HB 494 VA

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Became Law

Virginia Personnel Act; hiring preference in state government; certain former federal employees. Allows for an applicant's status as a former federal employee to be given consideration when applying for employment with the Commonwealth if such applicant was terminated from a position of employment with the federal government on or after January 1, 2025, due to a reduction in the federal budget or initiatives put in place by the federal Department of Government Efficiency, provided that such person meets all of the knowledge, skill, and ability requirements for the available position. The bill directs the Department of Human Resource Management, on or before January 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly that includes the number of job applications submitted by candidates who self-identified as former federal employees, as well as the number of jobs offered to such candidates. The bill has an expiration date of January 21, 2029.

• Elizabeth R. Guzman Democratic · primary

1. Jan 12, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102456D · lower
2. Jan 12, 2026 Referred to Committee on General Laws · lower
3. Jan 19, 2026 Assigned HGL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process · lower
4. Jan 22, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB494) · lower
5. Jan 29, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
6. Jan 29, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 2-N) · lower
7. Feb 3, 2026 Reported from General Laws with substitute and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 6-N) · lower
8. Feb 3, 2026 Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay · lower
9. Feb 3, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26105902D-H1 · lower
10. Feb 5, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB494) · lower
11. Feb 6, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
12. Feb 6, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N) · lower
13. Feb 9, 2026 Reported from Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 7-N) · lower
14. Feb 9, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107309D-H2 · lower
15. Feb 11, 2026 Read first time · lower
16. Feb 12, 2026 Floor offered Delegate Guzman Amendments · lower
17. Feb 12, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB494) · lower
18. Feb 12, 2026 Read second time · lower
19. Feb 12, 2026 committee substitute rejected · lower
20. Feb 12, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
21. Feb 12, 2026 Delegate Guzman Floor amendments agreed to · lower
22. Feb 12, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended · lower
23. Feb 13, 2026 Read third time and passed House (61-Y 35-N 0-A) · lower
24. Feb 16, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
25. Feb 16, 2026 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology · upper
26. Feb 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB494) · lower
27. Feb 25, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
28. Feb 25, 2026 Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (9-Y 6-N) · upper
29. Feb 27, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
30. Feb 27, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
31. Feb 27, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
32. Mar 2, 2026 Read third time · upper
33. Mar 2, 2026 General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to · upper
34. Mar 2, 2026 Engrossed by Senate as amended · upper
35. Mar 2, 2026 Passed Senate with amendment (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
36. Mar 4, 2026 Senate amendment agreed to by House (63-Y 33-N 0-A) · lower
37. Mar 11, 2026 Enrolled · lower
38. Mar 11, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB494ER) · lower
39. Mar 11, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB494) · lower
40. Mar 11, 2026 Signed by President · upper
41. Mar 12, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
42. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 · lower
43. Mar 14, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
44. Apr 6, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 154 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
45. Apr 6, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0154) · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Chaptered · PDF
• Chaptered · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Senate Amendment · HTML
• General Laws and Technology Amendment · HTML
• General Laws and Technology Amendment · HTML
• Delegate Guzman Amendments · HTML
• Engrossed · PDF
• Engrossed · HTML
• Appropriations Substitute · PDF
• Appropriations Substitute · HTML
• Appropriations Substitute · PDF
• Appropriations Substitute · HTML
• General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• General Laws Substitute · PDF
• General Laws Substitute · HTML
• General Laws Substitute · PDF
• General Laws Substitute · HTML
• Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML