Private-Public Labor Study

The 2026 General Assembly passed House Bill 547 and Senate Bill 731, which required DRPT to convene a work group of public transit providers, local governments, transit employees, and other relevant stakeholders, to study and develop recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the aforementioned legislation.

In addition to the recommendations on implementation, the Work Group was tasked with addressing six statutory questions:

(i) how to calculate the equivalent qualifications of an employee of the county or city holding a position requiring equivalent qualifications based on such employee’s years of service;

(ii) how to calculate county or city wage progression for transit employees at a private company providing a system of public transportation;

(iii) how to appropriately calculate what compensation at an hourly rate equivalent to the hourly rate paid to an employee of a county or city with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service would be for a transportation commission made up of multiple localities;

(iv) how to appropriately calculate benefits, including health and retirement benefits, that are, at a minimum, actuarially equivalent to the benefits provided to an employee of a county or city with a position requiring equivalent qualifications and years of service;

(v) the feasibility of and timeline for implementing the requirements described in clauses (i) through (iv); and

(vi) how to implement the requirements of § 15.2-947 of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act, for a transportation commission made up of multiple localities.

The Work Group met through the Summer and Fall of 2026 to provide feedback as DRPT and consultants studied the implementation of the study and provided recommendations on implementation. DRPT is now accepting work group comment on the recommendations for consideration. This slide deck includes the recommendations. Work group comment can be provided here.