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Fairfax staff update 2026 draft legislative programs to add AI/data‑center, housing and election security priorities
Summary
The county’s legislative director described edits to the draft 2026 federal and state legislative programs highlighting local authority over land use for data centers and AI, tenant protections (including older adults), WMATA and election security funding preservation.
Fairfax County staff presented edits to the 2026 draft state and federal legislative programs at the Legislative Committee meeting on Dec. 2, adding or rewording language to reflect recent federal developments and local priorities.
Jennifer Vaney, the county’s legislative director, said staff streamlined the packet and emphasized items that reflect recent federal changes discussed earlier in the meeting. New or highlighted federal priorities include protecting tax‑exempt municipal bonds, calling out the county’s exposure from federal facility and employee losses, and flagging WMATA dedicated funding and CIG/new starts as priorities for the county.
On energy and climate, staff added language about resiliency, clean building and clean transportation while noting changes to clean energy tax credits and the county’s interest in preserving elective pay/direct pay opportunities where possible. Vaney told the committee the draft now includes a dedicated section on artificial intelligence and data centers that stresses local land‑use authority and opposes federal preemption of AI regulation: “we did include some new information new language around the resiliency of power, emphasizing again that the localities need to have control over their zoning land use and community standards as well as opposing any federal preemption on AI,” she said.
Staff also added housing language coordinated with the county housing task force, including support for the Road to Housing Act items and tenant protections that now explicitly call out older adults. On election security, staff kept and reinforced language supporting continued grants for local election administration.
Supervisors asked staff to consider additional language — including adding Northern Virginia economic development coordination and manufactured‑housing preservation and relocation assistance — and to align the packet with the recently completed Weldon Cooper fiscal study where appropriate. Vaney said staff will review those suggestions before the county’s adoption vote on Dec. 9 and the work session with the General Assembly delegation on Dec. 16.
Next steps: staff will refine language, consider suggested bullets on economic development and manufactured housing, and return the final program for the Board’s Dec. 9 vote.
