SB 1145 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Action for civil trespass; mapping of GPS, private road or driveway.

Summary
Action for civil trespass; GPS; private road or driveway. Provides that a person operating a motor vehicle is liable for trespass if such person enters a private road or driveway along which the owner of such private road or driveway has posted signs that may be reasonably seen that such road is a private driveway. The bill also provides that when such defendant relied upon a global positioning system (GPS) and such reliance resulted in the trespass, any corporation, company, or other entity responsible for the mapping function of the GPS may be added as a party to such action. The bill allows such corporation, company, or entity to provide in writing in advance of any proceeding in the action that such private road or driveway has been removed from the GPS and requires the court, upon receiving such evidence, to dismiss the action against such corporation, company, or entity.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Jan 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Feb 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Courts of Justice Substitute Courts of Justice Subcommittee Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from a Senate Substitute version to a House Subcommittee Substitute version, with the committee attribution changed from Senate to House. The substantive legal content regarding GPS trespass liability remains identical, though the House version added specific conditions requiring entry to be from a highway and for the purpose of traveling to a highway.
Scope change
The scope of liability for trespass was narrowed by adding two new conditions: the entry must be from a highway, and the purpose of entry must be to travel to a highway.
SCOPE

Added requirement that trespass must occur when entering from a highway and for the purpose of traveling to a highway, limiting liability to specific scenarios rather than any entry onto private roads.

TECHNICAL

Changed committee attribution from Senate Committee for Courts of Justice to House Committee for Courts of Justice, indicating the bill moved between chambers.

Added line numbers and formatting consistent with House Subcommittee Substitute markup, replacing Senate Substitute formatting.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 21, 2025

How they voted

400
Passed
Total votes 40
Jan 21, 2025
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
18
Key actions
4
Committee
5
Feb 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 3-N)
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Committee
Assigned Courts sub: Civil
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
lower
Jan 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Timmy French
Timmy French
RRepublican
VA
1