(Business) Business Regulations
HB 1 Minimum wage; increases wage to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025.Chief patron: Ward Summary as introduced: Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from the current rate of $12.00 per hour to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. The bill satisfies a reenactment clause included in Chapters 1204 and 1242 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020. This bill is identical to SB 1.
02/23/24 Senate: Read third time HB 132 Virginia Minority Business Commission; established, report, sunset clause.Chief patron: Convirs-Fowler Summary as introduced:
01/01/24 House: Referred to Committee on Rules HB 164 Procurement; preference for local products and firms by localities.Chief patron: Keys-Gamarra Summary as introduced:
01/02/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 374 Virginia Minority Business Commission; established, membership, report, sunset clause.Chief patron: Feggans Summary as passed House: Virginia Minority Business Commission; report; sunset. Establishes the 13-member Virginia Minority Business Commission in the legislative branch of government for the purpose of promoting the growth and competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2028.
02/13/24 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) HB 590 Electronic gaming devices; regulation, penalties.Chief patron: Hayes Summary as passed House: Regulation of electronic gaming devices; penalties. Authorizes and specifies the licensing requirements for the manufacture, distribution, operation, hosting, and playing of electronic gaming devices, as defined in the bill, under the regulatory authority of the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill imposes a 30 percent tax on all gross profits from the play of such electronic gaming devices and provides for the use of such tax proceeds. The bill also imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the law and regulations related to electronic gaming devices.
02/28/24 House: House acceded to request HB 716 Small Business and Supplier Diversity, Department of; disparity study.Chief patron: Torian Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102659D HB 723 Property Owners' Association Act; meeting of board of directors.Chief patron: Webert Summary as passed: Property Owners' Association Act; meetings of the board of directors; inconsistent provisions. Provides that the provisions of the Property Owners' Association Act govern the conduct of meetings of the board of the directors without regard to whether the property owners' association is incorporated or unincorporated. The bill clarifies that such provisions shall not be interpreted to supersede corporate authorities otherwise established by law or governing documents.
02/27/24 House: Enrolled HB 897 Small Business and Supplier Diversity, Department of; guidance to small businesses.Chief patron: Kent Summary as introduced: The bill requires each state agency to annually report any enforcement action taken by the agency against a small business in the previous calendar year that specifies each infraction and the enforcement action taken by the agency. The bill requires the Department to post de-identified aggregated data by state agency and infraction type from such reports on its website. The bill requires the Department to convene a work group to identify and recommend means to provide relief to small businesses regarding regularly occurring required reports to state agencies. The work group is required to identify each such report and consider (i) if such report can be required less frequently or eliminated; (ii) if the required information has not changed since the previous report, allowing the small business to satisfy the reporting requirement by indicating that there has been no change; (iii) establishing a waiver or lowering the threshold to qualify for an existing waiver; (iv) reducing or eliminating any penalty for noncompliance; and (v) any other means to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. The Department is required to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2024.
01/25/24 House: Assigned Rules sub: Studies Subcommittee HB 924 Transportation network companies; publishing & disclosure requirements.Chief patron: Srinivasan Summary as passed House: Transportation network companies; publishing and disclosure requirements. Requires a transportation network company (TNC) to (i) issue an annual report to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles containing the aggregate data regarding the average fare collected from passengers, the total time driven by TNC partners while transporting a passenger, and the total amount earned by TNC partners in connection with prearranged rides and (ii) disclose to TNC partners details about the deactivation process and provide a weekly summary that includes the total fare collected from passengers, the total amount earned, and the percentage earned by such TNC partner that week.
02/19/24 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB924H1) HB 990 Employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; prohibited.Chief patron: Maldonado Summary as passed: Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote a prospective employee or otherwise retaliating against a prospective employee for not providing wage or salary history; and (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. This bill is identical to SB 370.
02/26/24 House: Senate substitute agreed to by House 24107923D-S1 (50-Y 46-N) HB 1059 Hospital price transparency; private right of action, patient payment disputes, noncompliance.Chief patron: Helmer Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104639D HB 1154 Virginia Public Procurement Act; preferences for goods, services, or construction by U.S. entities.Chief patron: Sickles Summary as introduced:
01/10/24 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws HB 1361 Virginia Public Procurement Act; Virginia resident preference.Chief patron: Feggans Summary as passed House: Virginia Public Procurement Act; Virginia resident preference. Provides preference as it relates to procurement for a bidder who is a resident of Virginia and then a bidder whose goods are produced in the United States. The bill gives the next lowest responsive and responsible bidder who is a resident of Virginia the option to match the price of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder who is a resident of another state. The bill exempts a public body from the provisions of the bill if such public body is rendered ineligible to receive federal funding due to the provisions of the bill. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2025 Session of the General Assembly.
02/28/24 Senate: Reading of substitute waived HB 1404 Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program; established, definitions, report.Chief patron: Ward Summary as passed House: Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program established; disparity study report. Establishes the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program with a statewide goal of 42 percent of certified small SWaM business utilization in all discretionary spending by executive branch agencies and covered institutions in procurement orders, prime contracts, and subcontracts, as well as a target goal of 50 percent subcontracting to small SWaM businesses in instances where the prime contractor is not a small SWaM business for all new capital outlay construction solicitations that are issued. Executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWaM business utilization rate by three percent per year until reaching the 42 percent target level or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rate. In addition, the bill provides for a small SWaM business set-aside for state agency and covered institution purchases of goods, services, and construction, requiring that purchases up to $100,000 be set aside for award to certified small SWaM businesses. The bill creates the Division of Procurement Enhancement within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity for purposes of collaborating with the Department of General Services, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the Department of Transportation, and covered institutions to further the Commonwealth's efforts to meet the goals established under the Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program, as well as implementing initiatives to enhance the development of small businesses, microbusinesses, women-owned businesses, service disabled veteran-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses in the Commonwealth. Finally, the bill Requires the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct a disparity study every five years, the next due no later than January 1, 2026. The study shall evaluate the need for enhancement and remedial measures to address the disparity between the availability and the utilization of women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The bill has a general delayed effective date of January 1, 2025 and a delayed effective dates of July 1, 2025 for covered institutions.
02/13/24 House: VOTE: Passage (73-Y 26-N) HB 1506 Retail franchise agreements; governing law, competition restrictions.Chief patron: Wyatt Summary as introduced:
01/19/24 House: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce SB 1 Minimum wage; increases wage to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025.Chief patron: Lucas Summary as introduced: Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from the current rate of $12.00 per hour to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. The bill satisfies a reenactment clause included in Chapters 1204 and 1242 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020. This bill is identical to HB 1.
02/23/24 House: Passed House (51-Y 47-N) SB 185 E-Verify program; every employer to enroll in program by January 1, 2025.Chief patron: Sturtevant Summary as introduced:
01/17/24 Senate: Rereferred from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) SB 284 Siting of data centers; impacts on resources and historically significant sites.Chief patron: Roem Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101555D SB 285 Siting of data centers; site assessment.Chief patron: Roem Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104537D SB 288 Data centers; noise abatement.Chief patron: Roem Summary as introduced:
01/09/24 Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102008D SB 370 Employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; prohibited.Chief patron: Boysko Summary as passed Senate: Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote a prospective employee or otherwise retaliating against a prospective employee for not providing wage or salary history; and (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. This bill is identical to HB 990.
02/23/24 House: Passed House (50-Y 48-N) SB 667 Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund; performance agreement.Chief patron: Stuart Summary as introduced:
01/16/24 Senate: Presented and ordered printed 24100954D Counts: HB: 15 SB: 7 |