Motivated by the 2023 introduction of an equal rights bill, Virginia adoptees and adoptee rights advocates have formed the Virginia Adoptee Rights Alliance. It has also joined the Capitol Coalition for Adoptee Rights.
Leaders of VARA include Rebecca Ricardo, Ed Knight, Ann Mikeska, and Jamie Weiss. Ed and Jamie are Virginia-born adoptees and Rebecca is a California-born adoptee who lives in Virginia. Ann is a Nebraska-born adoptee who also resides in Virginia. They all worked together in 2023 with other advocates to push HB1969 forward, nearly getting it through the House. You can find more information about VARA and its leadership on its new website.
A nearly identical Virginia bill has returned in 2024, again introduced by Republican Delegate Wendell Walker. This year, however, the House of Delegates is controlled by Democrats, who flipped the House in the 2023 elections.