State Del. Rae Cousins has introduced new legislation designed to broaden student participation in farm to school programs by updating the organization and responsibilities of the task force, per the Virginia State House.
The proposal, labeled HB859, was brought forward on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, and is formally cited as: “Farm to School Program Task Force; membership requirements.”
Below is our summary based on the bill’s original language, with clarifications for easier understanding.
In summary, the legislation changes both the membership and duties of the Virginia Farm to School Program Task Force, aiming to increase student engagement with comprehensive farm to school options. It mandates that the task force include a senator, a delegate, and a minimum of four appointees from the Department of Education: specifically a school board member; a procurement official from the Department of General Services; a representative of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; and a Virginia farmer selling exclusively their own goods. The group is tasked to collaborate with schools and community members to establish best practices, develop guidance on school gardening, advise on grant usage, compile data, and create policy suggestions. Additionally, the task force must report in detail on program support, challenges, effects of federal law, and its recommendations to the Virginia Commission to End Hunger by Nov. 1, 2026.
HB859 was put forward by Del. Rae Cousins (Democrat-79th District), Del. Amy J. Laufer (Democrat-55th District), Del. Marcia S. “Cia” Price (Democrat-85th District), along with one additional sponsor.
During this session, Cousins has introduced a total of 18 other measures.
Cousins is an alumna of the College of William and Mary (BA, 2001) and obtained her JD from Howard University School of Law in 2010.
A member of the Democratic Party, Cousins was elected in 2024 to the Virginia State House to serve as representative of District 79, succeeding former legislator Nadarius Clark.
The legislative process in Virginia—which is explained in this state resource—starts when a bill is submitted in either the House or Senate. It moves to committee(s) for review and revision before heading to chamber-wide discussion and voting. A bill needs approval in both chambers to advance. Upon passage, it goes to the governor, who may sign, veto, or allow it to become law without signature. The Virginia General Assembly opens regular session each year on the second Monday of January, and lawmakers file hundreds of bills, though only some ultimately pass.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rae Cousins, Amy J. Laufer, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Nicole Cole | HB859 | 01/14/2026 | Farm to School Program Task Force; membership requirements. |
| Rae Cousins, Katrina Callsen, and Virgil Thornton | HB845 | 01/14/2026 | Unlawful detainer; bifurcation of case, contested rent and damages. |
| Rae Cousins, Charlie Schmidt, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Jackie H. Glass, and Karen Keys-Gamarra | HB848 | 01/14/2026 | Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; material noncompliance by landlord, rent escrow, relief. |
| Rae Cousins and Charlie Schmidt | HB849 | 01/14/2026 | Public school employees; suspension, notice and opportunity for a hearing. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Jackie H. Glass, Marty Martinez, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nadarius E. Clark, Patrick A. Hope, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Virgil Thornton | HB852 | 01/14/2026 | Indigent defendant; abolition of fees, legal representation, jury trial costs, report. |
| Rae Cousins | HB853 | 01/14/2026 | Petition for modification of a sentence; eligibility, procedures, report. |
| Rae Cousins | HB854 | 01/14/2026 | Real property tax; local classification or designation for property, nonprofit organizations. |
| Rae Cousins, Kathy K.L. Tran, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Briana D. Sewell, Charlie Schmidt, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nicole Cole, and Virgil Thornton | HB855 | 01/14/2026 | Medicaid; estate recoveries. |
| Rae Cousins, Delores L. McQuinn, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Jeion A. Ward, Kathy K.L. Tran, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Michelle Lopes Maldonado | HB857 | 01/14/2026 | Home/electronic incarceration program; court shall assign pregnant/postpartum persons to program. |
| Rae Cousins, Paul E. Krizek, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Gretchen M Bulova, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua G. Cole, Karrie K. Delaney, M. Keith Hodges, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nadarius E. Clark, Nicole Cole, Patrick A. Hope, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Sam Rasoul | HB858 | 01/14/2026 | Legal holidays; replaces Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. |
| Rae Cousins, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Mark C. Downey | HB860 | 01/14/2026 | Local & Reg. Jails, St. Bd.; standards, etc., regarding lactation policies for incarcerated persons. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, and Holly M. Seibold | HB861 | 01/14/2026 | Pregnant & postpartum inmates; reporting requirements of state, regional, & local correctional fac. |
| Rae Cousins | HB862 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), Commission on; structure and responsibilities. |
| Rae Cousins | HB863 | 01/14/2026 | Offenses, certain; elimination of mandatory minimum sentences. |
| Rae Cousins, Adele Y. McClure, Atoosa R. Reaser, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Jessica L. Anderson, John Chilton McAuliff, Karen R. “Kacey” Carnegie, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Kimberly Pope Adams, Laura Jane Cohen, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marty Martinez, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, Patrick A. Hope, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Stacey Annie Carroll | HB865 | 01/14/2026 | Workers’ compensation; presumption of compensability for certain cancers. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Marty Martinez, and Patrick A. Hope | HB867 | 01/14/2026 | Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority. |
| Rae Cousins | HB868 | 01/14/2026 | Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty. |
| Rae Cousins | HB869 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase programs for local farm or food products. |
| Rae Cousins, Lamont Bagby, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marty Martinez, and R. Lee Ware | HB872 | 01/14/2026 | Portable electronic devices; possession in district or circuit court, policies set by chief judge. |
This article’s information is sourced from the Virginia State House. Access the source data here.
