# Virginia HB1: Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028.

Virginia HB1, Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jeion A. Ward (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0350)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-11-17
- Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0350)
- Sponsor: Jeion A. Ward (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (172 yes, 77 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that is effective January 1, 2026, and increases the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2028. Effective January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, the bill requires the minimum wage to be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. This bill is identical to SB 1.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Higher minimum pay for Virginia workers: benefit, high. Covered Virginia workers must receive at least $12.77 an hour starting January 1, 2026. The floor rises to $13.75 on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 on January 1, 2028. Employers must pay the federal minimum wage instead whenever it is higher. Starting January 1, 2029, the state rate increases annually…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Jeion A. Ward (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 9 | 5 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-23 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 5 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 64 | 34 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-20 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations | pass | 15 | 7 |   |

## Actions (27)

- 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0350) (Governor)
- 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 350 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1) (House)
- 2026-03-11: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1ER) (House)
- 2026-03-11: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 5-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 5-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-03: Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-02: Read second time and engrossed (House)
- 2026-01-30: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-28: Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1) (House)
- 2026-01-20: Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-20: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1) (House)
- 2025-11-17: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2025-11-17: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101997D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217587.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217586.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199671.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199670.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-11-17: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081189.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081188.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217587.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217586.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199671.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199670.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081189.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081188.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).