# Virginia HB1320: Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount.

Virginia HB1320, Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Marty Martinez (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0774)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1320-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1320
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-16
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0774)
- Sponsor: Marty Martinez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 10 (185 yes, 77 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount. Provides that, for unemployment compensation claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly benefit amount shall be $48 higher than the current weekly benefit amount, as denoted in the table in the printed bill. This bill is identical to SB 759.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Higher unemployment benefits for unemployed Virginia workers: benefit, medium. Virginia increases weekly unemployment benefits for eligible people whose claims take effect on or after July 1, 2026. Your weekly amount comes from Column B of the benefit table. It depends on wages from covered work during your two highest-paid quarters in the period used to calculate benefits. T…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Marty Martinez (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 | 8 | 5 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 62 | 35 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 5 | 2 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Reported from Appropriations with substitute | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-10 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations | pass | 5 | 2 |   |

## Actions (35)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0774) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 774 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-01: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1320) (House)
- 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1320ER) (House)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-30: 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 (8-Y 5-N) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1320) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Committee substitute printed 26107582D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-11: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-11: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Reported from Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-02-10: Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-02-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1320) (House)
- 2026-02-05: Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (5-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-01-27: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-16: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-01-16: Presented and ordered printed with emergency clause 26102277D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222687.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222686.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199440.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199439.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142534.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142430.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142426.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142533.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142425.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142429.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089505.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089504.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/1222687.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222686.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199440.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199439.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142534.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142430.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142426.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142533.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142425.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142429.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089505.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089504.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1320-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).