SB 644 Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Minimum wage and overtime wages; payment, misclassification of workers, civil actions.

Summary
Labor and employment; payment of wages; minimum wage and overtime wages; misclassification of workers; prevailing wage rate; civil actions. Provides that an employer that violates provisions relating to minimum wage, overtime wages provisions, the misclassification of workers, or the prevailing wage rate is liable to the employee for the applicable remedies, damages, or other relief available in an action brought pursuant to the civil action provisions currently available for the nonpayment of wages. Such provisions currently available provide that an employee may bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover payment of the wages, and the court is required to award the wages owed, an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, plus prejudgment interest thereon, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. Under current law, if the court finds that the employer knowingly failed to pay wages to an employee, the court is required to award the employee an amount equal to triple the amount of wages due and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Bill status failed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Governor
Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Last action Mar 14, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Commerce and Labor Substitute Labor and Commerce Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from a Senate Substitute to a House Substitute, primarily changing the committee attribution and bill number while retaining the same substantive policy provisions regarding prevailing wages, contractor payment terms, and worker misclassification protections. The core legislative content remains unchanged, with only formatting and procedural metadata differences between the two versions.
TECHNICAL

Changed committee attribution from Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor to House Committee on Labor and Commerce

Updated bill number from 26106859D to 26108753D

Changed the proposed date from February 2, 2026 to February 26, 2026

Altered bill title from 'Commerce and Labor Substitute' to 'Labor and Commerce Substitute'

Floor votes · Senate Feb 12, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 3, 2026

How they voted

390
Passed
Total votes 39
Feb 12, 2026
D Democratic20
20 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
48
Key actions
11
Committee
9
Amendments
3
Mar 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Conference Report released
legislature
Mar 6, 2026
Committee
House requested conference committee
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House with substitute (63-Y 35-N 0-A)
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (15-Y 6-N)
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senator Surovell Amendments agreed to (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Introduced
Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Introduced
Floor offered Senator Surovell Amendments
upper
Feb 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N)
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate committee offered
upper
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors