Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives

On March 4, 2026, Virginia Senate Bill 170 (SB170) passed the House of Delegates after unanimous approval by the Senate.  SB170 now awaits signature by Governor Abigail Spanberger, who has until April 13, 2026 to act.  If signed, the law will go into effect on July 1, 2026, and forms part of Virginia’s broader effort to limit the application and enforceability of non-compete agreements.

On March 3, 2026, the Virginia Attorney General appealed a federal court’s grant of a preliminary injunction barring the enforcement of a new Virginia law requiring age verification and a time limit on social media use by minors under the age of 16 pending a final determination on the merits.    

On February 18, 2026, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced that his office intends to fully enforce new provisions of the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act restricting minors’ use of social media.

In January 2026, new and amended comprehensive U.S. state privacy laws, as well as U.S. state laws regulating social media platforms and artificial intelligence, went into effect.