161st Virginia General Assembly
← 160th 162nd →
Overview
Term	January 8, 2020 – March 2021
Senate of Virginia
Members	40
President of the Senate	Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D)
Senate Majority Leader	Dick Saslaw (D)
Senate Minority Leader	Tommy Norment (R)
Party control	Democratic (21)   Republican (19)
Virginia House of Delegates
Members	100
Speaker of the House	Eileen Filler-Corn (D)
House Majority Leader	Charniele Herring (D)
House Minority Leader	Todd Gilbert (R)
Party control	Democratic (55)   Republican (45)
Sessions
1st January 8, 2020 – March 12, 2020 2nd January 13, 2021 – February 8, 2021
Special sessions
1st August 18, 2020 – November 9, 2020 2nd February 10, 2021 – March 1, 2021

The 161st Virginia General Assembly, consisting of members who were elected in both the House election and Senate election in 2019, convened on January 8, 2020. It was the first time Democrats held both houses of the General Assembly and the governorship since the 147th General Assembly in 1993.

A special session was called by Governor Ralph Northam for August 18, 2020 to make budget cuts and pass bills for criminal justice reform, racial justice, affordable housing and COVID-19 protections. The special session ended on November 9, 2020. After a shorter 30-day session occurred from January to February 2021, Northam called for another special session which lasted until March. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Capitol was closed to the public and sessions were re-located to alternative buildings.

Membership

On November 9, 2019, Eileen Filler-Corn was nominated by the Democratic majority caucus for Speaker of the House of Delegates, and upon election by the House on January 8, she became the first woman and first Jew to be elected Speaker. Concurrently, Charniele Herring was elected as Majority Leader, making her the first woman and first African-American to serve as Majority Leader.

In addition, Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Senate. Incumbent Danica Roem became the first transgender legislator to be re-elected to office in U.S. history.

In total, the 161st General Assembly has the highest number of women elected to both bodies, with 30 in the House and 11 in the Senate.

Speaker Filler-Corn selected Del. Luke Torian to be the first African-American House Appropriations Chair in state history. This was the first time that an African-American delegate was selected to chair a House committee since William P. Robinson Jr. (D-Norfolk) chaired the Transportation Committee in 1998 and was co-chairman of the panel in 1998, according to House Clerk G. Paul Nardo.^[1]

Leadership

Legislation

Pre-filing of bills for the 2020 session began November 18, 2019. 828 bills were passed by the House by crossover day on February 12, 2020, an increase from the 603 bills passed under the Republican majority in the 2019 session.

Enacted

• January 27, 2020: HJ 1/SJ 1: Resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution
• February 24, 2020: HB 35/SB 103: Restores parole eligibility to those serving 20 years of a sentence for crimes committed as a juvenile and for which they received a lengthy sentence
• March 4, 2020: HB 245: Repeals the crime of fornication
• March 2, 2020: HB 61: Provides that an adult sentenced for a juvenile offense can earn good conduct credit at the rate of one day for each one day served.
• March 2, 2020: HB 386: Prohibits the performance of conversion therapy by state-licensed counselors on juveniles under 18
• March 2, 2020: HB 587: Requiring the inclusion of space and equipment for changing babies during plans for new state government buildings
• HB 277: Allowing currently-incarcerated individuals to earn credit towards paying off fines and fees through community work
• HB 1490: Repealing statutory bans on same-sex marriages and civil unions.
• HB 696: Provides that localities may prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, and education on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
• HB 1071: Repeals the crime of profane swearing
• HB 973/SB 600: Repeals several laws enacted from 1901 to 1960 which encoded racial segregation of students in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in Virginia
• HB 1514/SB 50: Protects hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists from discrimination (see also: CROWN Act)

Events

A peaceful protest opposing gun control legislation occurred outside the Virginia State Capitol on January 20, 2020.^[5]

Changes in membership

• Del. Chris Collins (R-HD29) resigned on June 28, 2020 to accept an appointment as a judge to Virginia's 26th Judicial District. He was succeeded by Bill Wiley.
• Del. Joseph C. Lindsey (D-HD90) resigned on November 15, 2020 after being appointed to the Norfolk General District Court. He was succeeded by Angelia Williams Graves.
• Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-HD2) resigned on December 12, 2020 to focus on her campaign for governor. She was succeeded by Candi King.
• Senator Ben Chafin (R-SD38) died from COVID-19-related symptoms on January 1, 2021. He was succeeded by Travis Hackworth.

See also

• List of Virginia state legislatures

References

External links

• Bills filed for the 2020 Session