Designating August, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Make-A-Will Month in Virginia.
House Joint Resolution 23 designates August in 2026 and every year thereafter as "Make-A-Will Month" in Virginia. The resolution states that wills help people direct how their property, assets, children’s care, digital assets, and charitable gifts will be handled after death, and it encourages Virginians to create or update a will. It also frames the observance as an opportunity for state and local agencies, as well as outside organizations, to provide information and free resources about estate planning.
The measure is primarily commemorative and educational rather than regulatory. It does not change the substantive law governing wills, probate, inheritance, or estate administration, and it does not create new rights, duties, or penalties. Its practical effect is to direct public attention to estate planning and to authorize the General Assembly to publicize the designation on its website and through a copy sent to the American Red Cross.
HJ23 has no direct effect on Virginia’s statutes governing wills, estates, probate, or inheritance. Instead, it creates an annual state observance intended to promote public awareness of estate planning and encourage residents to prepare or review wills. The resolution may prompt state and local agencies, nonprofits, and legal aid or consumer education groups to distribute informational materials, but it does not alter legal requirements for executing a valid will or administering an estate.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is strongly supportive and promotional. The bill presents will-making as a practical, beneficial step for all Virginians and emphasizes the burdens families face when a person dies without a will. Because there is no recorded committee debate or vote opposition in the provided materials, the available context suggests the measure was noncontroversial and broadly accepted by both chambers.
No specific points of contention are shown in the provided record, and there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes indicating opposition. If any concerns existed, they would likely have centered on the symbolic nature of the resolution, the use of state resources for public awareness efforts, or whether estate-planning education should be handled by private organizations rather than through a legislative designation. The text itself, however, reflects consensus around encouraging will preparation and public education.