Vocal Virginia Advocacy Blog Feb. 20, 2026

Vocal Virginia is continuing to actively engage during General Assembly session to protect individual rights, support recovery, and strengthen community-based mental health services across the Commonwealth. Below are several priority bills and budget items that are moving along in the legislative process. We encourage our members and allies to support these bills and to share this endeavor with others. 

Vocal Virginia supports HB5, sponsored by Delegate Convirs-Fowler. HB5 expands paid sick leave protections to most workers in Virginia. The bill would require private employers and state and local governments to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, extending a policy that currently applies mainly to home health workers. Employees paid on a fee-for-service basis would also accrue leave under regulations set by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. Workers will keep any sick leave they have earned if they transfer locations or if the business changes ownership, and employers may offer more generous policies if they choose. Paid sick leave could be used for a worker’s own physical or mental health needs, to care for a family member, or seek services, or secure housing due to an unforeseen crisis that mandates an immediate relocation. This bill has passed the House of Delegates and is currently pending before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. You may find the contact information for the Committee on Commerce and Labor by clicking here.

Vocal Virginia also supports Delegate Watts's HB246. HB 246 allows a person charged with assault against certain protected individuals to raise a defense if their actions were connected to a mental health condition or cognitive disability. Specifically, a person may argue that their behavior was caused by a mental illness, neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia), intellectual disability, or developmental disability like autism spectrum disorder, as defined in current medical standards, or that they met the criteria for an emergency custody order at the time of the incident. To use this defense, the person (or their attorney) must notify the Commonwealth’s Attorney in writing before trial—generally at least 60 days in advance, or 14 days if he trial is scheduled quickly. This bill has passed the House of Delegates and is currently pending before the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. You may reach the Senate Courts of Justice Committee by clicking here.

In plain language, SB513 introduced by Senator Deeds, strengthens how Virginia updates and operates its statewide behavioral health crisis system, including the Marcus Alert system. The bill allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), working with the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), to update the state’s required written crisis services plan even after it has been published. However, before making changes, DBHDS must consult with the stakeholders identified in law and hold a public comment period of at least 30 days. The written plan serves as the official operating guide for Virginia’s comprehensive crisis response system and the Marcus Alert system, meaning state agencies and local partners must continually align their policies, procedures, and daily operations with that plan as it is updated. This bill, recommended by the Behavioral Health Commission, ensures the crisis system can evolve while maintaining transparency, stakeholder input, and public accountability. This bill pass the Virginia Senate and is currently pending before the House Health and Human Services Committee. To contact this Committee, please click here.

Delegate Willett’s bill HB656 make sure people can access mental health and substance use treatment through their insurance. It requires the Virginia Department of Health to set clear standards so that insurance plans provide timely access to care and reasonable travel distances, just like they already do for other medical services. The bill also updates how mental health and substance use services are defined in insurance coverage. It requires insurance companies to submit reports showing they are following federal mental health parity laws, and it allows the Bureau of Insurance to fine companies up to $100,000 if they do not comply or to require them to fix unfair coverage limits. The bill also strengthens reporting to the General Assembly and allows state agencies to create regulations to properly enforce these protections. This bill has passed the House of Delegates and is currently pending before the Senate Education and Health Committee. You may contact the Members of this Committee by clicking here.

For a list of other bills that Vocal Virginia is tracking please click here.

We encourage each of you to reach out to your legislators on these important topics as well as other issues that you feel strongly about. If you would like your legislators’ contact information, you may visit:  https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

To research legislation and learn more about where it is in the legislative process, please visit: https://lis.virginia.gov/ If you have any questions, or if you would like to connect with Vocal Virginia, please email network@vocalvirginia.org 

Want to learn more about advocacy and how you can help? Join our Network Program Director next Friday at 1:00 PM for an Advocacy Call via Zoom (please monitor your email for the link). Bring a friend or co-worker who wants to learn more, be of service, or simply support Vocal Virginia—because advocacy is stronger when we show up together!