State Sen. David R. Suetterlein has introduced legislation that would repeal state and local sales taxes on groceries and certain personal hygiene items, according to the Virginia State Senate.
The proposed measure, officially filed as SB9 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, carries the description: “RS & UT; food for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products, delayed effective date.”
This summary below derives from the bill text itself, with explanatory interpretation as needed.
The legislation would remove, as of Jan. 1, 2027, all state and local sales and use taxes on food for human consumption and essential personal hygiene items. This includes taxes for transportation districts, the Historic Triangle, and local school construction or renovation. The bill updates sales and use tax statutes to exempt these products from all additional state and local taxes, and provides for localities to get state payments that match what they would have received if the prior local sales taxes on food and hygiene goods under §§ 58.1-605 and 58.1-606 remained.
Sen. David R. Suetterlein (Republican-4th District), Sen. Bill DeSteph (Republican-20th District), and Sen. Bryce E. Reeves (Republican-28th District) sponsored the bill, joined by 16 other lawmakers.
Since the session commenced, Suetterlein also submitted 14 additional bills.
Suetterlein holds a bachelor’s degree from Grove City College.
He was elected in 2024 as a Republican to the Virginia Senate from the 4th District, succeeding former Sen. Ryan McDougle.
In Virginia, the legislature’s bill process starts with a proposed bill in either the Senate or House of Delegates, followed by committee referral. Committees may discuss or amend the measure; if it advances, both chambers debate and vote. Passage in both chambers sends the bill to the governor for signature, veto, or enactment without signature. The General Assembly starts its regular session on the second Monday in January annually, with lawmakers introducing several hundred bills each year—only some ultimately become law.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| David R. Suetterlein, Bill DeSteph, Bryce E. Reeves, Christie New Craig, Christopher T. Head, Emily M. Jordan, Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr., J.D. “Danny” Diggs, Luther Cifers, III, Mark D. Obenshain, Mark J. Peake, Richard H. Stuart, Ryan T. McDougle, T. Travis Hackworth, Tammy Brankley Mulchi, Tara A. Durant, Timmy F. French, Todd E. Pillion, and William M. Stanley, Jr. | SB9 | 01/14/2026 | RS & UT; food for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products, delayed effective date. |
| David R. Suetterlein, Bill DeSteph, Bryce E. Reeves, Christie New Craig, Christopher T. Head, Emily M. Jordan, Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr., J.D. “Danny” Diggs, Luther Cifers, III, Mark D. Obenshain, Mark J. Peake, Richard H. Stuart, Ryan T. McDougle, T. Travis Hackworth, Tammy Brankley Mulchi, Tara A. Durant, Timmy F. French, Todd E. Pillion, and William M. Stanley, Jr. | SB7 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; standard deduction and earned income tax credit. |
| David R. Suetterlein, Joseph P. McNamara, and Sam Rasoul | SB10 | 01/14/2026 | Employment prohibition exceptions; apprenticeship program for children 16 years of age or older. |
| David R. Suetterlein | SB15 | 01/14/2026 | Motorcycle Driver Improvement Clinic Fund; created. |
| David R. Suetterlein and Bill DeSteph | SB17 | 01/14/2026 | Enforcement of vehicle liens; increases property value. |
| David R. Suetterlein | SB202 | 01/14/2026 | Elections; filling vacancies in county and city governing bodies. |
| David R. Suetterlein and Bryce E. Reeves | SB203 | 01/14/2026 | Teacher licensure; career and technical education or dual enrollment, three-year licenses. |
| David R. Suetterlein, Angelia Williams Graves, and Tammy Brankley Mulchi | SB204 | 01/14/2026 | License plates, special; issuance to members of Virginia REALTORS, fees collected. |
| David R. Suetterlein and T. Travis Hackworth | SB205 | 01/14/2026 | Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. |
| David R. Suetterlein, Barbara A. Favola, Anne Ferrell Tata, Irene Shin, and Joshua G. Cole | SB206 | 01/14/2026 | Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody. |
| David R. Suetterlein | SB533 | 01/14/2026 | Elections; absentee voting in person, uniform availability. |
| David R. Suetterlein, Joseph P. McNamara, and Sam Rasoul | SB534 | 01/14/2026 | Emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment center, etc. |
| David R. Suetterlein | SB538 | 01/14/2026 | Parole; investigation prior to release, input from the attorney for the Commonwealth. |
| David R. Suetterlein | SB686 | 01/14/2026 | Holding a handheld personal communications device while driving; driver improvement clinic. |
| David R. Suetterlein | SB692 | 01/14/2026 | Western Virginia Public Education Consortium; governance, funding, duties, report. |
Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State Senate. The source data can be found here.
