RICHMOND, VA – A new proposal filed for the 2026 legislative session would raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029 and establish automatic annual increases tied to inflation beginning that year.
House Bill 1, sponsored by Delegates Cia Price, Elizabeth Guzman, and Michelle Maldonado, amends Section 40.1-28.10 of the Code of Virginia to accelerate the state’s wage schedule following earlier phased increases enacted in 2020. The measure would push the current $12 hourly minimum to $12.77 on January 1, 2026, with incremental raises leading to $15 by January 1, 2029.
Under the bill, the minimum wage would rise according to the following schedule:
– $12.77 per hour beginning January 1, 2026
– $13.75 per hour beginning January 1, 2027
– $15.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2028
Starting January 1, 2029, the state’s minimum wage would be automatically adjusted each year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Virginia Commissioner of Labor and Industry would be responsible for calculating the new rate annually, with no downward adjustments allowed.
The proposal continues to require that all employers pay at least the greater of the state or federal minimum wage and maintains existing exceptions for individuals in short-term, employer-based training programs.
Virginia’s current minimum wage of $12 per hour took effect on January 1, 2025, under the state’s previously approved wage schedule. House Bill 1 would resume annual increases after a legislative pause that delayed further raises pending General Assembly approval.
If enacted, the bill would make Virginia one of several states with a $15 minimum wage and an automatic inflation-indexing mechanism designed to maintain purchasing power over time.
House Bill 1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 by 2029 and establishes annual inflation adjustments beginning that year.
