The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Last November, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. Commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the historic legislation will deliver $1.2 trillion throughout the country to address infrastructure needs. The funds will go toward building and repairing roads, ensuring every community has access to clean drinking water, bringing broadband to rural areas, and much more. Beyond providing the funds necessary for building a country ready for the challenges of the 21st century, the Bipartisan Infrastructure is expected to create up to two million jobs per year for the next decade. 


There are two primary ways in which states and localities will receive funds allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: formula funding and grant funding. Formula funding is noncompetitive — the amount of funds each state will receive is predetermined and calculated using a formula that takes a number of statistics into account. Grant funding, on the other hand, is competitive. To receive a grant, a state or locality must submit an application demonstrating how funds will meet a specific need. 


Virginia is expected to receive billions of dollars in formula funding alone. The state will receive $7 billion to repair and build roads, with a special focus on ensuring everyone is safe on the road, including pedestrians and bicyclists. An additional $1.2 billion will go to Virginia to improve public transit in the state. With nearly 10% of Virginians living without access to broadband, the state will receive $100 million to ensure everyone in the state can access the internet. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of formula funds will also be allocated to Virginia to prepare for the impacts of climate change, protect against cyberattacks, deliver clean drinking water to all, and bring much-needed modernization to the state’s airports. 


Beyond these formula funds, additional money will be available for Virginia to take advantage of through grant funding. Applications need to be filed to access these funds, which come with different eligibility requirements and deadlines. Grant funding covers an enormous range of projects, including bridge investment programs, clean school bus programs, and even ferry service programs for rural communities. Deadlines for six grants worth a total of $24.85 billion are coming up in the month of May; Virginia Senator Mark Warner has a calendar on his website that's helpful for keeping up with all the due dates. 


The billions of dollars in grant funding available specifically for rural communities are particularly noteworthy for Virginia. To ensure all rural communities have the potential to benefit from these funds, the White House has compiled the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook, which identifies the funds available, describes the application process, and notes the day applications for funding are due. The playbook also includes information from seven federal agencies including the Department of Transportation, Department of the Interior, and the Department of Agriculture on how each agency can support rural communities in finding funding. 


The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in a stronger, more resilient America while creating high-paying jobs. With access to information on how to obtain grant funding, communities across Virginia have the opportunity to benefit from this massive investment.

[Virginia Public Media] New Virginia Law Will Expand Zoning for Manufactured Homes

By VOW Ops • April 23, 2026
Manufactured homes are constructed in a factory and then transported to a land plot instead of traditional homes which are built on site. Despite the cost-savings constructors and prospective homeowners earn from manufactured homes, outdated stigma prevents them from being located anywhere other than agricultural zones. As part of her Affordability Agenda, Governor Spanberger has signed legislation which will expand where manufactured homes can be located. Under HB 655 and SB 346, starting July 1st Manufactured homes can now be located within any residential zone intended for traditional homes (with exceptions for historic districts). Further, localities will not be permitted to place different rules or any additional restrictions on manufactured homes that would not be imposed on single-family homes. Both bills passed the General Assembly with near-unanimous support. Executive Director of the Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association Randy Grumbine says the new laws “could be very significant” in removing barriers that have been in place for decades. In 2020, a single-section manufactured home cost 35% the price of a similar-sized traditional home. Virginians have been facing affordability challenges when looking for housing – especially over the last several years – and they continue to experience a housing shortage which only exacerbates the problem. Del. Maldonado and Sen. VanValkenburg have noted that the strong bipartisan support they received for their respective bills is because Virginia’s housing crisis affects everyone regardless of partisan affiliation. Beyond the expansion of locations for manufactured homes, Governor Spanberger also signed HB 1227, which increases the amount of state funding toward affordable housing. She also signed HB 4, which gives localities the authority to require property owners to give the local government or developer the first chance to purchase property to build affordable housing. You can read the full article here for more details.

[Virginia Mercury] Virginia Lawmakers Recess Special Session Without Budget Deal

By VOW Ops • April 23, 2026
[Virginia Mercury] Virginia Lawmakers Recess Special Session Without Budget Deal

[Virginia Mercury] Data Center Bills Dominated This Year’s General Assembly. Here’s What Happened

By VOW Ops • March 19, 2026
Virginia’s growing data center economy was the center of attention for this year’s General Assembly session, with lawmakers balancing the industry’s benefits against its costs to communities. Of the many bills that were proposed to regulate data centers, some passed both the House and Senate and now head to Governor Spanberger’s desk for either her signature or veto. SB 253 (Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth) would extend a program Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company offer low-income customers to reduce their monthly energy bills by weatherproofing their houses. The bill also gives the State Corporation Commission (SCC) the liberty to determine if more of the cost of generating electricity for data centers should fall onto them and large manufacturers instead of homeowners. SB 553 (Sen. Srinivasan, D-Loudoun) would direct water utilities to provide monthly or quarterly reports on how much water they are providing to data centers. Currently, data centers can withhold their water usage as an industry secret. SB 94 (Sen. Roem, D-Manassas) and HB 153 (Del. Thomas, D-Prince William) would require applicants who request localities to rezone for “high-load users” to submit site assessment reports. Localities would then be able to use the information from said reports to determine if the application conforms with their zoning requirements. HB 507 (Del. McAuliff, D-Loudoun) would mandate the Department of Environmental Quality to deny air permits for data center generators after July 2026 unless they meet stricter environmental regulations. Currently, data centers are allowed limited use of backup generators that run on diesel fuel, which have resulted in next-door neighbors complaining of noxious fumes spilling into their communities. HB 323 (Del. Sullivan, D-Fairfax) directs the Department of Energy to study how to best utilize waste heat generated by data centers to meet heating demands from neighboring buildings. One of the most robust debates involving data centers revolved around the sales tax exemption given to them on their server equipment and software. The Senate budget bill would end the exemption, hoping to recover the $1.6 billion they argue the state loses annually as a result. The House budget bill would keep the exemption but stipulate additional requirements for data centers to remain in compliance with receiving the exemption. The data center industry has rebutted the proposals to end the tax exemption, arguing that it has brought billions of dollars in investment into Virginia. Furthermore, the issue does not fall along clear, partisan lines, with both Democrats and Republicans arguing for against ending the exemption. The issue has ultimately ground Virginia’s budget approval process to a halt, with neither chamber coming to a consensus on the state’s biennial budget. Governor Spanberger has called for a special session beginning April 23rd so that the General Assembly can resolve the dispute. You can read the full article here for more details.
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