republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/sb-170.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Protection of employees; covenants not to compete, discharged employees.	Protection of employees; covenants not to compete; discharged employees. Provides that no covenant not to compete, as such term is defined in existing law, between an employer and an employee is enforceable if such employer discharges such employee from employment without providing severance benefits or other monetary payment to such employee that is disclosed upon execution of the covenant not to compete, unless the employee is discharged for cause. This bill incorporates SB 569.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	SB 170	Virginia SB 170 (2026)	bill		enacted	Jeremy S. McPike	4	36	7	2026-01-08	2026-04-13	openstates	ocd-bill/0d6071b0-db85-4505-8e7a-78880102e5bb	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB170	b6f78ec7c2b70f8ece86e39ffccd36049172a78de04cc630ddd13fdbeb3a3ac8	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 170 (2026) — Protection of employees; covenants not to compete, discharged employees.

Protection of employees; covenants not to compete; discharged employees. Provides that no covenant not to compete, as such term is defined in existing law, between an employer and an employee is enforceable if such employer discharges such employee from employment without providing severance benefits or other monetary payment to such employee that is disclosed upon execution of the covenant not to compete, unless the employee is discharged for cause. This bill incorporates SB 569.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Commerce and Labor Amendment (committee substitute) — source
3. Commerce and Labor Substitute (committee substitute) — source
4. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Reported from Appropriations — 18–4 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Labor and Commerce — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute — 13–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed R — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Passage R — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 87–12 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting — 7–0 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Jeremy S. McPike — primary (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2026-01-08 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100309D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-08 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor referral-committee
• 2026-02-02 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB170)
• 2026-02-02 Incorporates SB569 (Sturtevant)
• 2026-02-02 Senate committee offered
• 2026-02-02 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (13-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-03 Committee substitute printed 26107018D-S1 substitution
• 2026-02-03 Substitute bill reprinted 26107018D
• 2026-02-04 Rules suspended
• 2026-02-04 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-02-04 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-02-05 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-05 Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to
• 2026-02-05 Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-02-05 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) substitution
• 2026-02-06 Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-10 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB170)
• 2026-02-12 Placed on Calendar
• 2026-02-12 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-12 Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce referral-committee
• 2026-02-17 Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #2 referral-committee
• 2026-02-19 Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)
• 2026-02-24 Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-25 Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources referral-committee
• 2026-02-27 Reported from Appropriations (18-Y 4-N) committee-passage
• 2026-03-03 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-03-04 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-03-04 Passed House (87-Y 12-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-03-10 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-10 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB170ER) passage
• 2026-03-10 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-10 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-11 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB170)
• 2026-03-14 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-14 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-13 Approved by Governor-Chapter 883 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/0d6071b0-db85-4505-8e7a-78880102e5bb. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).