RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Virginia’s public universities can’t give preferential treatment to applicants with family ties to alumni or donors starting in July.

Two Democrats carried bills to end legacy admissions that unanimously passed the General Assembly and were signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), making Virginia the second state to ban the practice.

“Virginians across the political spectrum want a university system that admits students based on who they are and what they’ve done, not who their parents are, and with Governor Youngkin signing this bill, that has become the law of the land in Virginia,” Del. Dan Helmer, one of the Democrats, said in a statement.

The legislation from Helmer (D-Fairfax) and state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico), which takes effect July 1, will stop public universities and colleges from giving applicants who are related to alumni or donors of the school a boost in their admissions process.

“We are sending a clear message that Virginia values fairness and diversity in our educational institutions,” VanValkenburg said in a statement. “This is a momentous achievement for our Commonwealth and sets a powerful precedent for other states to follow.”

The impending ban comes after growing calls to end legacy admissions after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action in admissions earlier last year. With Youngkin’s signature, Virginia and Colorado are the only states in the nation to ban legacy admissions.

“Governor Youngkin has consistently advocated for merit-based admissions to Virginia’s colleges and universities,” Youngkin spokesman Christian Martinez said in a statement, adding that students in Virginia can be encouraged to know they will be recognized by merit.

Some schools, including Virginia Tech, have already ended legacy admissions. How the law will impact two of the state’s most selective public universities, the University of Virginia and William & Mary, is still unclear.

William & Mary said it doesn’t expect the legislation to have “a significant impact” on its process, noting in a statement that it doesn’t “have a separate admission process or standard for legacy applicants” and the school’s data shows that the admitted legacy applicants’ academic profile is “very high and consistent” with its overall admitted class.

“We are still evaluating how the new law may affect the University of Virginia’s current admissions approach once it takes effect,” a UVA spokesperson, Bethanie Glover, wrote in an email.