Labor & Employment

Unemployment benefits; maximum duration. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, for claims effective on or after July 1, 2026, an eligible individual's weekly unemployment compensation benefit amount shall be paid for a maximum duration of 26 weeks.

Early childhood care and education; Child Care Subsidy Program; income-based eligibility for assistance; development and implementation of phased reduction model. Requires the Department of Education (the Department) to develop and implement a phased reduction model for the Child Care Subsidy Program (the Program) that provides for an assistance phase-out period during which the assistance for which a given family is eligible is incrementally reduced in proportion to the increase in such family's income for the purpose of ensuring that no family receiving child care assistance under the Program experiences a sudden loss in eligibility for assistance as a result of an increase in family income. The bill requires the phased reduction model developed and implemented by the Department to consist of incremental income tiers, with each increase in income tier corresponding to a proportional reduction in the percentage of assistance for which a given family is eligible under the Program. The bill directs the Board of Education to (i) promulgate regulations for the development and implementation of the phased reduction model in accordance with the provisions of the bill and (ii) submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services any amendments to the current Child Care and Development Fund Plan for Virginia as are necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.

Virginia Workforce Development and Career Connection and Training Foundation and Fund. Establishes as a body politic and corporate the Virginia Workforce Development and Career Connection and Training Foundation to support the interests of the Commonwealth's workforce and its employers and contributors through the Secretary of Labor and the programs and services of the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. The bill sets out the membership and powers and duties of the Foundation, provides that the Foundation may hire an Executive Director and employees, and creates the Virginia Workforce Development and Career Connection and Training Fund. The bill provides that funds or property to the Fund are gifts to the Commonwealth and the Fund is exempt from all state and local taxes.

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.

Economic development incentives; wage requirements. Requires companies to pay an average wage for the jobs eligible for assistance under the component programs of the Virginia Jobs Investment Program that is no less than the prevailing average wage, defined in the bill, or, in the case of an economically distressed locality, defined in the bill, no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage. Under current law, to be eligible for the component programs, companies must pay a minimum entry-level wage rate per hour of at least 1.2 times the federal minimum wage or the Virginia minimum wage, whichever is higher, and in areas that have an unemployment rate of 1.5 times the statewide average unemployment rate, the wage rate minimum may be waived. The bill also authorizes the payment of Virginia Investment Performance Grants if the average wage paid by the eligible manufacturer or research and development service, excluding fringe benefits, is no less than 85 percent of the prevailing average wage in localities with either (i) an annual unemployment rate for the most recent calendar year for which such data is available that is greater than the final statewide average unemployment rate for that calendar year or (ii) a poverty rate for the most recent calendar year for which such data is available that exceeds the statewide average poverty rate for that year. Under current law, such authorization is limited to those localities meeting both the unemployment rate and poverty rate thresholds.

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.