HB 839 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Child custody proceedings; study, provisions to improve procedure for victims of family abuse, etc.

Summary

Judicial Council of Virginia; work group to study the implementation of provisions to improve procedures for and responses to victims of family abuse and their children in child custody proceedings; report. Directs the Judicial Council of Virginia to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study the implementation of provisions to improve procedures for and responses to victims of family abuse and their children in child custody proceedings. The bill requires the work group to submit its findings and recommendations by November 1, 2026, to the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Feb 6, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Rules Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from its original introduced version to a Rules Substitute version, shifting the entity responsible for convening the work group from the Judicial Council of Virginia to the Committee on Self-Represented Litigants and its Subcommittee on Domestic Violence Victims of the Access to Justice Commission. The amendment also expanded the required stakeholder representation to include additional groups such as Court Appointed Special Advocate programs, child protection practitioners, and Office of the Executive Secretary staff. These changes reflect a more specialized committee structure and broader stakeholder engagement for the study on improving child custody proceedings for family abuse victims.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from being directed at the Judicial Council of Virginia to being directed at a specific committee within the Access to Justice Commission, narrowing the administrative body responsible while expanding the range of required stakeholder participants.

SCOPE

The entity tasked with convening the work group changed from the Judicial Council of Virginia to the Committee on Self-Represented Litigants and its Subcommittee on Domestic Violence Victims of the Access to Justice Commission.

REQUIREMENT

New required stakeholders were added to the work group composition, including staff from the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, representatives from Court Appointed Special Advocate programs, and at least one child protection or child welfare practitioner.

The stakeholder list was modified to include 'representatives of' the existing organizations rather than just the organizations themselves, and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association was added to the list of required representatives.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

House subcommittee offered

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred from Courts of Justice and referred to Rules (Voice Vote)

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors