SB 81: Law-enforcement officers, state and local; enforcement of federal traffic infractions. - Virginia

Transportation Substitute → Governor Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a House Substitute to a Senate Substitute, changing the sponsor from the House Committee to the Governor. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new section (§ 46.2-882.1) regarding the use of photo speed monitoring devices in specific zones like school crossings and work zones. Additionally, the bill's title was updated to include 'photo speed monitoring devices' and 'amend and reenact' language, indicating a broader legislative scope than the original version.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new regulations on photo speed monitoring devices and the reenactment of an existing section (§ 46.2-882.1), whereas the original version only addressed federal traffic enforcement.

SCOPE

Added a new section (§ 46.2-882.1) governing the use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones, school crossing zones, high-risk intersections, and National Park highways.

DEFINITION

Introduced new legal definitions for 'high-risk intersection segment', 'highway work zone', 'National Park highway', 'photo speed monitoring device', and 'retired sworn law-enforcement officer'.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated the enforcement clause in Section C to explicitly reference federal statutes or regulations alongside state and local laws when charging violations.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill type from 'House Substitute' to 'Senate Substitute' and updated the sponsor attribution from the House Committee to the Governor.

REQUIREMENT

Altered the bill text to include 'amend and reenact' language for an existing code section, expanding the legislative action beyond just adding new text.

Enrolled → Innovations (Ad Hoc) Subcommittee Substitute · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from an official 'Enrolled' version to a 'House Substitute' version, which includes minor wording adjustments to clarify that summons forms must reference the 'corresponding' state statute rather than the 'incorporated' one. The core policy regarding the enforcement of federal traffic laws in Planning District 8 remains substantively unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The phrase 'incorporated state statute' in the summons requirements was changed to 'corresponding state statute' to improve clarity, though the legal effect is identical.

The bill header and formatting were updated to reflect the House Committee's substitute version, including new line numbers and a specific bill tracking number.

Engrossed → Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 31, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized and approved for enactment. The substantive legal text regarding federal traffic enforcement and photo speed monitoring remains unchanged from the previous version, but the document has been converted from a draft legislative proposal to an official enrolled act.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to authorize enforcement of federal traffic laws in Planning District 8 and the use of photo speed monitoring devices.

TECHNICAL

The document format changed from a draft 'Engrossed' version to an official 'Enrolled' version, indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages and is ready for the Governor's signature.

Minor formatting adjustments were made, such as removing the 'Senate Amendments' header and adjusting line breaks and spacing to match the standard format of enacted laws.

Draft-specific metadata, including the bill number '26100616D', the list of senators, and the committee referral history, were removed as these are no longer relevant to the final law.

Innovations (Ad Hoc) Subcommittee Substitute → Transportation Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text has been reformatted from a standard legislative layout to a version with significant whitespace and spacing adjustments, likely for a specific printing or digital filing format. The actual legal content, including the date of proposal and the text of the new law, remains substantively identical.

TECHNICAL

The document layout was altered to include large amounts of whitespace and shifted text alignment, but the legal provisions and substantive text were not changed.

Introduced → Engrossed · 1 edit · Jan 21, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to add specific language requiring that any legal action taken under the new federal traffic enforcement section must explicitly reference the specific state, local, or federal statute or regulation being enforced. This change clarifies the legal basis for citations and ensures transparency in how violations are charged. The rest of the bill's text regarding photo speed monitoring devices and Planning District 8 appears unchanged in the provided excerpt.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that legal actions under the new federal traffic enforcement section must reference the specific underlying state, local, or federal statute or regulation being enforced.

Law-enforcement officers, state and local; enforcement of federal traffic infractions.

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