The Virginia General Assembly adjourned the 2020 session sine die on Thursday, March 12th slightly later than the planned Saturday, March 7th date thanks to a large number of pending conference reports and lack of agreement on the State Budget.

There was no shortage of bills to monitor over the course of the 60+ day session. VRMCA lobbyists stayed on top of those items relating specifically to our industry. Below you will find a summary of those that are most relevant to you and your business.

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING (HB 1414/SB 890 & HB 1541)
Governor Northam’s funding bills, carried by the Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader, are expected to generate over $370 million/year in new funding for transportation projects. The bills include a 10-cent gas tax increase, phased in over two years. They also include a bonding package for I-81 that could be worth up to $800-900 million for construction projects. 

House Transportation Committee Chairwoman McQuinn’s HB 1541 creates a transportation funding authority for the Richmond metropolitan area, similar to the authorities in Northern VA and Hampton Roads. The authority will raise an estimated $168 million/year. 

PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS  (HB 358/SB 182)
Any public body will be permitted to use Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), but “neutrality” language was preserved that will prevent the public body from requiring or prohibiting the use of such agreements. 

MINIMUM WAGE  (HB 395/SB 7)
The House and Senate agreed to a compromise that will raise the minimum wage to $9.50/hour starting January 2021, and then gradually increase to $12/hour by January 1, 2023. In addition, a study will take place regarding the impact of the higher rate, and during the 2024 General Assembly Session, the legislature will decide whether to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour by 2026. 

MANDATORY EMPLOYEE SICK LEAVE  (SB 481 – Senator Favola)
This bill would have required employers meeting certain criteria to provide employees with earned paid sick time. The bill failed because the Senate failed to act on the conference report prior to the deadline.