Virginia’s Legislative Session is Here - 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Virginia has a new governor and many new faces in the General Assembly. With our legislative session kicking off this month, we need VDA member dentists ready to take action. Here are five things you can do to be ready to advance important dental workforce legislation and to educate legislators about policies that could erode the dental Medicaid benefit.
#1 - SIGN UP AS A VDA MEMBER ON-CALL
VDA leadership and our lobbying team have been consulting with senior lawmakers for the past year about these bills. Your presence as these bills are heard signals to legislators that their constituents care about these policies. As dentists, you are trusted community leaders, and we need to show up to successfully advance good policies. Sometimes committee hearings are held on short notice. Legislators value your expertise and personal experience, and we need dentists on call to show up this year to be successful.
SIGN UP AS A VDA MEMBER ON-CALL
Note: Signing up to be on-call does not obligate you to show up or to cancel an appointment. We will notify you when opportunities to appear at VDA bill hearings arise in the coming weeks. Some of the key committees typically meet on Tuesday mornings, Tuesday afternoons, Thursday mornings, and Friday mornings at the General Assembly Building in Richmond.
#2 - SIGN UP FOR VDA ADVOCACY TEXT ALERTS
Sign up to receive text messages regarding legislative activities during the 2026 General Assembly. Opt out anytime by replying to any message with STOP.
#3 - WATCH THE VDA TOWN HALL MEETING
The VDA government affairs team hosted a recent town hall meeting to walk through our upcoming legislative agenda and how members can be involved.
#4 - DIG DEEPER INTO WORKFORCE ISSUES WITH THE VDA PODCAST
Ryan Dunn, VDA CEO, and Paul Logan, the VDA’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, discuss the VDA's focused advocacy efforts in anticipation of the 2026 General Assembly. Specifically, they highlight a 'three-legged stool' approach: advocating for increased budget for dental workforce programs, creating an expedited licensure path for internationally trained dentists to practice hygiene, and introducing a preventative assistant role to alleviate workforce shortages.
#5 READ BACKGROUND ON THE VDA'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
The January issue of the Virginia Dental Journal features background details on the VDA's 2026 legislative initiatives and insights on the impact in other states.
VIRGINIA’S DENTAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGE: A Three-Step Solution to Strengthen the Preventative Dental Workforce and Expand Access to Care - by Laura Givens
How Are Oral Preventive Assistants Impacting Access to Dental Care in Other States? - by Paul Logan
