Bill from Del. Lopez advances, lets Virginia localities require 90-day retention for building service staff

A bill introduced by State Del. Alfonso H. Lopez has passed and gives Virginia localities the ability to require successor building service employers to keep existing workers during a transitional period at designated sites, according to the Virginia State House.

The measure cleared both the House and Senate, formally enrolling on March 11, 2026, with a 62-35 vote in the House and a 21-19 vote in the Senate.

Filed as HB338 on Jan. 14, 2026, for the 2026 regular session, the legislature summarized it as: “Building Service employees; authority of local governments, definition.”

Below is our analysis, referencing the actual bill text, with clarification on its components.

The legislation enables local governments to adopt rules that require successor employers at specific large residential, commercial, transportation, education, and cultural properties to retain building service staff for a 90-day transition. It defines which employers, locations and staff are covered, allowing dismissals within the period only for just cause or due to staff reductions that follow seniority and use a preferential hiring list. The law sets requirements for advanced notice about successor employers, sharing employee details, and written evaluations after the transition. It lets eligible employees file lawsuits for lost pay, benefits, attorney fees, and extra damages in cases of willful violations.

The House decision saw 62 Democrats backing the measure, while 35 Republicans voted against it.

In the Senate, 21 Democrats supported the bill, and 19 Republicans opposed.

The sponsorship roster included Del. Alfonso H. Lopez (Democrat-3rd District), Del. Kathy K.L. Tran (Democrat-18th District), Del. Rae Cousins (Democrat-79th District), and one more sponsor.

Lopez is an alumnus of Vassar College (BA, 1992) and Tulane University (JD, 1995).

He was elected in 2024 as a Democrat representing Virginia’s 3rd House district, succeeding former state representative Will Morefield.

For each bill, Virginia’s legislative process starts with introduction in either chamber, followed by committee assignments for discussion and possible amendments. Committee-approved bills go to the floor for a vote in the House and Senate. Measures passed by both are sent to the governor, who may sign, veto, or let them become law without a signature. The Virginia General Assembly convenes every year for a regular session starting the second Monday of January, considering hundreds of bills with only a fraction being enacted.

Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State House. The source data can be found here.