Portsmouth advisory committee outlines 2026 state and federal legislative package, seeks $17M for homeless shelter and multiple infrastructure grants

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The city's intergovernmental affairs manager presented a recommended 2026 state and federal legislative package to Portsmouth City Council that asks the General Assembly and Congress for new public-safety authorities and for funding to complete water, sewer and homeless-services projects.

The package asks the General Assembly to add Portsmouth to a code section allowing localities to impose conditions on special exceptions or special-use permits for retail alcoholic beverage licenses so those permits automatically expire on a change of ownership, possession, management or after a set time. It also seeks relief for police executing Temporary Detention Orders and Emergency Custody Orders, a new Class 2 misdemeanor for leaving a firearm in an unlocked vehicle, expansion of review time for camera-based traffic enforcement and authority to let trained special conservators of the peace or technicians perform reviews so sworn officers can remain on patrol.

"It's my pleasure to be before you this evening to share with you the recommendations of the Portsmouth City Council legislative advisory committee," the intergovernmental affairs manager said, opening the presentation. She told council the committee worked with city leadership, Virginia Municipal League and Virginia First Cities on several items and that the package is more "dynamic and diverse" than in prior years.

Why it matters: the public-safety measures are intended to reduce officer time spent on lengthy processes and to improve community safety. The presenter said the Portsmouth Police Department logged 58 reports from January through August of firearms stolen from…