# Virginia HB338: Service employees; authority of local governments, definition.

Virginia HB338, Service employees; authority of local governments, definition., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Alfonso H. Lopez (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0384)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB338-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB338
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Service employees; authority of local governments, definition.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-12
- Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0384)
- Sponsor: Alfonso H. Lopez (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 10 (225 yes, 106 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

Authority of local governments; service employees. Permits a locality to provide for certain requirements concerning successor service employers, defined in the bill, by local ordinance or resolution. For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor service employers retain incumbent service employees during a transition period of 90 days. Under the bill, service employees are those who perform work in connection with the care or maintenance of property, services at an airport, or food preparation services at schools. The bill provides that an employer that violates the provisions of a local ordinance or resolution enacted pursuant to the bill may be subject to a civil action and monetary damages. This bill is identical to SB 430.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Service workers can sue for back pay: benefit, medium. If your city or county enacts these protections and your employer breaks them, you can sue. You can get back pay for each day of the violation, plus attorney fees, witness fees, and court costs. Willful violations can mean triple damages or at least $1,000.
- Advance notice and contact list for service workers: benefit, low. Local governments can require written notice to workers, and unions if any, at least 30 days before a new employer starts. They can also require a list of workers’ names, job titles, and contact info to be given to the successor 30 days before the transition. After the 90-day period, the successor…
- Local 90-day job protection for service workers: mixed, medium. Local governments can adopt rules to protect service workers when a new contractor takes over. If adopted, the new employer must keep incumbent service employees for 90 days. During that time, it can fire only for just cause or a workforce reduction that uses seniority and a recall list. The succes…
- Who counts as a covered service worker: mixed, low. The law defines who is covered and where it applies, based on what your city or county chooses. You count as a service employee if you work at least 16 hours per week at a covered site doing listed services. Covered sites can include apartments with more than 50 units; office or commercial complexe…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Alfonso H. Lopez (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Senate amendments agreed to by House | pass | 64 | 32 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | General Laws and Technology Amendments agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendments | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 10 | 5 |   |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 6 |   |
| 2026-02-09 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 62 | 35 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 5 | 2 |   |

## Actions (34)

- 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0384) (Governor)
- 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 384 (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: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB338ER) (House)
- 2026-03-11: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Senate amendments agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-02: Passed Senate with amendments (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: General Laws and Technology Amendments agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-06: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-06: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-05: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Committee substitute printed 26106535D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-03: Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-01-19: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104990D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217775.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217774.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199293.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199292.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189047.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170756.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-18: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169124.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115273.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115272.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103815.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103814.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103179.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103178.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083920.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083919.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/1217775.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217774.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199293.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199292.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189047.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1170756.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169124.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115273.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115272.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103815.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103814.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103179.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103178.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083920.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083919.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB338-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).