Action Center
2024 General Assembly Session Recap
2024 General Assembly Session: How Did Your Legislators Vote?
During the 2024 Virginia General Assembly session, your state senator and delegate cast key votes on critical issues impacting human life, dignity and the common good. This report contains three charts:
- A Senate chart showing how your senator voted;
- A House chart showing how your delegate voted; and
- A House Health & Human Services Committee chart with two key committee votes.
The House Health & Human Services Committee chart was included to report how the Committee’s 22 delegates voted on two matters of top concern that did not receive House floor votes.
At the conclusion of the report are:
- Descriptions of Legislation featured in the charts, organized into three categories – Life & Liberty, Families & Children, and Social & Economic Concerns.
- An Index of Legislation, for those interested in more detail than what the brief bill descriptions provide.
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Descriptions of Legislation
LIFE & LIBERTY
Respecting Other States’ Pro-Life Laws (1): The VCC opposed Senate and House bills that sought to shield abortion providers in Virginia from prosecution for breaking other states’ laws on abortion – enabling them, for example, to prescribe and mail chemical abortion drugs to women and girls in other states even if doing so would violate their laws. These bills passed both chambers. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin vetoed them.*
Respecting Other States’ Pro-Life Laws (2): VCC-opposed bills to shield abortion providers in Virginia from disciplinary action by the Virginia Board of Medicine for breaking other states’ laws on abortion passed both chambers. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin vetoed them.*
Opposing Assisted Suicide: For the fifth time in six years, VCC-opposed legislation to legalize assisted suicide was introduced. It passed the Senate and passed a House committee. (See Senate and House Health & Human Services Committee charts.) However, it did not proceed to a House floor vote, and another House committee ultimately decided to postpone its further consideration until 2025.
Protecting Life & Parental Rights: A House committee rejected VCC-supported legislation to protect the rights of parents in critical care decisions involving their children. The bill would have required written parental consent for Do Not Resuscitate orders. (See House Health & Human Services Committee chart.)
Opposing Liquefying Deceased Persons: The VCC opposed a bill to permit alkaline hydrolysis – a process in which human remains are liquefied, treated as “wastewater” and disposed of through the sewer system. The measure passed the House but was defeated in the Senate. (See Senate and House charts.)
Opposing Contraceptive Mandate: VCC-opposed legislation to require health plans to cover all drugs the FDA defines as contraceptives – including those that can cause abortions – passed the Senate and House. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin proposed an amendment to exempt health plan sponsors whose religious or ethical beliefs conflict with the bill’s requirements.**
FAMILIES & CHILDREN
Preserving Conscience & Parental Rights: The VCC opposed legislation seeking to grant minors a “right” to undergo sterilization procedures and obtain contraceptives. The proposal would also have undermined the religious liberty and conscience rights of hospitals and health clinics that do not provide sterilization procedures or contraceptives due to their beliefs. The measure passed the Senate and House. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin proposed an amendment to narrow its scope and reflect existing law.**
Opposing Commercial Surrogacy Brokers: VCC-opposed surrogacy expansion legislation – attempting to allow commercial surrogacy brokers to operate in Virginia – passed the House and Senate. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin vetoed the legislation.*
Protecting Marriage: The VCC opposed legislation creating a statutory definition of marriage that directly conflicts with the one-man-one-woman definition of marriage in the Virginia constitution. The measure, however, passed both chambers. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin signed the legislation. The VCC will continue to advocate for the preservation of the one-man-one-woman marriage provision in Virginia’s constitution.
Opposing Marijuana Commercialization: Although Virginia enacted legislation in 2021 to legalize marijuana possession and home cultivation, legislation to allow the sale of marijuana – including high-potency THC – in “pot shops” was not included in that legislation. This year, the Senate and House passed an expansive commercialization measure. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin, however, vetoed the legislation, and hence sales remain illegal.* The VCC opposes commercialization because of the severe risks of mass-marketed THC to children, health and public safety.
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC CONCERNS
Limiting Isolated Confinement: The Senate and House passed a VCC-supported measure to place a clear limit on the amount of time an incarcerated person can be held in isolated confinement. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin vetoed the legislation.*
Reducing Drug Costs: A VCC-supported proposal to establish a regulatory framework to make especially expensive prescription drugs more affordable passed the Senate and House. (See Senate and House charts.) Gov. Youngkin vetoed it.*
*Veto sustained during Reconvened Session on April 17.
**Amendment rejected during Reconvened Session on April 17.
Learn More About the Virginia Catholic Conference!
What We Do
Led by Diocese of Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Diocese of Richmond Bishop Barry C. Knestout, the Conference advocates for:
Respect life initiatives that protect human life and dignity in every stage of development and circumstance, from conception until natural death.
Social justice initiatives that protect the rights and serve the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable members of the human family, including children, the elderly, people with disabilities, immigrants and refugees.
Family life and education initiatives that preserve and support religious liberty, the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, the family and parental choice in their children’s education.
During the 2024 General Assembly session, the VCC took positions on more than 80 bills, testified in front of various committees and subcommittees, sent over 25 email and text alerts, and advocated directly with members of the General Assembly.
How We Do It
The Conference advocates by:
Building and maintaining relationships with state and federal lawmakers, as well as other advocacy organizations with shared interests.
Supporting diocesan efforts by providing resources that apply Church teaching to current issues.
Promoting grassroots and grasstops advocacy among Catholics and other people of goodwill. This includes using the VCC email advocacy network and in-person advocacy, such as visits to legislators’ district or capital city offices.
Communicating regularly with parishes and Catholic entities, as well as Catholic and secular print, electronic and social media.
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