“On Wednesday, Virginia’s state legislature joined with Governor Abigail Spanberger to enact the paid family and medical leave and earned sick days bills Virginians have long wanted and needed. The state will be immeasurably stronger, healthier, and more successful when those laws take effect in 2028, allowing 3.2 million working people to take paid time off to recover from serious illness or injury, or to care for a seriously ill family member without losing their paycheck or their job. 

“Virginia now becomes the first southern state to adopt a comprehensive leave policy covering the vast majority of workers; and the 14th state, plus the District of Columbia, to guarantee paid family and medical leave. Virginia’s new laws will help millions of people cope with the affordability crisis President Trump’s tariffs and Republican leaders in Congress have created. They cover part- and full-time workers in the private and public sectors, providing paid medical, parental and caregiving leave; safe leave for people facing domestic or sexual violence, stalking or harassment; and leave to manage a military deployment. They use an expansive definition of family that reflects life in the United States today.

“These laws will provide a tremendous boost to Virginia’s economy by making it possible for moms and other caregivers to stay in the workforce, by reducing costs for families and businesses, and by improving families’ economic security. MomsRising members in Virginia worked tirelessly for eight years to achieve this victory. We thank our partners, including the Paid Leave for All Virginians coalition, for joining us in this fight  We will continue it until everyone in the United States can access paid family and medical leave and earned sick days.”