# Virginia HB547: Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections. Virginia HB547, Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Dan I. Helmer (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-22 (Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB547-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB547 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-04-22, Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A) - Sponsor: Dan I. Helmer (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 12 (308 yes, 163 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections; report. Requires the governing body of any county or city that contracts with a private company to provide transportation services to (i) require such company to provide any employee of such company providing such services compensation and benefits that are, at a minimum, equivalent to the compensation and benefits provided to a public employee, as defined in the bill, with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service; (ii) provide transportation services through such company's own employees; and (iii) if such county or city subsequently elects to provide its own system of public transportation, adopt an ordinance or resolution providing for collective bargaining and ensure all employees of such private company are offered employment with such subsequent public transportation system without loss of compensation or benefits. The bill clarifies that the bill only applies to actions occurring on or after the effective date and excludes any action taken, contract signed, liability incurred, or right accrued prior to July 1, 2026, from the requirements. Finally, the bill directs the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to convene a work group to develop recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the bill and requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and Senate Committee on Local Government by November 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 731. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Pay and benefit protections for transit workers: benefit, high. For covered Virginia county or city contracts, private transit companies must use their own employees to provide service. Contracts must require hourly pay matching local government jobs with equivalent qualifications, accounting for years of service and wage progression. Health, retirement, and ot… - Transit workers get job transition protections: benefit, high. When a new company takes over a covered transit contract, it must offer jobs to the previous company’s system workers. Those offers must preserve pay and benefits. When the county or city takes over operations, it must offer the private company’s employees jobs without reducing compensation or bene… - Virginia sets local transit implementation rules: benefit, low. The amended section authorizes counties and cities outside transportation districts to create, operate, maintain, or contract for transit systems. They must find a need and be unable to reach a reasonable agreement for district membership. They may contract with transit authorities serving neighbor… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Dan I. Helmer (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-22 | House | House concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 64 | 36 | | | 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 21 | 18 | | | 2026-03-06 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 62 | 35 | | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 21 | 19 | | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Local Government Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 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 | | | 2026-02-23 | Senate | Reported from Local Government with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 7 | | | 2026-02-09 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 63 | 34 | | | 2026-02-03 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce | pass | 15 | 7 | | | 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 5 | 2 | | ## Actions (38) - 2026-04-22: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-04-22: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (64-Y 36-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-04-22: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1058) (Governor) - 2026-04-22: Reenrolled bill text (HB547ER2) (House) - 2026-04-22: Reenrolled (House) - 2026-04-22: Approved by Governor - Chapter 1058 (effective - see bill) (Governor) - 2026-04-22: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-04-22: Governor's recommendation adopted (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Governor's recommendation received by House (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) - 2026-03-13: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-13: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-13: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-06: Senate substitute agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-04: Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Local Government Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (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: Committee substitute printed 26108415D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Reported from Local Government with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-10: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate) - 2026-02-10: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Read third time and passed House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-06: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-02-05: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-03: Reported from Labor and Commerce (15-Y 7-N) (House) - 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N) (House) - 2026-01-20: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2 (House) - 2026-01-19: Fiscal Impact statement From CLG (1/19/2026 4:22 pm) (House) - 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House) - 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100320D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225249.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225248.PDF) - Reenrolled, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220012.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220011.PDF) - Gov Recommendation, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219356.HTML) - Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203421.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203420.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171882.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171881.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084888.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084887.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/1225249.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225248.PDF) - [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220012.HTML) - [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220011.PDF) - [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219356.HTML) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203421.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203420.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171882.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171881.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084888.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084887.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-HB547-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).