A measure authored by State Sen. Jeremy S. McPike seeks to enhance firefighter mental health training by setting revised standards and guidance for training programs, according to the Virginia State Senate.
Filed as SB140 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, the bill is titled: “Fire Programs, Department of; development of mental health awareness training.”
This summary outlines key provisions from the bill text and may include explanatory interpretations for clarity.
Essentially, the bill updates mental health awareness training requirements for firefighters, mandating that fire departments develop training curricula addressing the identification of cumulative stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, compulsive behaviors, addiction, reducing stigma, handling aggressive conduct such as domestic violence and harassment, accessing mental health support and resources, as well as fostering stress management, self-care and resilience. The Department of Fire Programs is tasked with producing a standardized training program that meets these new requirements and that fire departments can use as reference. Prior requirements concerning continuing education credits have been removed.
This legislation is sponsored solely by Sen. Jeremy S. McPike (Democrat-29th District).
McPike has introduced another 20 bills since the session began.
A graduate of George Mason University, McPike earned his bachelor’s degree in 1997.
McPike, a Democrat, took office in the Virginia State Senate in 2016 for the 29th Senate district, succeeding Charles Colgan.
In the Virginia legislature, the bill introduction process includes committee assignment, possible amendments, floor debate, and voting by both chambers, followed by gubernatorial action. Each regular session begins on the second Monday of January, with lawmakers proposing hundreds of bills and only a fraction becoming law.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB140 | 01/14/2026 | Fire Programs, Department of; development of mental health awareness training. |
| Jeremy S. McPike, Barbara A. Favola, Jennifer B. Boysko, Kannan Srinivasan, Russet Perry, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB74 | 01/14/2026 | Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority. |
| Jeremy S. McPike and Christie New Craig | SB122 | 01/14/2026 | School boards; student diabetes care & management in schools, division wide plan required. |
| Jeremy S. McPike and Russet Perry | SB138 | 01/14/2026 | PFAS monitoring; DEQ to require for industrial wastewater source, publicly owned treatment works. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB139 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; subtraction for long-term capital gains from sale of principal residence. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB148 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; subtraction for tax, military retirement benefits, uniformed services. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB149 | 01/14/2026 | State-facilitated IRA savings program; various changes to the program. |
| Jeremy S. McPike and Bill DeSteph | SB164 | 01/14/2026 | Health insurance; ethics and fairness in carrier business practices, downcoded claims. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB165 | 01/14/2026 | Contracts; retainage bonds permitted in construction contracts, effective clause. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB166 | 01/14/2026 | Insurance; contingent deferred annuities, nonforfeiture benefits. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB170 | 01/14/2026 | Protection of employees; covenants not to compete, discharged employees. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB256 | 01/14/2026 | Appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; requirement of manufacturers. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB321 | 01/14/2026 | Abandonment of highway; section of the secondary state highway system, local authority. |
| Jeremy S. McPike and Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | SB324 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Public Procurement Act; additional public works contract requirements. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB326 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Public Procurement Act; cooperative procurement. |
| Jeremy S. McPike and Kannan Srinivasan | SB371 | 01/14/2026 | Electric utilities; electric demand flexibility programs, high energy demand customers, report. |
| Jeremy S. McPike, Angelia Williams Graves, Jennifer D. Carroll Foy, Kannan Srinivasan, and Saddam Azlan Salim | SB388 | 01/14/2026 | Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties. |
| Jeremy S. McPike and Angelia Williams Graves | SB443 | 01/14/2026 | Siting of battery energy storage projects; commercial solar photovoltaic generation facilities. |
| Jeremy S. McPike, Adam P. Ebbin, Jennifer B. Boysko, Kannan Srinivasan, Saddam Azlan Salim, and Scott A. Surovell | SB446 | 01/14/2026 | Limited-duration licenses, driver privilege cards, and permits; validity periods for documents. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB487 | 01/14/2026 | Electric cooperatives; authorized to establish and implement a virtual power plant program. |
| Jeremy S. McPike | SB591 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; free tax filing program for individuals |
Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State Senate. The source data can be found here.
