HB 2559 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Authority of local governments; definitions, service employess.

Summary
Authority of local governments; service employees. Permits any county, city, or town in the Commonwealth to provide for certain requirements concerning incumbent and successor service employers, defined in the bill, by local ordinance or resolution. For example, such local ordinance or resolution may require that successor service employers retain incumbent service employees during a transition period of 90 days. Under the bill, service employees are those who perform work in connection with the care or maintenance of property, services at an airport, or food preparation services at schools. The provisions of the bill do not include any building owned by the Commonwealth or any institution of higher education. The bill provides that an employer that violates the provisions of a local ordinance or resolution enacted pursuant to the bill may be subject to a civil action and monetary damages. This bill is identical to SB 1489.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
Vetoed
Mar 2025
Introduced Jan 12, 2025 Vetoed Mar 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Labor and Commerce Substitute Local Government Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was revised from a House substitute to a Senate substitute, which significantly expanded the types of locations covered by the service employee transition protections. The Senate version adds multifamily residential buildings with more than 50 units to the list of covered locations while removing certain exclusions for institutions of higher education. Several definitions were also modified to clarify how incumbent and successor service employers are identified.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include multifamily residential buildings with more than 50 units as covered locations, and institutions of higher education were removed from the exclusions list for covered locations.
SCOPE

Added multifamily residential buildings with more than 50 units to the list of covered locations where service employee transition rules apply.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'covered location' to remove the exclusion for institutions of higher education, meaning these facilities are now included if they meet other criteria.

Changed the definition of 'incumbent service employer' to remove the requirement that contracts must expire without renewal or be terminated, instead focusing on whether the employer was awarded or entered into a contract concerning service employees.

Removed the definition of 'award authority' that included specific examples of service employees, as this appears to have been consolidated or reorganized in the Senate version.

TECHNICAL

The document formatting and numbering changed from House to Senate substitute format, with different line numbering and header information.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 13, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2025

How they voted

400
Passed
Total votes 40
Feb 13, 2025
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
36
Key actions
9
Committee
7
Apr 2, 2025
Vetoed
House sustained Governor's veto
lower
Mar 24, 2025
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor
executive
Feb 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2559ER)
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 15-N)
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Local Government with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)
upper
Feb 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Local Government
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (51-Y 46-N)
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (12-Y 10-N)
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Committee
Assigned L & C sub: Subcommittee #2
lower
Jan 28, 2025
Committee
Referred from Counties, Cities and Towns and referred to Labor and Commerce (Voice Vote)
lower
Jan 12, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors