A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 60.2-602 and 60.2-619 of the Code of Virginia, relating to unemployment benefits; maximum duration.
HB1319 amends Virginia’s unemployment compensation law to change the maximum duration of unemployment benefits. The bill revises §§ 60.2-602 and 60.2-619 of the Code of Virginia and replaces the existing benefit-duration structure with updated tables that tie the number of weeks of benefits to a claimant’s insured wages. The text includes separate duration tables for claims effective before January 1, 2026, and for claims effective on or after that date, indicating a prospective restructuring of how long benefits may be paid.
The bill’s core policy change is the maximum number of weeks an eligible claimant can receive unemployment benefits. Under the amended tables, duration varies by wage history, with the schedule extending up to a higher maximum for claimants with greater earnings. The measure does not appear to alter eligibility standards generally, but it does change the statutory benefit formula and the duration schedule used by the Virginia Employment Commission to calculate weekly benefit periods.
HB1319 would amend two sections of the unemployment compensation chapter in Title 60.2, changing the statutory benefit-duration tables that govern how long eligible workers may receive unemployment benefits. It would affect claimants, employers contributing to the unemployment insurance system, and the Virginia Employment Commission’s administration of claims. Because the bill rewrites the duration tables and sets a future effective framework beginning January 1, 2026, it would require agencies and practitioners to apply different duration rules depending on claim effective date.
The available legislative history shows strong support in committee, with the bill continued to the next session in Finance and Appropriations on a 15-0 vote. No opposing votes or recorded committee objections are provided in the materials. The absence of recorded dissent suggests the proposal was viewed favorably by the committee, at least procedurally, though the continuation indicates it was not finalized in the current session.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or votes, so the record does not identify named opponents or disputed provisions. Based on the bill text, the most likely policy issue is the change in the maximum duration of unemployment benefits and the associated fiscal impact on the unemployment insurance system. Any debate would likely center on balancing longer benefit availability for unemployed workers against cost and solvency concerns for the unemployment fund and employers.