A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 44-93 and 44-204 of the Code of Virginia, relating to military leaves of absence for employees of the Commonwealth or political subdivisions; law-enforcement officers.
HB1114 would expand paid military leave protections for certain public employees in Virginia, specifically employees of the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions who are also professional firefighters or law-enforcement officers. The bill amends existing leave statutes to provide that these employees receive paid leave for all work hours required for federally funded military duty, including training duty, or when called into duty by the Governor, even if the leave exceeds the current 21-workday annual cap. The bill sets a separate maximum of 388 work hours for this expanded paid leave.
The bill also makes a parallel change for members of the Virginia Defense Force and National Defense Executive Reserve who are public employees and are professional firefighters or law-enforcement officers. For those employees, paid leave for approved training would likewise be available for all required work hours up to 388 work hours, rather than being limited by the 21-workday annual cap. In both sections, the bill preserves existing rights to restoration to the employee’s former position after duty ends and retains the ability of local governments to supplement pay for military duty under current law.
HB1114 would amend §§ 44-93 and 44-204 of the Code of Virginia by creating a special paid-leave rule for public-sector professional firefighters and law-enforcement officers who perform federally funded military duty or approved defense-force training. The practical effect is to increase the amount of paid leave available to this subset of employees beyond the general 21-workday limit, while keeping the broader leave and reinstatement framework in place for other state and local employees. It would also affect payroll and staffing practices for state agencies and local governments that employ these workers.
The bill appears to have received favorable treatment in committee, as reflected by its 15-0 continuation vote in Finance and Appropriations. That suggests broad support or at least no recorded opposition at that stage. The available record does not include transcript debate, so the overall sentiment can only be inferred from the unanimous committee vote and the bill’s continuation rather than from detailed floor or committee remarks.
The main policy issue is the cost and scope of expanding paid leave for a narrow class of public employees. Supporters likely view the measure as a targeted benefit for firefighters and law-enforcement officers who also serve in the military or defense-related roles, recognizing the public service burden they carry. Potential concerns would center on fiscal impact to state and local employers, operational coverage when these employees are absent, and whether the bill creates a special carve-out from the general military leave cap. No specific objections are documented in the provided materials.