Solar energy facilities; prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements; report; civil penalties. Requires each solar developer, including its contractors and subcontractors, to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. The bill requires each solar developer to (i) ensure that a percentage of the total labor hours of such work is performed by qualified apprentices and (ii) employ at least one qualified apprentice if four or more individuals are employed to perform such work. Under the bill, a solar developer that fails to meet the requirements of its provisions is required to make penalty payments to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry.
Workplace violence policy required for certain employers; civil penalty. Requires any employer of 100 or more employees to develop, implement, and maintain a workplace violence policy no later than January 1, 2027. The bill includes requirements for such a policy, such as procedures and methods for employee reporting of incidents and post-incident investigations. Employers subject to the bill are required to maintain documentation of workplace violence incidents for not less than five years. An employer that violates the provisions of the bill shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation. The bill prohibits retaliation from an employer on the basis of reporting a workplace violence incident and provides that any employee who makes a report of workplace violence shall be immune from civil liability. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Protection of employees; stay or pay contracts prohibited; civil penalty. Prohibits an employer from entering into, enforcing, or threatening to enforce a stay or pay contract, as defined in the bill, with any employee, with certain exceptions described. An employer that violates the bill's provisions is subject to a civil penalty of $1,000. The bill allows an employee to bring a civil action against an employer or other person that attempts to enforce a stay or pay contract and to seek appropriate relief, including enjoining the conduct of any person or employer, ordering payment of liquidated damages, and awarding lost compensation, damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs. The bill provides that if the court finds a violation of the bill's provisions, the plaintiff is entitled to recover reasonable costs, including reasonable fees for expert witnesses, and attorney fees.
Employee protections; wage and hour, health and safety, and mining safety provisions; federal rules. Requires that, if a federal wage or hour law, federal occupational health and safety law, or federal mine safety law is repealed, revoked, amended, or reinterpreted in any manner that results in the federal protections becoming less stringent or effective, the Commissioner, the Safety and Health Codes Board, or the Department of Energy, respectively, shall promulgate regulations that incorporate the federal law as it existed prior to being repealed, revoked, amended, or newly interpreted.
Military leaves of absence for employees of the Commonwealth or political subdivisions; law-enforcement officers. Provides that any person who is employed by the Commonwealth or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth as a law-enforcement officer shall receive paid leaves of absence for up to 388 hours for which a leave of absence is required, during which such person is engaged in federally funded military duty, to include training duty, or is called forth by the Governor for military duty.
Prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work by public service companies. Directs the Department of Labor and Industry to determine and make available the prevailing wage rate for underground infrastructure work, as defined in the bill. Under the bill, each public service company shall ensure that its bid specifications or other contracts applicable to underground infrastructure work require payment at the prevailing wage rate. The bill requires contractors and subcontractors to post the prevailing wage rate in a prominent and accessible place at the work site. The bill also requires each contractor or subcontractor subject to the provisions of the bill to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements. The provisions of the bill apply to contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2027.
Workers' compensation; presumption of compensability for certain cancers. Expands the workers' compensation presumption of compensability for certain cancers causing the death or disability of certain employees who have completed five years of service in their position to include lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for any individual diagnosed with such a condition on or after July 1, 2027.
Virginia Youth Empowerment and Mentoring Grant Fund and Program; established. Establishes the Virginia Youth Empowerment and Mentoring Grant Fund and Program, to be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, for the purpose of awarding grants to community-based organizations for the purpose of placing mentors with high-risk youth in an effort to transition such youth into careers in certified high-wage trades.
New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program; eligible institutions. Includes private technical schools offering industry-recognized noncredit workforce credentials in high-demand fields in conjunction with comprehensive community colleges as institutions that are eligible to participate in and receive reimbursement for student program completion and credential attainment pursuant to the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program.
Line of Duty Act; sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. Provides that a sheriff or deputy sheriff shall be eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits. Under current law, sheriffs or deputy sheriffs are only eligible for Line of Duty Act benefits in the City of Richmond.
