Virginia's Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #2 advanced a sweeping package of worker-protection bills — covering minimum wage for farm workers, paid sick leave, domestic worker overtime, wage theft enforcement, and federal deregulation backstops — over sustained opposition from business groups, with most contested bills clearing on 5-2 votes and several referred to Appropriations.
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Delegate Ballard argued that removing the knowledge requirement creates a strict liability standard — 'isn't this a strict liability standard?' — and characterized it as 'class action stuff under a strict liability standard. I mean, I've never heard of that in the law before.' Judith Conti acknowledged 'it does create somewhat of a strict liability situation' but defended the provision on policy grounds, arguing it creates incentives for general contractors to hire reputable subcontractors and that the same standard exists in multiple other states. Brandon Robinson (Associated General Contractors) and Julia Hammond (Associated Builders and Contractors) argued the substitute removes language previously negotiated to protect good-actor contractors, with Hammond stating 'you're removing the part that protects the good guys.'
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“Under our current law, farm workers on large farms are only covered by the federal minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. And farm workers on small farms are excluded from the federal minimum wage protection, meaning that it's legal for employers to pay farm workers below the $7.25 an hour.”
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Sign in to subscribeGood afternoon everyone. Welcome to Subcommittee 2, labor and Workforce Sub. We have several bills that are going by for the day as patrons work with interest and advocates and activists on some slight edits and changes to various bills. So with that, I would like to move that we take several bills by for the day in block HB 121 from Keys Gamarra, HB 260 from Delegate Simons, HB 275 from Delegate Rasul, HB 338 from me, HB 340 from Delegate Martinez, and then finally HB 569 from Delegate Fagans. With that, like to have a motion moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. All right, all is opposed? All right, those. Those bills are passed by for the week just to reinforce something that was said repeatedly to folks. We only have a limited amount of meetings and so please be aware that it's going to be difficult to pass bills by repeatedly and we want to be able to hear everything before we run out of time. With that, I'd like to have the Uber chair present her bill first. Welcome to the podium, MA'. AM. It's HB572, Chairwoman Ward. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members…
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