Virginia bill raises minimum wage to $15 by 2028, McDonald's workforce impacted

The Democratic-led General Assembly sent Gov. Abigail Spanberger legislation on Feb. 27 that would codify the adjusted $12.77 hourly minimum and increase it to $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2027 and $15.00 on Jan. 1, 2028, with indexing to begin in 2029. The bills are identified as SB1 in the Senate and HB1 in the House and were transmitted to the governor after final House approval.

SB1 cleared the Senate by a narrow 20-19 vote on Feb. 16, and the House approved HB1 on Feb. 27 by a 62-34 margin. Gov. Spanberger issued a Feb. 16 press release saying, “I look forward to signing this legislation into law to give Virginia workers a pay raise, and I’m grateful to the members of the General Assembly who have made stronger wages for working Virginians a priority.” The press release frames the increases as a response to rising costs and the strain on Virginia families.

Del. Jeion Ward, sponsor of the House version, urged passage at a Jan. 20 Labor and Commerce Committee hearing and provided demographic detail on who would benefit. Ward said, “We need a strong minimum wage in Virginia that uplifts families, many of whom are struggling, they’re struggling to make ends meet.” She told lawmakers the bill would boost pay for 421,000 workers, and that 63% of those workers are women while 54% are people of color; she added that most work at least 20 hours a week and 26% live in families below the poverty level.

None of the legislative materials, the governor’s Feb. 16 press release, or the reported coverage accompanying the bill included statements from McDonald’s corporate or Virginia franchisees about how many of the company’s Virginia crew members earn the current $12.77 or would be affected by the scheduled increases. The absence of employer-specific comment leaves a gap in understanding the immediate operational impact on McDonald’s restaurants in the Commonwealth.

The bills also set indexing to begin in 2029, but the administration and published reporting do not specify which inflation measure or statutory formula will be used to adjust the wage after 2029. Likewise, the public materials cited do not detail phased rules for tipped workers, youth or training wages, or any exemptions; fiscal notes and implementation language have not been reported alongside the vote totals.

If Gov. Spanberger signs the bills as she stated she intends to do, the $15.00 rate would become effective Jan. 1, 2028, obligating employers across Virginia - including McDonald’s locations - to adjust payroll and budgeting for crew and other low-wage positions ahead of that date.