State Del. Briana D. Sewell has put forth a proposal that would launch a paid family and medical leave plan for qualifying workers throughout Virginia, according to the Virginia State House.
The measure, filed as HB1207 on Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, is officially described as: “Paid family & med. leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action, report.”
The following summarizes our analysis, which aims to clarify sections of the bill based on its written text.
Broadly, the proposed legislation establishes a paid family and medical leave insurance plan, financed through payroll deductions from both employers and employees, beginning July 1, 2028. Benefit payments would start Jan. 1, 2029. Eligible individuals could receive as much as 12 weeks of partial wage reimbursement for reasons including a serious personal health issue, welcoming a new child, caring for a family member or service member, military exigencies, or if affected by domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. The bill sets guidelines for a trust fund, permits alternative private insurance offerings, mandates health benefit continuity, protects jobs, prohibits employer retaliation, and allows for penalties and civil claims. In addition, it specifies notice and administrative procedures, creates an advisory board, and calls for public reporting. Start-up appropriations under the act must be repaid by Jan. 1, 2034.
Rep. Briana D. Sewell (Democrat-25th District) is joined by Rep. Leslie Chambers Mehta (Democrat-73rd District), Rep. Luke E. Torian (Democrat-24th District), and 48 co-sponsors on the proposal.
Throughout the session, Sewell has introduced eight additional bills.
Sewell earned a bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary in 2012.
The Democratic lawmaker was elected in 2024 to serve the 25th House district, succeeding Chris Runion.
In Virginia, the process of considering legislation starts with a bill being brought to either the House of Delegates or the Senate. It is then reviewed by committees, where changes can be proposed. Upon committee approval, the bill moves to voting by the full membership of both legislative chambers. Should both bodies pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign, veto, or permit it to become law without a signature. Every year, the Virginia General Assembly meets in regular session beginning the second Monday of January, with lawmakers filing hundreds of proposed bills, only a portion of which are made law.
| Legislative Session | Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Luke E. Torian, Mark C. Downey, Adele Y. McClure, Alex Q. Askew, Alfonso H. Lopez, Amy J. Laufer, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Bonita G. Anthony, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Charlie Schmidt, Charniele L. Herring, Dan I. Helmer, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Garrett McGuire, Gretchen M Bulova, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, Jeion A. Ward, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karrie K. Delaney, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler, Laura Jane Cohen, Lindsey Dougherty, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marcus B. Simon, Margaret A. Franklin, Marty Martinez, May Nivar, Michael B. Feggans, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Patrick A. Hope, Paul E. Krizek, Phil M. Hernandez, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Shelly A. Simonds, Stacey Annie Carroll, Virgil Thornton, and Vivian E. Watts | HB1207 | 01/14/2026 | Paid family & med. leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Nicole Cole, Alex Q. Askew, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Charlie Schmidt, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jeion A. Ward, Jessica L. Anderson, Joshua E. Thomas, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karen R. “Kacey” Carnegie, Kathy K.L. Tran, Kimberly Pope Adams, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Lindsey Dougherty, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Margaret A. Franklin, Mark C. Downey, May Nivar, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, and Vivian E. Watts | HB1208 | 01/14/2026 | Public education; early childhood care and education, child care access calculations, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Dan I. Helmer, David A. Reid, Garrett McGuire, and Karen Keys-Gamarra | HB1212 | 01/14/2026 | Zoning; small lot residential districts. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell and Jackie H. Glass | HB1219 | 01/14/2026 | Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Jessica L. Anderson, Lily V. Franklin, and Nicole Cole | HB1221 | 01/14/2026 | Higher ed. financial aid programs; amends provisions, Va. Commonwealth Award established, report. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1226 | 01/14/2026 | Motor Vehicles, Department of; release of data to certain institutions of higher education, fees. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1230 | 01/14/2026 | Income tax, state; sustainable aviation fuel production tax credit. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, John Chilton McAuliff, Paul E. Krizek, Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr., Adele Y. McClure, Betsy B. Carr, Dan I. Helmer, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Kathy K.L. Tran, Nadarius E. Clark, Nicole Cole, Phil M. Hernandez, and Rae Cousins | HB1234 | 01/14/2026 | Land development; definitions, solar canopies in surface parking areas, delayed effective date. |
| 2026 | Briana D. Sewell, Gretchen M Bulova, Luke E. Torian, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Jackie H. Glass, and Nadarius E. Clark | HB1237 | 01/14/2026 | Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards, owner unknown. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1878 | 01/13/2025 | State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; renaming Director as Executive Director. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Shelly A. Simonds, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, and Rodney T. Willett | HB1881 | 01/13/2025 | Public elementary/secondary schools; enrollment of dependent student of active duty service members. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1882 | 01/13/2025 | Protective orders; military protective orders. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1683 | 01/08/2025 | Motor vehicle dealers; recall and warranty costs, right of first refusal. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB1684 | 01/08/2025 | Real estate brokers and salespersons; duties, licensees engaged by buyers. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell and Jackie H. Glass | HB1685 | 01/08/2025 | Early childhood care and education; publicly funded providers. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Shelly A. Simonds, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, and Rodney T. Willett | HB1880 | 01/08/2025 | Public schools; enrollment of certain military children with disabilities; provision of special education services and accommodations. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, Joshua E. Thomas, Joshua G. Cole, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, Adele Y. McClure, Alex Q. Askew, Alfonso H. Lopez, Amy J. Laufer, Atoosa R. Reaser, Betsy B. Carr, Bonita G. Anthony, C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr., Candi Mundon King, Charniele L. Herring, Dan I. Helmer, David A. Reid, David L. Bulova, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, JJ Singh, Jackie H. Glass, Jeion A. Ward, Karen Keys-Gamarra, Karrie K. Delaney, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Laura Jane Cohen, Luke E. Torian, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marcus B. Simon, Mark D. Sickles, Marty Martinez, Michael J. Jones, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Patrick A. Hope, Paul E. Krizek, Phil M. Hernandez, Rae Cousins, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., Sam Rasoul, Shelly A. Simonds, and Vivian E. Watts | HB2531 | 01/08/2025 | Paid family and medical leave insurance program; definitions, notice requirements, civil action. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell, Joshua E. Thomas, and Shelly A. Simonds | HB2533 | 01/08/2025 | Counties, cities, and towns; comprehensive plan may include tiny homes or accessory dwelling units. |
| 2025 | Briana D. Sewell | HB2534 | 01/08/2025 | Nonhospitalized individuals; crisis stabilization services. |
Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State House. The source data can be found here.
