HB 494: Virginia Personnel Act; hiring preference in state government, certain former federal employees. - Virginia

General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee Substitute → Chaptered · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and approved, changing its title from a 'House Substitute' to an official 'Chaptered Act'. The core policy regarding hiring preferences for former federal employees was modified to remove specific exclusions regarding workplace performance or dereliction of duty, thereby broadening eligibility. Additionally, the text was updated to reflect the official approval date of April 6, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by removing restrictions that previously limited the hiring preference to those terminated for reasons unrelated to performance or duty violations.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the requirement that termination must be unrelated to workplace performance or dereliction of duty, allowing candidates terminated for any reason related to budget cuts or government efficiency initiatives to qualify.

Added language stating that both the candidate's status and their prior federal employment experience may be considered during the hiring process.

TECHNICAL

Added the official chapter number (Chapter 154) and the approval date (April 6, 2026) to formalize the bill as law.

Changed the document header from 'House Substitute' to 'Chaptered Act' to reflect the bill's final passage.

Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee Substitute → Appropriations Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was transferred from the General Laws committee to the Appropriations committee, changing its procedural path. The core policy was softened by replacing mandatory hiring preference with optional consideration for former federal employees. Additionally, new requirements were added to mandate annual reporting on the program's usage and to update the state application system to allow applicants to self-identify as former federal employees.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include new administrative requirements for the Department of Human Resource Management, specifically regarding annual reporting and system modifications.

ELIGIBILITY

The hiring preference for former federal employees was changed from a mandatory requirement to an optional consideration, giving employers more discretion in the selection process.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added for the Department of Human Resource Management to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly detailing the number of applications and job offers involving former federal employees.

TECHNICAL

A new requirement was added to modify the state employment application system to allow applicants to self-identify as former federal employees and indicate if they have verification documentation.

SCOPE

The bill was moved from the General Laws committee to the Appropriations committee, altering the legislative process and potentially the committee responsible for reviewing the bill.

Appropriations Substitute → General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a standard 'Appropriations Substitute' layout to a 'House Substitute' layout, including the addition of a unique bill identifier (26107309D). The substantive policy language regarding hiring preferences for former federal employees remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was updated to reflect a House Substitute version, adding a specific bill tracking number and adjusting the header formatting.

General Laws Substitute → Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text has been reformatted from a standard layout to a specific 'House Substitute' format with added page numbers and line numbers. The core legal content regarding hiring preferences for former federal employees remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was altered to include page headers, line numbers, and a specific bill identifier (HB494HC2), but the substantive text of the law was not modified.

Enrolled → General Laws Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from an Enrolled Act into a House General Laws Substitute, indicating it is still under legislative consideration and has not yet become law. The text was reformatted to include standard legislative headers and line numbers. Substantively, the eligibility criteria were expanded to include former federal employees terminated for reasons other than budget cuts or government efficiency initiatives, such as those unrelated to workplace violations or performance issues.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a broader range of termination reasons for former federal employees, moving from specific budget-related layoffs to a more inclusive definition of involuntary separation.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility was broadened to include former federal employees terminated for reasons unrelated to workplace violations, performance, or dereliction of duty, in addition to budget cuts and government efficiency initiatives.

A new residency requirement was added, restricting the hiring preference to former federal employees who are residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

REQUIREMENT

The language regarding the hiring preference was changed from 'may be given consideration' to 'shall be given preference,' strengthening the requirement for state agencies to prioritize these applicants.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was updated to reflect its status as a substitute bill, including headers for the House Committee on General Laws and the original patron.

Engrossed → Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 12, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized for signature by removing bracketed text that represented unresolved legislative debates. The final version clarifies that the hiring preference applies to former federal employees terminated due to budget cuts or the Department of Government Efficiency initiatives, while explicitly excluding those fired for workplace violations or poor performance.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on providing a hiring preference for specific categories of former federal employees within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed bracketed options regarding residency requirements and the specific reasons for termination, finalizing the rule that eligibility includes terminations due to budget reductions or DOGE initiatives but excludes those related to workplace violations or performance issues.

Simplified the language regarding how prior federal employment is treated, changing it from a 'preferred qualification' to a status 'that may be given consideration' during the selection process.

TECHNICAL

Removed all bracketed text, amendment markers, and formatting placeholders to convert the bill from an 'Engrossed' draft to an 'Enrolled' final version ready for the Governor's signature.

Introduced → Engrossed · 6 edits · Mar 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to significantly narrow its eligibility criteria and soften the hiring preference language. The original version mandated hiring a terminated federal employee over a local candidate if they were equally qualified, while the new version only requires 'consideration' and adds a residency requirement for the federal employee. Additionally, the bill now includes a new requirement for the state to modify its job application system to allow applicants to self-identify as former federal employees and report on the number of such applications received.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by adding a residency requirement for eligible former federal employees and changing the hiring preference from a mandatory requirement to a non-binding consideration.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a requirement that the former federal employee must be a resident of the Commonwealth to qualify for the preference.

Changed the effective date for termination from April 1, 2025, to January 1, 2025.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the mandatory language requiring the terminated employee to be hired over an equally qualified local candidate with language stating their status may be 'given consideration'.

Removed language stating that prior federal employment is deemed a 'preferred qualification'.

Added a new subsection requiring the Department of Human Resource Management to modify the state employment application system to allow applicants to self-identify as former federal employees.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new requirement for the Department of Human Resource Management to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly regarding the number of applications and job offers made to former federal employees.

Virginia Personnel Act; hiring preference in state government, certain former federal employees.

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