During the 2026 Virginia legislative session, dozens of bills supported by families of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were signed into law.
Major 2026 Victories in Virginia
Updating Developmental Disability (DD) Waiver protections was a leading priority (and among the victories) for IDD advocacy groups like The Arc of Northern Virginia. As of July 1, 2026, people can keep their DD Waiver services under new conditions for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). HB37 ensures the state now ignores SSDI when deciding who qualifies for services, including when monthly payments increase after a parent’s death.
“When the parent of an adult with a DD Waiver begins to collect SSDI, the child with IDD may receive benefits based on the parent’s earnings. Benefits may increase when a parent dies. The extra money may put the recipient’s income beyond the limit for qualifying for the waiver. While the extra income may be welcome, it could never be enough to fund waiver services. The new law will ease parents’ minds, knowing that their hard-earned social security benefits will not cause their child to lose their DD waiver.”
Most policies signed into law that positively impact adults with IDD go into effect this summer. Major victories from the 2026 Virginia session include:
- Protecting voting rights for people with IDD under guardianship or conservatorship; courts to decide if a person can understand the act of voting. (HB1014)
- Expanding police and emergency medical training on interacting with drivers with autism, educating drivers about DMV license and registration options, and promoting the Blue Envelope program on the Virginia DMV website. (HB1097)
- Directing the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to create transition individualized education program (IEP) guidelines so students with IDD can transition into college with accommodations. (HB468)
- Adding protections for people with IDD to have criminal cases potentially paused, dismissed, and wiped from their records. (HB247)
“The heart of disability advocacy is people with lived experience, meaning those with DD and their families. The personal stories these advocates tell about the impact of policies on their lives change hearts, minds, and votes on bills. When we have a legislator willing to take the lead on reform, our advocates show up in big numbers and give public comments, speeches, action alert responses, and join us in Richmond.”