Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia HB 636
Prospective employer; prohibited from seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Michelle Lopes Maldonado
Cosponsors (20)
- Kathy K.L. Tran (Democratic)
- Holly M. Seibold (Democratic)
- Charlie Schmidt
- Sam Rasoul (Democratic)
- May Nivar (Democratic)
- Marty Martinez (Democratic)
- Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (Democratic)
- Dan I. Helmer (Democratic)
- Elizabeth R. Guzman (Democratic)
- Jackie H. Glass (Democratic)
- Margaret A. Franklin
- Rae Cousins (Democratic)
- Nicole Cole (Democratic)
- Joshua G. Cole (Democratic)
- Nadarius E. Clark (Democratic)
- Bonita G. Anthony (Democratic)
- Irene Shin (Democratic)
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price (Democratic)
- Leslie Chambers Mehta
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED
Prohibiting employer seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees; wage or salary range transparency; cause of action. Prohibits a prospective employer from (i) seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee; (ii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in considering the prospective employee for employment; (iii) relying on the wage or salary history of a prospective employee in determining the wages or salary the prospective employee is to be paid upon hire; (iv) refusing to interview, hire, employ, or promote or otherwise retaliating against a prospective or current employee for not providing wage or salary history or requesting a wage or salary range; (v) failing or refusing to disclose in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity the wage, salary, or wage or salary range; and (vi) failing to set a wage or salary range in good faith. The bill establishes a cause of action for an aggrieved prospective employee or employee and provides that an employer that violates such prohibitions is liable to the aggrieved prospective employee or employee for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and any other legal and equitable relief as may be appropriate. This bill incorporates HB 1164 and is identical to SB 215.
Text versions
- Introduced
- Labor and Commerce Amendment
- Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Amendment
- Labor and Commerce Substitute
- Commerce and Labor Amendment
- Senate Amendment
- Enrolled
- Governor's Recommendation
- Governor Substitute
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2026 House | H VOTE: | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 5, 2026 Senate | Passage R | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 4, 2026 Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 2, 2026 Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor with amendment | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 16, 2026 House | H VOTE: | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 10, 2026 House | Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 5, 2026 House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
Actions
- Apr 13, 2026
Governor's recommendation received by House - Mar 25, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 - Mar 25, 2026 · House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 - Mar 16, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB636) - Mar 14, 2026 · Senate
Signed by President - Mar 14, 2026 · House
Signed by Speaker - Mar 14, 2026 · House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB636ER) - Mar 14, 2026 · House
Enrolled - Mar 9, 2026 · House
Senate amendment agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Passed Senate with amendment (20-Y 19-N 0-A) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Engrossed by Senate as amended - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Commerce and Labor Amendment agreed to - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Read third time - Mar 4, 2026 · Senate
Passed by for the day (Voice Vote) - Mar 4, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) - Mar 4, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended - Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Reported from Commerce and Labor with amendment (8-Y 6-N) - Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Senate committee offered - Feb 23, 2026 · Senate
Senate committee offered - Feb 17, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor - Feb 17, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) - Feb 16, 2026 · House
Read third time and passed House (65-Y 33-N 0-A) - Feb 13, 2026 · House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute - Feb 13, 2026 · House
committee substitute agreed to - Feb 13, 2026 · House
Read second time - Feb 12, 2026 · House
Read first time - Feb 11, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB636) - Feb 10, 2026 · House
Committee substitute printed 26106771D-H1 - Feb 10, 2026 · House
Incorporates HB1164 (Cole, N.T.) - Feb 10, 2026 · House
Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (16-Y 6-N) - Feb 5, 2026 · House
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (4-Y 2-N) - Feb 5, 2026 · House
House subcommittee offered - Jan 30, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB636) - Jan 20, 2026 · House
Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2 - Jan 13, 2026 · House
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce - Jan 13, 2026 · House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102232D