Impersonation of law-enforcement officer while committing additional act; penalties. Provides that any person who impersonates a law-enforcement officer (i) while committing or attempting to commit aggravated murder, first or second degree murder, abduction, rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, or sexual battery or (ii) while circumventing, bypassing, or attempting to circumvent or bypass any security measure of any business, commercial building, residence, building owned or leased by the Commonwealth or any agency thereof, or building owned or leased by a locality or any agency thereof is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 5 felony.
Department of Juvenile Justice; commitment of juveniles to Department; petition to extend duration of indeterminate commitment. Creates a process by which the Department of Juvenile Justice, upon determining that a juvenile currently committed to the Department should continue such commitment beyond the high end of the length of stay guidelines established by the State Board of Juvenile Justice, may petition the court that ordered a juvenile's indeterminate commitment to the Department to extend such juvenile's commitment. The bill requires the Department to file such petition at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the high end of the length of stay range, along with a report on the juvenile's progress. If the Department determines fewer than 60 days before expiration that an extension is necessary, it shall file a petition for review that includes a statement explaining the specific circumstances causing the late filing. The bill provides that the court shall schedule a hearing on the petition at which the court shall consider such progress report and may consider additional evidence as described in the bill. The bill provides that, at the conclusion of the hearing, the court shall order either that the juvenile be released or that the juvenile's period of commitment be extended for a period not to exceed six months, provided that such extension does not exceed the limitations for an indeterminate commitment provided by current law. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth.
Modification of sentence for marijuana-related offenses. Creates a process by which a person adjudicated delinquent or convicted of certain felony offenses involving, or violations of probation or community supervision related to, the possession, manufacture, selling, giving, distribution, transportation, or delivery of marijuana committed prior to July 1, 2021, who remains incarcerated or on probation or community supervision on July 1, 2026, may receive an automatic hearing to consider modification of such person's sentence. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2029. This bill is identical to SB 62.
Carrying assault firearms in public areas prohibited in the Commonwealth; penalty. Prohibits the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles, pistols, and shotguns or any firearm modified to be operable as an assault firearm on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, or public right-of-way or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public, with certain exceptions. Under current law, the prohibition on carrying certain shotguns and semi-automatic center-fire rifles and pistols applies to a narrower range of firearms, only in certain localities, and only when such firearms are loaded. A violation of this prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates SB 312.
Possession, transportation, or purchase of certain firearms by certain persons; penalty. Provides additional exceptions, outlined in the bill, for persons younger than 18 years of age to possess or transport handguns or assault firearms anywhere in the Commonwealth. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for persons younger than 21 years of age to purchase a handgun or assault firearm anywhere in the Commonwealth.
Certain sex offenses; sexual extortion; unlawful creation of image of another; penalties. Provides that any person who, with the intent to cause the complaining witness to engage in certain sexual acts, maliciously (i) threatens in writing, including electronically, (a) to disseminate, sell, or publish a videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, or (b) to not delete, remove, or take back a previously disseminated, sold, or published videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, that depicts the complaining witness or such complaining witness's family or household member, as defined in relevant law, as totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast or (ii) threatens eviction, loss of housing, property damage, or any financial loss, but such complaining witness does not thereby engage in such sexual acts is guilty of attempted sexual extortion and shall be punished as prescribed by relevant law.The bill also adds to the existing offense of unlawfully creating an image of another a prohibition on any person knowingly and intentionally creating any videographic or still image by any means whatsoever of any nonconsenting person if that person is not exposed to show the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in relevant law, when such nonconsenting person is in a restroom, dressing room, locker room, hotel room, motel room, tanning bed, tanning booth, bedroom, or other location. A violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor unless such nonconsenting person is younger than the age of 18, in which case it is elevated to a Class 6 felony.
Purchase, possession, or transportation of firearm; assault and battery of a family or household member or intimate partner; penalty. Adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to juvenile and domestic relations district court, a person's intimate partner, defined in the bill as an individual who, within the previous 12 months, was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the person as determined by the length, nature, frequency, and type of interaction between the individuals involved in the relationship. The bill also adds to the definition of "family or household member," as such definition relates to a person's purchase, possession, or transportation of a firearm following an assault and battery of a family or household member, any individual who cohabits or who, within the previous 12 months, cohabitated with the person. Finally, the bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally purchases, possesses, or transports any firearm following a misdemeanor conviction for an offense that occurred on or after July 1, 2026, for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner or an offense substantially similar under the laws of any other state or of the United States is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Stalking by electronically transmitted communication; penalty. Provides that "electronically transmitted communication" includes communication by telephone, computer, or other electronic device for the offense of stalking, which is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor or, if the second offense occurs within five years of a prior conviction for stalking, is punishable as a Class 6 felony.
Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing medetomidine; penalties. Provides that any person who knowingly manufactures, sells, gives, distributes, or possesses with the intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute the substance medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 5 felony. Under the bill, any person who knowingly possesses medetomidine, when intended for human consumption, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under the bill, it is not an offense to (i) manufacture medetomidine for legitimate veterinary use; (ii) distribute or sell medetomidine for authorized veterinary use; (iii) possess, administer, prescribe, or dispense medetomidine in good faith for use by animals within the course of legitimate veterinary practice; or (iv) possess or administer medetomidine pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian.
Sex offenses prohibiting proximity to children; state parks; penalty. Provides that every adult who is convicted of an offense prohibiting proximity to children, when the offense occurred on or after July 1, 2026, shall as a part of his sentence be forever prohibited from going, for the purpose of having any contact whatsoever with children who are not in his custody, within 100 feet of a playground, athletic field or facility, or gymnasium he knows or has reason to know is located on the premises of a state park. A violation is a Class 6 felony.
