NFIB State Director Julia Hammond says its members are urging Gov. Glenn Youngkin to veto a trio of bad bills that would make it harder for Virginia’s small businesses to expand, add jobs, and support their communities.

TAKE ACTION: Urge Governor Youngkin to veto the bills

The measures are:

• Minimum wage (House Bill 1928): The General Assembly voted to raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.50 an hour by Jan. 1 and $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2027. “House Bill 1928 was well-intentioned, but it would hurt the people supporters say they’re trying to help,” Hammond said. “Raising the state minimum wage would have put pressure on employers to pay more to stay competitive and forced small businesses to raise prices to cover the costs of the mandate or try to get by with fewer workers.”
• Mandatory paid leave (House Bill 2531): “Small businesses operate on notoriously thin margins,” Hammond said. “Small employers do everything they can to provide benefits and leave options that work for their business model and employees, but mandatory leave would overburden small employers with a one-size-fits-all program they cannot afford, especially right now in the face of rising labor costs and poor labor quality.”
• Vicarious liability (House Bill 1730 and Senate Bill 894): “Employers should be held liable if they neglect to take reasonable steps to protect the safety of their customers, but Senate Bill 894 goes too far by making employers ‘vicariously liable’ under certain conditions,” Hammond said. “It’s worded so broadly that a small business owner could be held liable for something an employee does when they’re off duty and off-site. This well-intended but overreaching legislation would do little besides open the door to devastatingly expensive lawsuits against small business owners who committed no crime.”

“Virginia’s small businesses are still struggling with rising prices and labor shortages that make it difficult for them to operate,” Hammond said. “We’re asking Governor Youngkin to veto these bills and help Virginia’s small businesses keep their doors open and keep people working.”