HB 1173 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia Human Rights Act; reasonable accommodation for known limitations related to menopause.

Summary

Virginia Human Rights Act; menopause or perimenopause; discrimination prohibited; report. Prohibits discrimination under the Virginia Human Rights Act on the basis of menopause or perimenopause for purposes of nondiscrimination in government programs, public accommodation, employment hiring, and reasonable employer accommodation. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, to conduct a study on menopause and perimenopause in the workforce, menopause and perimenopause accommodations in employment environments, and the scope of existing menopause-related and perimenopause-related policies and to develop best practices related to menopause and perimenopause accommodations in employment environments. The bill directs the Commissioners to submit such report to the Governor and General Assembly by July 1, 2028, and to post such report on the Department of Labor and Industry's website. This bill is identical to SB 258.

Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Vetoed

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Vetoed Apr 11, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Commerce and Labor Substitute → Governor Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a Senate Substitute that amended the Virginia Human Rights Act to include menopause protections and a study requirement, into a Governor Substitute that significantly narrows the scope. The new version removes all provisions regarding discrimination in public accommodations and employment, deletes the detailed definitions of protected classes, and eliminates the requirement for employers to provide reasonable accommodations for menopause-related conditions. It retains only the directive for the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to conduct a study on menopause in the workforce.

Scope change

The bill's scope was drastically reduced from a comprehensive anti-discrimination law to a limited study mandate. It no longer prohibits discrimination based on menopause or perimenopause in hiring, firing, or public services, nor does it require employers to make workplace accommodations.

SCOPE

All text prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and employment based on menopause, perimenopause, pregnancy, or related conditions was deleted.

The bill title was changed to focus solely on directing the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to conduct a study on menopause in the workforce.

DEFINITION

Detailed legal definitions for terms like 'gender identity,' 'sexual orientation,' 'military status,' and 'reasonable accommodation' were removed.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for employers to provide reasonable accommodations (such as breaks or schedule changes) for menopause-related limitations was eliminated.

ENFORCEMENT

Provisions allowing individuals to sue for failure to provide accommodations and the interactive process requirements for employers were removed.

TIMELINE

The study requirement remains, with a deadline of July 1, 2028, to submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 4, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 39

Mar 4, 2026

D Democratic20

20 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

18 Yea 1

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 11, 2026

Vetoed

Governor's recommendation received by House

executive

Mar 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Mar 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Mar 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1173ER)

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate with substitute (20-Y 19-N 0-A)

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

upper

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (9-Y 5-N)

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate committee offered

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

upper

Feb 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Labor and Commerce (14-Y 5-N)

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 1-N)

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Committee

Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2

lower

Jan 14, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

lower

1 primary · 31 co-sponsors