On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, Governor Northam announced his veto of House Bill 795 and Senate Bill 235. The legislation would have opened the door for Virginia REALTORS^® to pursue association specific health insurance plans for our members. This means any opportunity to pursue these coverage options for Virginia REALTORS^® has ended for 2020.

The two bills enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support, earning a total of 265 “Yes” votes and only 6 “No” votes on their final passage in the state legislature. Virginia REALTORS^® spoke with a strong and unified voice, sending more than 12,000 Call For Action messages to legislators and the Governor in the past three months. Despite this overwhelming support, the Governor vetoed the legislation.

Senator George Barker (D – Alexandria) sponsored Senate Bill 235 and Delegate Chris Hurst (D – Blacksburg) carried House Bill 795.

Virginia REALTORS^® President Kemper Funkhouser issued a statement reaffirming the Association’s commitment to find affordable health plans options for our members.