{"id":13805,"date":"2026-05-19T17:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T22:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/?post_type=resources&p=13805"},"modified":"2026-06-24T04:04:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T09:04:15","slug":"virginia-expands-noncompete-ban-to-health-care-professionals","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-agreements\/virginia-expands-noncompete-ban-to-health-care-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia expands noncompete ban to health care professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Written by: <\/p>\n\n\n

Robert Teachout<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Share<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Beginning July 1, 2026, Virginia joins more than 20 other states in barring or limiting the use of noncompete agreements with health care professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the state legislature accepted her recommended changes to the bill, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed SB128<\/a> into law. It prohibits employers from entering or enforcing noncompete agreements with health care professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law defines health care professional<\/em> more broadly than most state laws to include any person licensed, registered or certified by the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology or Social Work. The law provides an exception for noncompetes included as part of an agreement for the sale of a healthcare professional’s interest in a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law preserves options for employers to protect investments in recruitment and training. Employers may require repayment from a departing health care professional who has been employed for fewer than five years for all or a prorated portion of recruitment-related costs, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n