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PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Henry Herrera

Telephone: +1-301-801-0608

Email: info@saveservices.org

Virginia Becomes First State to Create Commission for Boys and Men

WASHINGTON / April 23, 2026 – Various states around the country have been debating bills this year that would address the many disparities facing boys and men. (1) On April 13, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a bill to create the first-ever state-level Boys and Men Advisory Commission. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026. (2)

The Virginia Commission will be empowered to advise the General Assembly on education inequity, economic opportunities, disparity in health outcomes, family life, and the impact of social media use. Research shows males are lagging behind females in many areas:

• Undergraduate college enrollments: 6.57 million male students, compared to 8.82 million female students (3)
• Lifespan gender gap: On average, men live 76.5 years, compared to 81.4 years for women (4)
• Shared parenting: Percentage of divorces with shared physical child custody was 33.6%. (5)
• False allegations: 11% of men, compared to 8% of women, have been falsely accused of domestic violence, sexual assault, or child abuse. (6)
• Social media: Boys are experiencing lower levels of friendships as a result of excess social media use, which may contribute to suicide risk. (7)

The Virginia bill was spearheaded by House Speaker Don Scott, Del. Josh Thomas, Sen. Lamont Bagby, Sen. Lashrecse Aird, and Del. Michael Feggans, who gathered on October 14 in the General Assembly building to announce introduction of the bill. (8)

HB1188, passed the Virginia House on February 2 by a 94-4 margin, and was approved unanimously by the Senate on February 10. (9) The bill was backed by a bipartisan coalition including Del Josh Thomas, Del. Michael Feggans, Del. Nicole Cole, Del. Michael Webert, and Del. Jason Ballard. Media coverage was strongly supportive, as well. (10)

The Virginia bill was backed by the Virginia Coalition for Boys and Men. (11) Similar policy initiatives are taking place in other states around the country. (12)

SAVE – Stop Abusive and Violent Environments – is a 501(c)3 organization working to assure due process, fairness, and equal opportunities for men.

Links:

1. https://www.saveservices.org/2026/03/historic-breakthroughs-as-men-notch-advances-across-the-nation/
2. https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213504.PDF
3. https://www.statista.com/statistics/236360/undergraduate-enrollment-in-us-by-gender/#google_vignette
4. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/life-expectancy.htm
5. https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol46/38/46-38.pdf Figure 1.
6. https://endtodv.org/pr/survey-false-allegations-of-abuse-are-a-global-problem-women-most-often-the-accusers/
7. https://gender.stanford.edu/news/structural-burden-mens-declining-social-networks
8. https://www.vaboysandmen.org/p/virginia-men-boys-commission
9. https://www.vaboysandmen.org/p/boysmen-commission-bill-passes-senate
10. https://www.vaboysandmen.org/p/update-re-boys-and-mens-commission
11. https://www.vaboysandmen.org/
12. https://www.saveservices.org/2026/03/historic-breakthroughs-as-men-notch-advances-across-the-nation/