stackable Nursing Credits: SB 953 & HB 2548
Increasing Student-to-Faculty Ratios in Nursing Schools: HB 1860
Independent Practice Authority for Certified Midwives: HB 1635 & SB 1352
Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses in Student Athletes: SB 1104 & HB 1663
Bills Vetoed by the Governor:
Bias & Cultural Competency Training for Maternal Health Workers: Amended to reduce required training to two hours. This amendment was rejected by the chamber and returned to the Governor for further action.
Right to Contraception Bill: Recommended amendment allowing refusals based on religious or conscientious objections. The House rejected the amendment, and the bill was returned to the Governor for consideration.
Bills Amended by the Governor:
Insurance Reimbursement Parity for Midwives: HB 1923 -- The bill now includes a reenactment clause, requiring it to be reapproved in 2026 following an interim study.
- On a bipartisan 81-14 vote, the House rejected the Governor's proposed amendment to the bill and related budget language.
- The House then passed the bill in enrolled form by a vote of 70-24, which would have made it veto-proof, but the Senate failed to take the same action.
- The Governor must now decide whether to sign or veto the bill.
Budget Actions by the Governor:
Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship: Amendment makes humanitarian parolees ineligible.
Tuition Assistance for Nursing Students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Increased funding by $300,000.
Midwife Reimbursement Rate Increase: Vetoed funding ($550K general fund, $782K non-general funds).
What's Next?
The revised budget largely preserves the bipartisan agreement reached in February, incorporating select changes proposed by the Governor. Governor Youngkin now has three options:
- Sign the budget (or allow it to become law without signing)
- Veto the budget in full
- Call a special session to continue negotiations
If no agreement is reached, Virginia will continue operating under the existing biennial budget passed last year. The Governor has until May 2 to make a final decision, so we'll share more updates around then!
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