Virginia legislature passes Del. Lopez’s bill for furloughed federal workers’ tax relief

A bill introduced by State Del. Alfonso H. Lopez, which allows local governments to extend tax payment deadlines for federal employees facing furlough during a government shutdown, has passed, according to the Virginia State House.

The measure received final approval on March 11, 2026, with a 68-30 vote in the House and a unanimous 39-0 vote in the Senate.

Filed as HB915 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, the legislation is described by the state legislature as “Local taxation; tax extension for federal government shutdown.”

The following provides analysis based on the actual bill text, with some interpretive details for clarity.

The bill enables local governments in Virginia to offer tax payment extensions to federal employees furloughed in a federal government shutdown, upon application from the affected employee. For personal property taxes, any such extension must last until no later than 90 days after the federal government resumes operations. During this period, extended tax payments are not classified as delinquent. This bill amends current local authority over deadlines, interest, and penalties for local taxes to include the shutdown-related provision.

In the House, 63 Democrats and five Republicans voted to approve the measure, with 30 Republicans voting against it.

In the Senate, 21 Democrats and 18 Republicans backed the legislation.

Del. Alfonso H. Lopez (Democrat-3rd District) was joined as sponsor by Del. Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (Democrat-5th District), Del. Bonita G. Anthony (Democrat-92nd District), and one other legislator.

Lopez holds a BA from Vassar College (1992) and a JD from Tulane University (1995).

Lopez, a Democrat, was elected in 2024 to serve Virginia’s 3rd House district, succeeding Will Morefield.

The legislative process in Virginia begins with introduction of a bill in either the House of Delegates or the Senate, after which it is reviewed by committees. If advanced by committee, it faces debate and voting in both chambers. Upon passage in both, a bill moves to the governor, who may sign, veto, or allow the legislation to become law without a signature. The General Assembly starts its annual session on the second Monday in January, considering hundreds of bills—though only a portion are ultimately adopted as law.

Information in this article was sourced from the Virginia State House. Original source materials are available here.