Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #2

Thursday, February 12, 2026·2h 5m·▶ Watch / Listen

Virginia's Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #2 advanced several contested labor and consumer protection measures, including a prevailing wage expansion, heat illness standards, solar workforce standards, and a subscription cancellation bill — all over Republican opposition — while carrying over two tech-regulation bills and killing a gift card cash-out proposal.

Key Actions

·HB569 – Prevailing Wage for Public Works ContractsNo Vote

+ 13 more actions

Controversies

Private cause of action in HB1092 (heat illness standards)

Jason S. Ballard stated he liked the bill but voted no solely because of Section D, which he characterized as allowing a worker to 'sue your employer in like general district court or circuit court,' and offered to remove it as a friendly amendment. Phil M. Hernandez declined, arguing that labor laws should have enforcement mechanisms and that the provision applies only when an employer has knowingly violated the law, stating: 'We want to make sure that there are consequences. Otherwise it will continue in perpetuity.'

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“When public dollars fund construction, those projects should support fair wages and equality work and not a race to the bottom.”
Michael B. Feggans, bill sponsor, HB569 — Feggans was making the core argument for HB569, which would require prevailing wages on state-funded public works contracts.

Votes

Report HB569 with substitute as amended, referred to Committee on AppropriationsPassed

Report HB1092 with substitutePassed

Report HB1173Passed

Pass HB1431 by indefinitelyPassed

Report HB1022 with amendmentsPassed

No (1)Chris S. Runion (stated)

Report HB1372 with substitute, referred to Committee on AppropriationsPassed

Report Clark workplace violence bill with substitute (no bill number stated in transcript)Passed

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TranscriptPreview

Good afternoon, everybody. We'd like to get started as fast as we can. I think we have. Okay, we will go. At ease for one moment. All right. Good afternoon, Everybody. We have 16 bills in our docket. However, let's do our attendance first. All right, there. We do have a quorum, so before we begin with any of our bills, let's actually do some administrative work first. We have three bills that we'd like to strike from the docket at the request of the patrons. First of them is HB825 from Delegate Hayes. All right, moved and seconded. Let's go to the big board. All right, by a vote of six to nothing, that bill is struck. The next bill is HB 962 from Delegate Maa. We have a motion to strike. That bill. Moved and seconded. All those in favor, let's go to the big board. Systems, you're open. All right, by a vote of six. Nothing. That bill is also struck. Let's. The third bill is HB 1033 from Delegate Tranquility. We have a motion to strike. Moved and seconded. Let's go to the big board. 10 33. Okay. All right, with that, let's go to delegate…

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