VirginiaSB7712026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Workers' compensation; burial expenses, annual adjustment.

Sponsored By: Jeremy S. McPike (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

Workers' compensation; burial expenses; annual adjustment. Increases from $10,000 to $15,000 the amount required to be paid by an employer under workers' compensation provisions for burial expenses. The bill directs the Commissioner of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission to adjust the amount of burial expenses and reasonable transportation expenses required to be paid by an employer by a percentage equivalent to the percentage increase of the United States Average Consumer Price Index published by the U.S. Department of Labor beginning January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Higher burial help with yearly inflation

The law raises employer-paid burial costs to up to $15,000 when a worker dies from a job accident within nine years. It also pays reasonable transportation costs for the deceased up to $1,000. Starting January 1, 2028, these caps go up each year with inflation using the U.S. CPI-U. Each year’s change cannot be negative.

Weekly death benefits and duration for dependents

If a worker dies from a job accident within nine years, dependents get weekly payments. The weekly amount is 66 2/3% of the worker’s average weekly wage. It cannot be more than 100% of the Commonwealth’s average weekly wage or less than 25% of that wage. Presumed total dependents can get up to 500 weeks. When there are no total dependents, wholly or partial dependents in fact can get up to 400 weeks. If the worker got weekly payments before death, dependent payments start after the last such payment and still cannot exceed those week limits counted from the injury date.

Some dependents are not eligible

Some dependents cannot receive these death benefits. Dependents of AmeriCorps members are not eligible. Dependents of people in the Food Stamp Employment and Training work-experience program cannot get benefits under subsections A, C, D, or E. Dependents of people in the TANF work-experience (VIEW) program also cannot get benefits under those subsections.

How death benefits split among dependents

When there are total dependents, the law splits death benefits equally among them. Partial dependents are not part of that equal split. If there are no total dependents, partial dependents share based on how much they relied on the worker’s earnings. If a dependent’s benefits end, the rest share that amount in proportion to their dependency.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Jeremy S. McPike

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 312 • No: 0

House vote 3/2/2026

Passed House Block Vote

Yes: 98 • No: 0

House vote 3/2/2026

Passed House Block Vote

Yes: 99 • No: 0

House vote 2/25/2026

Reported from Appropriations

Yes: 22 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/6/2026

Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/5/2026

Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/4/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/4/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/2/2026

Reported from Commerce and Labor

Yes: 13 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0832)

    4/13/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 832 (effective 7/1/2026)

    4/13/2026Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/10/2026Governor
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

    3/10/2026Senate
  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB771)

    3/5/2026Senate
  6. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB771ER)

    3/5/2026Senate
  7. Enrolled

    3/5/2026Senate
  8. Signed by President

    3/5/2026Senate
  9. Signed by Speaker

    3/5/2026House
  10. Passed House Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/2/2026House
  11. Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

    3/2/2026House
  12. Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/2/2026House
  13. Read third time

    3/2/2026House
  14. Read second time

    2/27/2026House
  15. Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

    2/25/2026House
  16. Referred to Committee on Appropriations

    2/12/2026House
  17. Read first time

    2/12/2026House
  18. Placed on Calendar

    2/12/2026House
  19. Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay

    2/11/2026House
  20. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB771)

    2/9/2026Senate
  21. Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/6/2026Senate
  22. Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/5/2026Senate
  23. Read second time

    2/5/2026Senate
  24. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/4/2026Senate
  25. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/4/2026Senate

Bill Text

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