# Virginia SB759: Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount.

Virginia SB759, Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Adam P. Ebbin (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0775)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB759-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB759
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Unemployment benefits; increase weekly benefit amount.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-19
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0775)
- Sponsor: Adam P. Ebbin (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 9 (200 yes, 49 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 HB 1320.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Higher unemployment benefits for Virginia workers: benefit, medium. For claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, the law increases weekly unemployment benefits for eligible Virginia claimants. A new benefit table sets payments using wages from covered work in the two highest-paid quarters of the base period. The source does not include the table's dollar amounts,…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Adam P. Ebbin (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Passed House | pass | 64 | 35 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 15 | 7 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations | pass | 15 | 6 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to | 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 with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-02 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 12 | 1 |   |

## Actions (32)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0775) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 775 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB759) (Senate)
- 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 (SB759ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Passed House (64-Y 35-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-03: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-27: Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) (House)
- 2026-02-25: Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources (House)
- 2026-02-24: Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 6-N) (House)
- 2026-02-20: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-20: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-02-20: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB759) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Committee substitute printed 26107583D-S1 (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 with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB759) (Senate)
- 2026-02-02: Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 1-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Presented and ordered printed 26103436D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222699.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222698.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213248.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213247.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146802.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146801.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092834.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092833.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/1222699.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222698.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213248.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213247.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146802.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1146801.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092834.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092833.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB759-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).