Virginia Retail Federation

04/09/2026

Governor Spanberger has signed legislation incrementally raising Virginia's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028.

Key dates:
📅 Now: $12.77/hour (effective January 1, 2026)
📅 January 1, 2027: $13.75/hour
📅 January 1, 2028: $15.00/hour

🔗 Read the full press release here:

Abigail D. Spanberger, Commonwealth, Governor of Virginia, governor, virginia, VA

03/17/2026

The 2026 General Assembly has officially adjourned sine die. Read our full report to learn what that means for Virginia businesses.

The 2026 session of the Virginia General Assembly adjourned sine die Saturday. The Governor has until 11:59 p.m. on April 13 to sign, veto, or recommend amendments to the legislation. Should she take no action by the deadline, the legislation will automatically become law. The General Assembly will....

03/13/2026

🚨 URGENT ACTION ALERT 🚨 A bill moving through the Virginia General Assembly right now could fundamentally change the rules of employment for every business in the Commonwealth — and not for the better.

House Bill 930 would dramatically expand Virginia's whistleblower protection statute well beyond protecting employees who report genuine wrongdoing. If passed, it creates serious, lasting risks for employers of every size, and we are joining a broad coalition of Virginia business organizations to oppose it.

The time to act is NOW. The bill's last action was in the Senate on March 12, which means there is still time to make an impact before a final vote.

We are asking you to take two minutes to contact your legislators and urge them to vote NO on HB 930.

👉 SEND A MESSAGE NOW:

HB930 will increase liability risk for all employers and undermine the basic tenets of at-will employment. Under the bill, a conversation with a co-worker about an alleged violation of state or federal law would be considered the equivalent of a report to an employer or supervisor. These reports do....

03/09/2026

The clock is ticking. The 2026 General Assembly Session wraps up this week, and several bills that could directly impact your business are still being decided. Here's what you need to know and what you can still do.

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02/18/2026

🚨 ACTION ALERT: Use your voice. Show legislators exactly what the Paid Leave bills HB5/SB199 and HB1207/SB2 would cost your business.

Virginia lawmakers are considering two major proposals: a paid sick leave mandate (HB5/SB199) and a paid leave insurance program (HB1207/SB2). Together, these bills would significantly increase operating costs for small businesses across Virginia. These mandates stack on top of rising wages, health insurance premiums, rent, and compliance costs, creating ripple effects for employees, customers, and local economies.

❗️We’ve built an impact modeling tool that allows you to calculate both the direct payroll costs and the broader profitability impact of these proposals on your business.

👉 Run your numbers, then use them to contact legislators with real data and make your voice heard.

🔗 Get started and send a message now: https://fastdemocracy.com/campaigns/mFfpHeNAL/Paid-Leave-Impacts-on-Small-Business/

02/16/2026

🚨 General Assembly Week 5

The General Assembly continues its work to meet tomorrow’s Crossover deadline, when each chamber must complete its work on all the legislation introduced in its respective chamber.

In addition, this week we will share a call to action on employer mandates, centered on mandatory paid leave policies that will impose additional costs and administrative burdens on businesses across Virginia.

🔗 Read our full report:

The General Assembly continues its work to meet tomorrow’s Crossover deadline, when each chamber must complete its work on all the legislation introduced in its respective chamber.  In addition, this week we will share a call to action on employer mandates, centered on mandatory paid leave polici...

02/09/2026

🚨 General Assembly Week 4

Last week, we opposed numerous pieces of legislation focused on expanding administrative burden and cost for business owners, as well as increasing employer liability. One more full week of committee work remains.

👉 Read our full report:

Last week, the Virginia Retail Federation opposed numerous pieces of legislation focused on expanding administrative burden and cost for business owners, as well as increased employer liability. One more full week of committee work remains. VRF will continue to advocate on behalf of its members as w...

02/02/2026

🚨 General Assembly Week 3

With the January 23 filing deadline behind us, more than 2,600 bills are now in play. The House and Senate also released amendments to the Governor’s proposed budget. On February 22, both chambers will release their budget proposals, beginning negotiations toward a final agreement.

👉 Read our full report:

The General Assembly hit the ground running last week, following the filing deadline on January 23, with over 2600 bills filed. The House and Senate also released amendments to the Governor’s introduced budget. On February 22, the House and Senate will each release their budget proposals, which wi...

01/25/2026

Winter Weather Update for Virginia Businesses

The Virginia Retail Federation is sharing the latest official update from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) Emergency Operations Center regarding the ongoing winter storm impacting the Commonwealth.

Key updates include:
• State of Emergency and federal emergency declaration
• Full activation of the Virginia Emergency Support Team (VEST)
• Forecasted damaging ice, refreeze conditions, and extended impacts
• Transportation and power outage resources for businesses

We’ve summarized the most important information and included official situation reports and weather briefings in our latest blog post.

Read the full update here:

The Virginia Retail Federation is sharing the following update on behalf of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) regarding the ongoing winter weather event impacting the Commonwealth.

01/23/2026

Due to upcoming inclement weather in Richmond and the anticipated prolonged impacts, we have decided to cancel the Virginia Retail Federation and NFIB’s Day on the Hill event.

All registered attendees will receive a full refund for their registration. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding, as this decision was made with the safety of our attendees and partners in mind.

We will share additional information soon regarding future opportunities to engage with legislators and participate in advocacy efforts.

Thank you for your flexibility and continued support.

01/19/2026

🚨 The first weekly Advocate has landed in members' inboxes today. Inside, we break down General Assembly activity to keep Virginia businesses informed and prepared.

While the newly installed Governor Spanburger got to work on her most pressing priorities, issuing four constitutional amendments and 10 executive orders as detailed below, legislation that could directly impact Virginia businesses is still being filed at the General Assembly.

🔗 Read all the details in our weekly report at the link below.