Virginia ends session without budget
Virginia lawmakers closed the 2026 session without a state budget deal after disputes over data center tax breaks, leaving public institutions facing funding uncertainty and tighter procurement windows reported. That kind of late-stage fiscal volatility is the type of disruption universities cited as they race to allocate FY26 funds before compliance deadlines.
The impasse boiled down to a Senate push to eliminate the state sales‑tax exemption for data centers—an action the chamber said would restore roughly $1.6 billion in annual revenue. oregonlive.com House leaders and Governor Abigail Spanberger, by contrast, signaled support for keeping the exemption, creating a split that left conferees unable to finalize a compromise spending plan. vpm.org Lawmakers adjourned the regular session without a budget and voted to reconvene for a special session on April 23 to finish the two‑year spending bill. vpm.org That pause immediately froze one‑time capital allocations, including roughly $626 million earmarked for 10 renovation and expansion projects across Virginia colleges and universities. virginiamercury.com Virginia’s budget rules require 48 hours of public review before final votes, a procedural requirement that will compress procurement and contract‑approval timelines if negotiators only reach agreement during the reconvened session, and procurement for public higher‑ed is governed by the Commonwealth purchasing manual and VASCUPP cooperative contracts. envirolink.org The U.S. Department of Justice’s Title II digital‑accessibility rule goes into force April 24, 2026 for large public entities (with an April 26, 2027 deadline for smaller jurisdictions), creating an overlap with Virginia’s April 23 special session that heightens urgency for campuses to secure FY26 spending and procurement authority for accessibility technologies. ada.gov Campuses and compliance advisors have publicly warned they’re racing to align remediation plans and vendor contracts to meet the April 24 timeline, a rush that will be complicated if state funding or procurement approvals remain unsettled after the special session. blog.amara.org
