With VA putting forth the legislation recently.

How does commonwealth state law differ in relation to non commonwealth states?

In Virginia, there is no difference it is name alone. Hell they can't even decide. Half of the institutions in the state are Virginia State whatever; Virginia State Police, Virigina Polytechnis Institue and State University, then there's the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, Virginia Commonwealth University, etc. Virginia likes to think they are special since they declared their independence from England as a Commonwealth.