Public service companies; prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work.
<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 40.1 an article numbered 1.2, consisting of sections numbered 40.1-28.13 through 40.1-28.16, relating to prevailing wage rate; underground infrastructure work; public service companies.</p>
Labor
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Simonds
Last action
2026-03-06
Official status
Continued
Effective date
Not listed
Plain English Breakdown
The exact penalties for non-compliance with the bill are not specified in the official source material.
Prevailing Wage Rate for Underground Infrastructure Work by Public Service Companies
This law sets rules for public service companies to pay workers fairly when they do underground work like laying pipes or cables.
What This Bill Does
The Department of Labor and Industry must determine the prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work and make this information available.
Public service companies have to ensure their contracts include paying the prevailing wage rate for underground work.
Contractors and subcontractors working on underground projects need to post the prevailing wage rate in a prominent place at the job site.
Companies doing underground work must keep records about how much they pay workers.
Who It Names or Affects
Public service companies that do or contract for underground infrastructure work
Workers who build or maintain underground infrastructure
Terms To Know
Prevailing wage rate
The fair wage and benefits that workers in a certain area usually get for their job.
Underground infrastructure work
Work done to build or fix underground systems like water pipes, electricity lines, or internet cables.
Limits and Unknowns
The bill only applies to contracts made on or after July 1, 2027.
It is not clear what specific penalties there are for not following the rules in this law.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment removes specific language from the bill regarding prevailing wage rates for underground infrastructure work.
Removes certain text related to prevailing wage rates in the section dealing with public service companies' underground infrastructure work.
The exact nature and impact of the removed text are not specified, making it unclear what specific changes this amendment will make to the bill's requirements for public service companies.
Plain English: The amendment changes the language in the bill to specify that prevailing wage rates apply to maintenance work on underground infrastructure.
Modifies the text to ensure that prevailing wage rates are applied to maintenance activities involving underground parts of infrastructure.
The exact scope and implications of this change for public service companies are not fully detailed in the provided amendment text.
Bill History
2026-03-06Finance and Appropriations
Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-03-02Commerce and Labor
Reported from Commerce and Labor with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 5-N)
2026-02-20Appropriations
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB260)
2026-02-18Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-18Commerce and Labor
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
2026-02-17House
Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)
2026-02-16House
Read second time
2026-02-16House
committee amendment rejected
2026-02-16House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-02-16House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-02-13House
Read first time
2026-02-11Appropriations
Reported from Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 7-N)
Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N)
2026-01-29Subcommittee #2
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (5-Y 2-N)
2026-01-29Subcommittee #2
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-15Subcommittee #2
Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2
2026-01-09House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102389D
2026-01-09Labor and Commerce
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce
Official Summary Text
Prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work by public service companies.
Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to determine and make available the prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, each public service company shall ensure that its bid specifications or other contracts applicable to underground infrastructure work require payment at the prevailing wage rate. The bill requires contractors and subcontractors to post the prevailing wage rate in a prominent and accessible place at the work site. The bill also requires each contractor or subcontractor subject to the provisions of the bill to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements. The provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2027.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
(HB260)
AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE SENATE
COMMERCE AND LABOR
1. Line 26, engrossed, after
maintenance work,
strike
related to an underground
insert
on the underground portions of a