As previously reported, on March 7, 2025, the Virginia House of Delegates passed House Bill 1919 (HB 1919), which would have required large employers—those with 100 or more employees—to implement workplace violence prevention policies by January 1, 2027.
However, Governor Glenn Youngkin has vetoed the bill, explaining:
“While workplace safety is critical, this bill misclassifies workplace violence as a regulatory issue rather than a criminal matter. Employers already have the ability to establish workplace policies, and existing law provides recourse for victims through law enforcement and civil courts. Additionally, the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program can already address workplace hazards, making this mandate duplicative and burdensome.”
With the Governor’s veto, HB 1919 is effectively dead. The House of Delegates, however, is still focused on workplace violence with House Bill 1620 (HB 1620), which directs the Department of Labor and Industry to convene a work group to evaluate workplace violence across the Commonwealth. If it becomes a law, this work group would be tasked with assessing the issue and submitting a report of its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by December 1, 2026.
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