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HB1263Introduced in the House of Delegates

Public employees; repeals existing prohibition on collective bargaining, etc.

Vetoed

Introduced by Kathy Tran, District 18

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Collective bargaining by public employees; individual home care providers; Virginia Home Care Council established; Public Employee Relations Board established; exclusive bargaining representatives. Repeals the existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees. The bill creates the Public Employee Relations Board, which shall determine appropriate bargaining units and provide for certification and decertification elections for exclusive bargaining representatives of state employees and local government employees. The bill requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. The bill establishes the Virginia Home Care Council within the Department of Medical Assistance Services to promote the stability of the individual provider workforce in the Commonwealth and tasks the Council with serving as the public employer of individual providers, as defined in the bill, for purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill repeals a provision that declares that in any procedure providing for the designation, selection, or authorization of a labor organization to represent employees the right of an individual employee to vote by secret ballot is a fundamental right that shall be guaranteed from infringement. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industry to promulgate any regulations necessary to effectuate the bill's provisions by July 1, 2028, and provides that upon the establishment of the Public Employee Relations Board, such regulations shall be transferred to the Board. The bill provides that until such regulations are adopted, no petitions or elections shall take place pursuant to the bill's provisions except pursuant to an ordinance or resolution adopted under current law. This bill is identical to SB 378.

Where it stands

Vetoed by Governor

May 14, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

7 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

7 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Conference report agreed to by Senate (20-Y 18-N 0-A) · March 14, 2026

20

Yes

18

No

2

Absent or Not Voting

40 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker5Yes
Michael Jones77Yes
Timmy French1No
Mark Obenshain2No
Chris Head3No
David Suetterlein4No
Travis Hackworth5No
Todd Pillion6No
William Stanley7No
Mark Peake8No

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105325D

  2. Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

  3. Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2

  4. Incorporates HB715 (Hope)

  5. House subcommittee offered

  6. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1263)

  7. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (5-Y 2-N)

  8. Committee substitute printed 26107216D-H1

  9. Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N)

  10. Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

  11. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1263)

  12. Fiscal Impact Review From JLARC (2/13/2026 12:31 am)

  13. Fiscal Impact Review From JLARC (2/13/2026 12:54 pm)

  14. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N)

  15. Reported from Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 7-N)

  16. Committee substitute printed 26107649D-H2

  17. Read first time

  18. Read second time

  19. committee substitute rejected

  20. committee substitute agreed to

  21. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  22. Read third time and passed House (61-Y 35-N 0-A)

  23. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  24. Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

  25. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1263)

  26. Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N)

  27. Committee substitute printed 26108997D-S1

  28. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1263)

  29. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)

  30. Rules suspended

  31. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  32. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  33. Read third time

  34. Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to

  35. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  36. Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  37. Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 99-N 0-A)

  38. Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  39. Senate requested conference committee

  40. House acceded to request

  41. Conferees appointed by House

  42. House Conferees: Tran, Ward, Wilt

  43. Conferees appointed by Senate

  44. Senate Conferees: Surovell, Boysko, Stuart

  45. Conference Report released

  46. Passed by temporarily

  47. Passed by temporarily

  48. House requested second conference committee

  49. Senate acceded to request for second conference committee (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  50. Second conferees appointed by Senate

  51. Senate Conferees: Surovell, Boysko, Stuart

  52. Conference Report released

  53. Conferees appointed by House

  54. House Conferees: Tran, Ward, Wilt

  55. Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 34-N 0-A)

  56. Conference report agreed to by Senate (20-Y 18-N 0-A)

  57. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1263)

  58. Enrolled

  59. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1263ER)

  60. Signed by President

  61. Signed by Speaker

  62. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

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

  64. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1263)

  65. Governor's recommendation received by House

  66. Passed by for the day

  67. Passed by for the day

  68. Communicated to Governor

  69. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026

  70. Vetoed by Governor

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