Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 283: Penalties for failure to appear; definition, contempt.

Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that a court shall consider certain mitigating factors to determine whether the failure of any person to appear before any court or judicial officer as required was willful. Under current law, no mitigating factors are specified for a court or judicial officer to consider in determining whether a person willfully failed to appear. This bill is identical to HB 933.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces penalties from felony to misdemeanor for failure to appear, aligning with reform goals of reducing harsh sentencing and unnecessary incarceration.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 329: Va. Sexual & Domestic Violence Victim fund; fee for offenses related to solicitation of minors, etc.

Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund; additional fee for certain offenses. Provides that the clerk shall assess a fee of $500 for conviction of certain offenses outlined in the bill. The bill requires such fees to be credited to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund and designated for funding support services for eligible victims. This bill is identical to HB 1233.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds child victim services via $100 fee for specific offenses, aligning with victim protection in criminal justice reform.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 360: Nitrous oxide; sale, distribution, etc., prohibited, penalties.

Distributing nitrous oxide prohibited; penalties. Prohibits the sale or distribution of (i) a device that is designed or intended to deliver a gas containing nitrous oxide through direct inhalation, with exceptions defined in the bill; (ii) nitrous oxide that has, or is marketed as having, the taste or smell of any food or beverage that is distinguishable by an ordinary consumer either prior to or during consumption or use of such nitrous oxide to any person not exempted in the bill; and (iii) a container of nitrous oxide that exceeds eight grams, with exceptions defined in the bill. A violation of such prohibitions is a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to HB 648.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by prohibiting nitrous oxide device sales to all persons (not just minors), increasing potential criminal penalties without reform focus.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 608: Peer recovery specialists; VDH & DOC to develop guidelines for hiring.

Department of Health; Department of Corrections; peer recovery specialists. Directs the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Corrections to develop agency guidelines for hiring peer recovery specialists with previous criminal convictions for compensated employment. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 209.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeDirects VDH & DOC to develop hiring guidelines for peer recovery specialists with criminal convictions, promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism through employment opportunities in recovery programs.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnables hiring of peer recovery specialists with criminal convictions, expanding employment opportunities for a historically marginalized group in state agencies.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 933: Penalties for failure to appear; definition, contempt.

Penalties for failure to appear; contempt. Provides that a court shall consider certain mitigating factors to determine whether the failure of any person to appear before any court or judicial officer as required was willful. Under current law, no mitigating factors are specified for a court or judicial officer to consider in determining whether a person willfully failed to appear. This bill is identical to SB 283.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces penalties from felony to misdemeanor for failure to appear, aligning with less punitive criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 144: Assault and battery; adds district court temporary recall judge, penalty.

Assault and battery; district court temporary recall judge; penalty. Adds a judge of a district court under temporary recall to the definition of "judge" as it relates to the crime of assault and battery, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor that is enhanced to a Class 6 felony with a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months if such judge is engaged in his public duties at the time of the offense. This bill is a recommendation of the Committee on District Courts and is identical to HB 124.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeUpgrades assault on temporary recall judges to Class 6 felony with mandatory 6-month sentence, increasing severity of penalties per criminal justice indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 126: Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates.

Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to establish additional standards no later than January 1, 2027, to ensure access to legal counsel for inmates held in any local, regional, or community correctional facility and enumerates the standards that the Board shall include in such additional standards.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires standards ensuring inmate access to legal counsel in correctional facilities, advancing civil rights and criminal justice reform.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 671: Jurors; exemptions from jury service upon request, competency to perform jury duty.

Jurors; exemptions from jury service upon request; competency to perform jury duty. Provides that no person shall be deemed incompetent to serve on any jury on the basis of disability if the person would otherwise be competent to serve if provided with reasonable accommodation. The bill also provides that any person under a disability that substantially impairs the person's ability to perform jury duty shall be exempt from jury duty upon such person's request.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnsures disability accommodations for jury service, promoting equal access to court participation and civil rights within criminal justice system.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 136: Probation; decreasing period.

Decreasing probation period. Establishes criteria for which a defendant's supervised probation period shall be reduced, including completing educational activities, maintaining employment, completing treatment, or obtaining housing. The bill provides that a court may decrease a defendant's probation period if warranted by the defendant's conduct upon receipt of a request from the Department of Corrections and requires the Department of Corrections to request termination of a defendant's supervised probation period after 12 months in certain situations. This bill is identical to HB 149.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces probation periods for compliant defendants through rehabilitation-focused criteria (education, treatment, housing), aligning with criminal justice reform goals to lower recidivism.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 444: Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties.

Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties. Adds the offenses of gift card theft, gift card forgery, gift card fraud, and criminally receiving goods and services fraudulently obtained to the existing provisions of law related to credit cards. This bill is identical to HB 662.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offenses (theft, fraud) for gift cards, expanding criminalization beyond existing laws without reform elements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice