Virginia firefighter shift limit, 42 hours per week

Detected March 29th, 2026

Summary

The Virginia General Assembly has passed House Bill 1333, which encourages employers to implement work schedules for paid firefighters that do not exceed 42 hours per week. The Department of Fire Programs is tasked with encouraging these work schedule implementations.

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What changed

Virginia House Bill 1333, passed by the General Assembly and awaiting gubernatorial action, encourages employers to limit the normally scheduled shifts for paid firefighters to a maximum of 42 hours per workweek. The Department of Fire Programs is directed to promote the adoption of these work schedules.

While the bill encourages rather than mandates the 42-hour limit, employers of paid firefighters in Virginia should review their current scheduling practices. Compliance officers should monitor the Department of Fire Programs' initiatives and consider proactively adjusting firefighter schedules to align with the encouraged standard to mitigate potential future regulatory changes or operational pressures. The bill is currently in the enrollment phase, with a Governor's Action Deadline of April 13, 2026.

What to do next

Review current firefighter work schedules for compliance with the encouraged 42-hour limit.
Monitor Department of Fire Programs' guidance and initiatives related to firefighter work hours.
Consider proactive adjustments to shift schedules to align with the encouraged standard.

Source document (simplified)

VA HB1333 | 2026 | Regular Regular Session

Virginia House Bill 1333

VA State Legislature page for HB1333
- Summary
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Status

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7)
Status: Enrolled on March 14 2026 - 75% progression
Action: 2026-03-25 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [HTML]

Summary

Hours of work for paid firefighters. Provides that the Department of Fire Programs shall encourage employers to implement work schedules that do not require any paid firefighter's normally scheduled shifts to exceed 42 hours per workweek.
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Title

Paid firefighters; hours of work.

Roll Calls

2026-03-09 - Senate - Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-06 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - Senate - Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) (Y: 15 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-17 - House - Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 97 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 3) [PASS]
2026-02-13 - House - Reported from Public Safety (20-Y 0-N) (Y: 20 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-02-12 - House - Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N) (Y: 7 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

History

| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-25 | | Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 |
| 2026-03-25 | House | Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 |
| 2026-03-17 | House | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1333) |
| 2026-03-14 | Senate | Signed by President |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Signed by Speaker |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1333ER) |
| 2026-03-14 | House | Enrolled |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Read third time |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Rules suspended |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology |
| 2026-02-18 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-02-16 | House | Read second time and engrossed |
| 2026-02-15 | House | Read first time |
| 2026-02-13 | House | Reported from Public Safety (20-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-12 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-10 | House | Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| 2026-01-26 | House | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1333) |
| 2026-01-19 | House | Referred to Committee on Public Safety |
| 2026-01-19 | House | Presented and ordered printed 26104726D |

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