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SB1 • 2026

Minimum wage; increases incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028.

An Act to amend and reenact § 40.1-28.10 of the Code of Virginia, relating to minimum wage.

Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Lucas
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes details about annual adjustments after January 1, 2029, which are supported by the bill text but were not explicitly stated in the summary or digest.

Increasing Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour

This act increases Virginia's minimum wage incrementally, reaching $15 per hour by January 1, 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the state minimum wage to $12.77 per hour effective January 1, 2026.
  • Raises the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027.
  • Sets the minimum wage at $15 per hour starting January 1, 2028.
  • Adjusts the state's minimum wage annually based on inflation after January 1, 2029.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Employers who pay their employees a minimum hourly wage in Virginia.
  • Employees working for employers covered by this law.

Terms To Know

Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
A measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if federal minimum wage laws conflict with Virginia's new rates.
  • It is unclear how this law will affect small businesses or rural areas differently from larger urban centers.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 351 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-08 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0351)

  3. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

  4. 2026-03-10 Governor

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

  5. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1)

  6. 2026-03-04 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1ER)

  10. 2026-02-27 House

    Read third time

  11. 2026-02-27 House

    Passed House (62-Y 34-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-02-26 House

    Read second time

  13. 2026-02-24 Labor and Commerce

    Reported from Labor and Commerce (15-Y 7-N)

  14. 2026-02-19 House

    Placed on Calendar

  15. 2026-02-19 House

    Read first time

  16. 2026-02-19 Labor and Commerce

    Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

  17. 2026-02-16 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-02-13 Senate

    Read second time

  19. 2026-02-13 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  20. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Rules suspended

  21. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  22. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  23. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  24. 2026-02-11 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)

  25. 2026-02-02 Commerce and Labor

    Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (7-Y 6-N)

  26. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1)

  27. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1)

  28. 2025-11-17 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102073D

  29. 2025-11-17 Commerce and Labor

    Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

Official Summary Text

Minimum wage.
Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2028. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.77 per hour that is effective January 1, 2026, and increases the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2027, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2028. Effective January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, the bill requires the minimum wage to be adjusted to reflect increases in the consumer price index. This bill is identical to HB 1.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §
40.1-28.10
of the Code of Virginia, relating to minimum wage.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
40.1-28.10
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
40.1-28.10
. Minimum wages.
A. 1. Prior to May 1, 2021, every employer shall pay to each of its employees wages at a rate not less than the federal minimum wage.
2. Beginning May 1, 2021, every employer shall pay to each of his employees at a rate not less than the federal minimum wage or 75 percent of the Virginia minimum wage provided for in this section, whichever is greater. For the purposes of this subdivision "employee" means any person or individual who is enrolled in an established employer on-the-job or other training program for a period not to exceed 90 days which meets standards set by regulations adopted by the Commissioner.
B. From
May 1, 2021
January 1, 2026
, until January 1,
2022
2027
, every employer shall pay to each of its employees wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i)
$9.50
$12.77
per hour or (ii) the federal minimum wage.
C. From January 1,
2022
2027
, until January 1,
2023
2028
, every employer shall pay to each of its employees wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i)
$11.00
$13.75
per hour or (ii) the federal minimum wage.
D. From January 1,
2023
2028
, until January 1,
2025
2029
, every employer shall pay to each of its employees wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i)
$12.00
$15.00
per hour or (ii) the federal minimum wage.
E. From and after January 1,
2025
2029
, every employer shall pay to each of his employees wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i) the adjusted state hourly minimum wage or (ii) the federal minimum wage.
F. By October 1,
2024
2028
, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner shall establish the adjusted state hourly minimum wage that shall be in effect during the 12-month period commencing on the following January 1. The Commissioner shall set the adjusted state hourly minimum wage at the sum of (i) the amount of the state hourly minimum wage rate that is in effect on the date such adjustment is made and (ii) a percentage of the amount described in clause (i) that is equal to the percentage by which the United States Average Consumer Price Index for all items, all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, or a successor index as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, has increased during the most recent calendar year for which such information is available. The amount of each annual adjustment shall not be less than zero.