RICHMOND, Va. — Beginning this month, a series of new and updated Virginia laws will take effect, raising the minimum wage, increasing unemployment benefits and expanding consumer, health care and data-privacy protections across the state.
Links to additional information provided within the summary below:
Minimum Wage
HB 1928 - Virginia’s minimum wage will increase to $12.77 per hour, up from $12.41 in 2025. The increase is tied to inflation, as required by state law, and will affect hourly workers, including those employed in retail, hospitality, health care support and service industries.
Unemployment Compensation
HB 1766 - Weekly unemployment benefits will increase by $52 under legislation approved by the General Assembly. The law also calls for a study to examine whether benefit amounts should be adjusted annually. State officials noted that unemployment benefits had not been increased in more than a decade. The changes were recommended by the Commission on Unemployment Compensation.
Social Media Limits for Minors
SB 854 - New changes to the Consumer Data Protection Act will require social media companies to make reasonable efforts to determine whether users are under age 16 and automatically limit their use to one hour per day.
Parents will be able to increase or decrease that limit by providing consent. The law is intended to give families greater control over children’s online activity, and applies statewide.
Telecommunications and Data Privacy
SB 1339 - A new consumer protection law will allow residents to opt out of unwanted business text messages by replying with simple commands such as “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE.” Companies must honor those requests for at least 10 years and include a clear opt-out option in each message.
The law also reinforces existing telemarketing restrictions, limiting solicitation calls and texts to between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. unless prior consent is given. Businesses must also identify themselves when contacting consumers.
Additional provisions require businesses to comply with consumer requests to access, correct, delete or transfer personal data and to explain how that data is collected and used.
Health Care Coverage
HB 1828/SB 1436 - Health insurance companies will no longer be allowed to impose cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast cancer screenings when ordered by a physician. Covered screenings include mammograms, MRIs and ultrasounds.
HB 2097/SB 1314 - Insurers will also be required to cover prostate cancer screenings — including blood tests and rectal exams — at no cost to patients, as long as screenings follow current medical guidelines.
Fentanyl Testing
HB 2742 - Under a new law known as Malcolm’s Law, hospitals must include fentanyl screening as part of urine drug tests used to assist in diagnosing a patient’s condition. The requirement applies to hospitals statewide.
Consumer Protection
HB 1844 - Requires manufacturers to test baby food products for heavy metals such as lead and arsenic and disclose test results on product packaging and company websites. Products that exceed federal safety limits will be prohibited from sale. The law is among the first of its kind in the nation.
Clarification of Court Costs
HB 1665 (Traffic Violations - Individuals convicted of traffic infractions or criminal offenses who owe fines or fees may now request a written or electronic itemized statement detailing all financial obligations.
Courts must provide breakdowns showing fines, restitution, penalties and other costs, including amounts already paid and remaining balances. Defendants may continue to request updated statements to better track and manage their obligations.