A BILL to amend and reenact § 40.1-27.3 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 3 of Title 40.1 a section numbered 40.1-51.4:6, relating to workplace violence policy required for certain employers; civil penalty.
HB944, as substituted by the Senate, requires certain larger employers in Virginia to adopt and maintain a written workplace violence policy. The policy must be in place by January 1, 2027, and must include procedures for reporting workplace violence, responding to incidents, conducting post-incident investigations, training employees, assessing risks, and implementing hazard-prevention and emergency-response measures. The bill defines workplace violence broadly to include threats or acts of violence at the workplace, including weapon-related threats, and it excludes general workplace conflicts, performance management discussions, harassment complaints handled through other processes, and suicidal ideation or threats.
The bill also expands Virginia’s retaliatory-action protections by adding workplace violence reporting and related assistance to the list of protected employee activities. Employees who report workplace violence, seek help, or exercise rights under the new section are protected from discharge, discipline, discrimination, or other retaliation, and may bring a civil action for injunctive relief, reinstatement, lost wages and benefits, and attorney fees. The Department of Labor and Industry would be directed to adopt implementing regulations by January 1, 2027, and employers that fail to comply could face civil penalties beginning July 1, 2027.
HB944 would amend § 40.1-27.3 and add new § 40.1-51.4:6 to Title 40.1 of the Code of Virginia, creating a new workplace violence policy mandate for employers with 100 or more employees. It would require written policies, employee notice and training, incident documentation and retention, and availability of records to law enforcement, while allowing existing compliant policies under certain health-care workplace violence provisions to satisfy the new requirements. The bill also creates a civil penalty structure enforced by the Department of Labor and Industry and ties violations to the Literary Fund.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill in committee, as it was reported out of Finance and Appropriations on a 14-0 vote before being continued to the next session. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate organized opposition in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed favorably as a workplace safety and employee-protection measure.
The main policy issues embedded in the bill are the scope of the employer mandate, the definition of workplace violence, and the compliance burden on larger employers. Potential points of contention include the 100-employee threshold, the requirement to maintain detailed written policies and documentation for five years, and the civil penalties for noncompliance. The bill also narrows the definition of workplace violence by excluding ordinary workplace disputes and harassment complaints handled elsewhere, which may have been intended to limit overbreadth. No specific objections from legislators, employers, labor groups, or other stakeholders are included in the provided record.