RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday signed his first slate of 180 bills passed by the General Assembly this year. Speaking at the Patrick Henry Building, he announced a package of pro-business bills he said will help Virginia “compete to win.”

“I’m very pleased to be able to sign, among lots of bills that we’ve released today, some key pieces of legislation that represent this Virginia, a Virginia that is the very best place to live and work and raise a family,” he said.

Youngkin signed bills that establish grant funds to provide financial support for semiconductor and lithium-ion battery parts manufacturers, which he said promise to bring more manufacturing to Virginia. He said the legislation would help support investments from companies such as Micron Technology and Microporous. Similarly, the governor signed legislation authorizing the build of the first commercial scale fusion power plant in Virginia. Officials announced the fusion power plant plans, to be built in Chesterfield County, in December,

Wednesday’s action was the first the Republican governor has taken on the close to 1,000 bills passed by the General Assembly, which adjourned Feb. 22. Some of the bills are cognates of each other, with identical legislation passed in the House and Senate. Youngkin has until Monday night to sign, veto or amend more than 800 remaining bills.

He also signed a bill sponsored by Sen. Emily Jordan, R-Isle of Wight, that allows smaller localities to compete for grant funding through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Previously, the requirement was for localities to have at least 100 acres to apply for the Business Pad Ready Site funding.

“Places with smaller footprints such as Portsmouth, Franklin City or smaller towns such as Smithfield or Windsor will have the ability to now compete when marketing their communities,” Jordan said. “With a smaller square mileage, it was nearly impossible for certain localities to have the 100 acres or more required to even apply for the Business Pad Ready Site funding. Reducing the requirement to apply down to 35 land area square miles and 25 acres or more to apply will open doors for projects across Virginia.”

Also included in the list of bills Youngkin signed was legislation introduced by Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, that would automatically pay people for unclaimed property, such as last paychecks, without them having to file a claim with the state.

Youngkin also signed into law legislation, proposed by Del. Cliff Hayes, D, and Sen. Christie New Craig, R, both of Chesapeake, that clarifies when sitting Chesapeake City Council members must step down to run for mayor. The legislation came as a result of an oversight in the city charter that led to disputes in November’s election.

And the governor approved a bill that would direct health insurers that require preauthorization to respond to preauthorization requests in a timely fashion and if denied, explain why.

Absent from the package was a bill, proposed by Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027. Democrats sent a similar bill to Youngkin last year, but the governor vetoed it, saying that he opposed a one-size-fits-all approach and that it could harm Virginia’s economic competitiveness.

Youngkin did not say explicitly Wednesday whether he would veto that bill, or any others, again this year, but he did say some “familiar” bills would be back on the chopping block.

Sen Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, said while she was glad some legislation had passed, she had hoped to know more about the fate of other bills.

“We’re coming late in the day, as final actions are due to us by next week, and I have not received any clarity on the bills that will receive amendments or vetoes,” she said. “It will be good to get some information on that.”

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