BREAKING: Governor Spanberger Does Not Sign Tax Bills the General Assembly Never Passed

RICHMOND, VA - Hours before the 11:59pm deadline for her action on the more than 1,000 bills passed by the General Assembly, Governor Abigail Spanberger did not sign dozens of tax bills into law - because the General Assembly never passed them, and the bills never reached her desk.

For more information about how a bill becomes a law, click here.

The following bills died in the General Assembly on February 18, 2026, when the legislation did not get sent to the opposite chamber for consideration because the bills did not pass - or even come up for a vote - in their chamber of origin. The 2026 General Assembly Session ended on March 14, 2026.

• HB978, HB900, SB730 - State sales tax expansion to include several or all of the services listed below:
  • Gym membership
  • Storage facility use
  • Dog walking
  • Dog grooming
  • Counseling
  • Vehicle repair
  • Home repair
  • Dry cleaning
  • Cosmetic services
  • Software application services
  • Computer-related services
  • Website hosting and design
  • Data storage, and
  • Digital subscription services
• HB243 - Tax on large employers
• HB378 - Investment income tax on individuals, trusts, and estates
• HB1179, SB638:
  • Regional sales and use tax for certain localities
  • Tax on transportation network companies (i.e. Uber/Lyft)
  • Tax on retail deliveries (i.e. DoorDash/Uber Eats)
  • Tax on regional commercial parking
• HB919, SB763 - Tax on firearms and ammunitions sales

The Office of the Governor does not typically comment on bills that failed to pass the General Assembly. In this case, the volume of misinformation - spread across social media and repeated in press coverage - made a clarification necessary. The facts are straightforward.

BACKGROUND

In the opening months of her administration, Governor Spanberger has remained laser-focused on addressing high costs for Virginians. The Governor has signed dozens of bipartisan bills to make healthcare, housing, and energy more affordable, accessible, and reliable for Virginians - including legislation to crack down on the middlemen driving up prescription drug prices, protect Virginia families from increased energy costs, and increase the supply of housing that Virginians can afford.

Governor Spanberger is also working alongside legislators and local communities to attract new capital investment. Since taking office, the Governor has announced more than $580 million in new business investment in communities across Virginia - including the second-largest economic development deal in Southern Virginia history. In total, these investments will create more than 2,000 new jobs.

# # #