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AARP Virginia Urges the General Assembly to Reject Gov. Spanberger’s Amendments to The Affordable Medicine Act

Action will delay relief for struggling Virginians

AARP

Published April 14, 2026

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Prescription drug legislation that passed the General Assembly with a bipartisan, veto-proof majority is headed back to the General Assembly after Gov. Abigail Spanberger amended it by adding a reenactment clause that essentially kills the bill for the year. The version of the bill sent to her by the General Assembly passed the House of Delegates 95-4 and the state Senate 34-6.

The Affordable Medicine Act, as passed by the legislature, would give Virginians access to the same discounts on drug prices now available to people enrolled in Medicare. The governor’s amendments include a reenactment clause on the portion of bill that allows the Commonwealth to mirror the Medicare negotiated prices, meaning that provision will not become law unless passed again by the General Assembly in 2027, further delaying relief for Virginians struggling to afford their medication.

“On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Virginians who would have benefited from this legislation, we are profoundly disappointed in the governor’s action and ask the General Assembly to reject this unacceptable amendment,” said AARP Virginia State Director Jim Dau. “Virginians have made it clear that they expect leadership from our elected officials to make every day needs more affordable, with increasingly costly prescription drugs at the top of the list. The General Assembly heard them loud and clear and sent a strong, bipartisan bill to Gov. Spanberger with a veto-proof majority in both chambers.”

The Affordable Medicine Act (Senate Bill 271 and House Bill 483) would also create a Prescription Drug Affordability Advisory Panel, empowered to report to the General Assembly on prescription drug pricing and to make future policy recommendations to lower consumer costs. Delegate Karrie Delaney (D‑Centreville) sponsored the House version and the Senate version was sponsored by Senator Creigh Deeds (D‑Charlottesville).

This is the third year the General Assembly has passed a bill to lower prescription drug costs for Virginia. Each of the previous bills was vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

With about 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50+ and their families in the Commonwealth. In recent years, AARP Virginia has successfully fought for Medicaid expansion, protection for older people against financial exploitation, nursing home staffing standards and empowering family caregivers.

To learn more about AARP Virginia, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on X at www.x.com/aarpva.

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the 125 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health and financial security, and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest-circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit aarp.org, aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPLatino and @AARPadvocates on social media.