Virginia is now the first state in the South to create a paid family and medical leave program after the General Assembly accepted Governor Abigail Spanberger’s amendments to the legislation, according to the Office of the Governor.
The new program will allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for themselves or a family member during a serious illness, or to welcome a new child. The governor’s office said it will operate as a portable insurance program funded by both workers and employers, similar to unemployment insurance, expanding access to employees at smaller companies that may not otherwise be able to offer the benefit.
“Millions of Virginians will no longer be forced to give up their paycheck when they welcome a child, or when their loved one faces a serious illness,” Spanberger said in a statement. She also credited leaders in the General Assembly for working for nearly a decade to pass the legislation.
The paid leave measure was sponsored by Delegate Briana Sewell and Senator Jennifer Boysko, the governor’s office said.
The governor also highlighted three other worker-protection laws. One measure from Delegate Michael Feggans and Senator Aaron Rouse updates Virginia’s prevailing wage system for public construction projects by requiring state agencies to set Virginia-specific wage rates aligned with local standards instead of relying on the federal system. Another, sponsored by Delegate Alfonso Lopez, creates a clearer enforcement pathway for wage theft violations so workers can recover unpaid wages. A third, from Delegate Michelle Maldonado and Senator Boysko, prohibits employers from seeking or using a candidate’s salary history to determine future pay.
The governor’s office also cited polling showing that more than 80 percent of Virginians support establishing a paid family and medical leave program.
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