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SB378Introduced in the Senate

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

Vetoed

Introduced by Scott Surovell, District 34

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 HB 1263.

Where it stands

Vetoed by Governor

May 14, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

4 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

11 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Passed by for the day (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · April 22, 2026

21

Yes

18

No

1

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 Head3Absent
David Suetterlein4No
Travis Hackworth5No
Todd Pillion6No
William Stanley7No
Mark Peake8No

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105328D

  2. Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

  3. Fiscal Impact statement From CLG (1/30/2026 8:51 am)

  4. Senate committee offered

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

  6. Committee substitute printed 26106841D-S1

  7. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB378)

  8. Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (10-Y 5-N)

  9. Rules suspended

  10. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A)

  11. Passed by for the day

  12. Committee substitute printed 26107922D-S2

  13. Read second time

  14. Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote)

  15. Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  16. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)

  17. Read third time and passed Senate (22-Y 18-N 0-A)

  18. Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  19. Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  20. Placed on Calendar

  21. Read first time

  22. Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

  23. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB378)

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

  25. Committee substitute printed 26109085D-H1

  26. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB378)

  27. Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N)

  28. Read second time

  29. Read third time

  30. committee substitute agreed to

  31. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  32. Passed House with substitute (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

  33. House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)

  34. House insisted on substitute

  35. House requested conference committee

  36. Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  37. Conferees appointed by Senate

  38. Senate Conferees: Surovell, Boysko, Stuart

  39. Conferees appointed by House

  40. House Conferees: Tran, Ward, Wilt

  41. Conference Report released

  42. Passed by temporarily

  43. House requested second conference committee

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

  45. Second conferees appointed by Senate

  46. Senate Conferees: Surovell, Boysko, Stuart

  47. Conference Report released

  48. Conferees appointed by House

  49. House Conferees: Tran, Ward, Wilt

  50. Conference report agreed to by House (61-Y 36-N 0-A)

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

  52. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB378)

  53. Enrolled

  54. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB378ER)

  55. Signed by President

  56. Signed by Speaker

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

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

  59. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB378)

  60. Governor's recommendation received by Senate

  61. Passed by for the day (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  62. Communicated to Governor

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

  64. Vetoed by Governor

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