# Virginia SB731: Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections. Virginia SB731, Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Saddam Azlan Salim (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-22 (House concurred in Governor's recommendation (64-Y 34-N 0-A)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB731-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB731 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Private companies providing public transportation services; employee protections. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-16 - Last action: 2026-04-22, House concurred in Governor's recommendation (64-Y 34-N 0-A) - Sponsor: Saddam Azlan Salim (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 12 (276 yes, 150 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## 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 HB 547. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Equal pay and benefits for transit workers: benefit, medium. When a county or city hires a private company to run transit, the contract must require equal pay. Each worker must be paid the same hourly rate as a comparable public employee with similar years of service and wage steps. Health and retirement benefits must be at least actuarially equal to public… - Job protections when transit operators change: benefit, medium. If a new private company takes over a locality’s transit, it must offer jobs to all workers from the prior operator with no loss of pay or benefits. If the county or city brings transit in-house, it must offer jobs to all contractor employees with no loss of pay or benefits. In that case, the local… - Localities can run transit service: benefit, low. Counties or cities that are not in a transportation district can run or hire out public transit. They must find there is a need and that joining a district is not reasonably possible. They can also contract with nearby transit authorities to keep service continuous across local borders. - When transit protections apply and exceptions: mixed, low. Existing collective bargaining agreements stay in force even if they pay less or have different benefits. The law does not apply to commuter rail run by the Northern Virginia Transportation District Commission, the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation District Commission, paratransit or demand-r… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Saddam Azlan Salim (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-22 | House | House concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 64 | 34 | | | 2026-04-22 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 21 | 18 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Counties, Cities and Towns Substituteagreed to by Senate | pass | 21 | 19 | | | 2026-03-09 | House | Passed House with substitute with amendments | pass | 62 | 35 | | | 2026-03-04 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 15 | 7 | | | 2026-02-27 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute and referred to Appropriations | pass | 15 | 6 | | | 2026-02-16 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 20 | 19 | | | 2026-02-13 | Senate | Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-12 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-12 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 10 | 5 | | | 2026-02-09 | Senate | Reported from Local Government with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 7 | | ## Actions (46) - 2026-04-22: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (64-Y 34-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-04-22: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1026) (Governor) - 2026-04-22: Reenrolled bill text (SB731ER2) (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Reenrolled (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Approved by Governor-Chapter 1026 (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 Senate (Governor) - 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 (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB731ER) (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Counties, Cities and Towns Substituteagreed to by Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Passed House with substitute with amendments (62-Y 35-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-09: Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended (House) - 2026-03-09: Delegate Helmer Floor amendments agreed to (House) - 2026-03-09: committee substitute agreed to (House) - 2026-03-09: Read third time (House) - 2026-03-09: Floor Offered (House) - 2026-03-06: Read second time (House) - 2026-03-04: Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (House) - 2026-03-01: Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety (House) - 2026-02-27: Committee substitute printed 26108776D-H1 (House) - 2026-02-27: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns with substitute and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 6-N) (House) - 2026-02-27: House committee offered (House) - 2026-02-20: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-20: House committee offered (House) - 2026-02-20: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (House) - 2026-02-20: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-16: Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-11: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Committee substitute printed 26107439D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Senate committee offered (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Reported from Local Government with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-16: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate) - 2026-01-16: Presented and ordered printed 26104515D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225063.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225062.PDF) - Reenrolled, 2026-04-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220914.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220913.PDF) - Gov Recommendation, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219674.HTML) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209941.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209940.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199420.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200223.HTML) - Substitute, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185866.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185515.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185514.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185865.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-02-20: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171167.HTML) - Substitute, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135014.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1134063.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135013.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1134062.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092209.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092208.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/1225063.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1225062.PDF) - [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220914.HTML) - [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1220913.PDF) - [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1219674.HTML) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209941.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209940.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199420.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200223.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185866.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185515.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185514.PDF) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185865.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171167.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135014.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1134063.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135013.PDF) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1134062.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092209.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092208.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-SB731-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).