# Virginia HB627: Covenants not to compete; includes health care professionals, civil penalty. Virginia HB627, Covenants not to compete; includes health care professionals, civil penalty., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Charniele L. Herring (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-14 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1113)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB627-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB627 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Covenants not to compete; includes health care professionals, civil penalty. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-05-14, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1113) - Sponsor: Charniele L. Herring (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 12 (456 yes, 14 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary Covenants not to compete; health care professionals; civil penalty. Adds health care professionals as a category of employee with or upon whom no employer shall enter into, enforce, or threaten to enforce a covenant not to compete. The bill defines "health care professional" as any person licensed, registered, or certified by the Board of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology, or Social Work. The bill provides that any employer that violates the prohibition against covenants not to compete with a health care professional is subject to the civil penalty in current law of $10,000 for each violation. This bill is identical to SB 128. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Departing health professionals face repayment terms: cost, medium. Health professionals employed for fewer than five years can face repayment duties under an enforceable agreement. Employers can require repayment of all or a prorated share of covered costs. These include recruiting, moving, education, and training expenses, plus signing or retention bonuses. Other… - Noncompete protections for covered Virginia workers: mixed, medium. Virginia employers cannot make, enforce, or threaten to enforce post-job noncompetes against covered health professionals or low-wage workers. Covered professionals hold a license, registration, or certification from Virginia’s Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology, or Social Work bo… - Health professionals face customer outreach limits: mixed, low. Employers can use enforceable agreements to limit departing health professionals from seeking business from customers they had substantial contact with. This includes prospective customers the employer actively sought. The agreement must state how long the limit lasts after departure. It applies on… - Health practice sales allow limited noncompetes: mixed, low. A health professional selling a business can agree with the buyer to a noncompete or similar restriction. The sale must cover all or substantially all operating assets and goodwill of the business, division, or subsidiary. A sale of the relevant ownership interest also qualifies. The restriction mu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Charniele L. Herring (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-04-22 | House | Governor's amendment no. 1 agreed to | pass | 96 | 3 | | | 2026-03-11 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 95 | 2 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-05 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-05 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 14 | 0 | | | 2026-02-23 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-02-09 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 93 | 5 | | | 2026-02-03 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) | pass | 20 | 2 | | | 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | 5 | 2 | | ## Actions (48) - 2026-05-14: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1113) (Governor) - 2026-05-14: Approved by Governor-Chapter 1113 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-04-22: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Governor's amendment no. 2 passed by (House) - 2026-04-22: Governor's amendment no. 1 agreed to (96-Y 3-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-04-22: Reenrolled bill text (HB627ER2) (House) - 2026-04-22: Reenrolled (House) - 2026-04-22: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-04-22: Communicated to Governor (House) - 2026-04-22: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-04-22: Governor's recommendation adopted (Governor) - 2026-04-11: Governor's recommendation received by House (Governor) - 2026-04-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB627) (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 (HB627ER) (House) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Senate substitute agreed to by House (95-Y 2-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-09: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB627) (House) - 2026-02-24: Committee substitute printed 26108396D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB627) (House) - 2026-02-10: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate) - 2026-02-10: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Read third time and passed House (93-Y 5-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-06: Engrossed by House as amended (House) - 2026-02-06: committee amendments agreed to (House) - 2026-02-06: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-05: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-03: Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) (20-Y 2-N) (House) - 2026-02-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB627) (House) - 2026-01-29: House subcommittee offered (House) - 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (5-Y 2-N) (House) - 2026-01-20: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2 (House) - 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House) - 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104135D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-05-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225696.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225695.PDF) - Reenrolled, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219850.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219849.PDF) - Gov Recommendation, 2026-04-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219279.HTML) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212115.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212114.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177702.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177701.PDF) - Engrossed, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1116313.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1116312.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115280.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-01-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103818.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1102085.HTML) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085248.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085247.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/1225696.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225695.PDF) - [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219850.HTML) - [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219849.PDF) - [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219279.HTML) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212115.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212114.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177702.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177701.PDF) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1116313.HTML) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1116312.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115280.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103818.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1102085.HTML) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085248.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085247.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-HB627-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).