Mail theft; definitions, penalty.
Summary
Mail theft; penalty. Creates the offense of mail theft, punishable as a Class 6 felony, for any person who (i) knowingly, willfully, and with the intent to deprive, injure, damage, or defraud another (a) takes, destroys, hides, or embezzles mail or (b) obtains any mail by fraud or deception; (ii) buys, receives, conceals, or possesses (a) mail and knows or reasonably should know that the mail was unlawfully taken or obtained; (b) any key he knows or reasonably should know is suited to any lock adopted by the United States Postal Service that provides access to any mail receptacle located in a cluster mailbox unit or other mailbox panel used for the purpose of centralized mail in any neighborhood, including any condominium or apartment complex; or (c) a counterfeit device or key designed to provide access to any lock described in clause (b); or (iii) knowingly, willfully, and with the intent to steal any mail inside damages, opens, removes, injures, vandalizes, or destroys any mail receptacle. This bill is identical to SB 939.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
Signed into Law
Mar 2025
Introduced Jan 4, 2025
Signed Mar 19, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
Courts of Justice Substitute
→
Chaptered
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill was formally approved and chaptered into the Virginia Code as HB 1715, Chapter 128. The substantive legal text regarding mail theft penalties remains unchanged from the substitute version, but the document format shifted from a House substitute to an official enacted act.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to define mail theft and establish it as a Class 6 felony in Virginia.
TECHNICAL
The document format changed from a House substitute bill to an officially chaptered act with approval date March 19, 2025.
Removed House-specific metadata including bill number, committee information, and patron name.
Added official chapter heading and approval date to indicate the bill has become law.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 13, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2025
How they voted
40–0
Passed
Total votes 40
Feb 13, 2025
D
Democratic21
100% Yea
R
Republican19
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
34
Key actions
11
Committee
6
Mar 19, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor-Chapter 128 (Effective 07/01/25)
executive
Feb 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1715ER)
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (35-Y 1-N)
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 1-N)
upper
Feb 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House (99-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 31, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (20-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 28, 2025
Committee
Assigned Courts sub: Criminal
lower
Jan 4, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Vivian Watts
DDemocratic
Co
Amy Laufer
DDemocratic
Co
Michelle Maldonado
DDemocratic
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