Misdemeanor proceedings; competency treatment.
Summary
Competency treatment in misdemeanor proceedings. Provides that in cases where the defendant has been charged with a misdemeanor offense, the court may (i) order inpatient or outpatient treatment or (ii) dismiss the charges. Where a defendant is found to be incompetent, the bill permits a court to (a) order that such defendant receive treatment to restore his competency on an outpatient basis in a local correctional facility or at a location determined by the appropriate community services board or behavioral health authority, (b) order that such defendant receive treatment to restore his competency on an inpatient basis at a hospital designated by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as appropriate for treatment of persons under criminal charge, (c) order that such defendant be evaluated to determine whether he meets the criteria for temporary detention, or (d) dismiss the misdemeanor charge and release such defendant. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Signed Apr 8, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
Criminal Subcommittee Substitute
→
Chaptered
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill finalizes the legislative text for SB 528, changing the document from a proposed House substitute to an officially approved Chaptered Act. The substantive legal provisions regarding competency evaluations, treatment locations, and emergency custody procedures remain identical to the previous version, with no changes to policy, eligibility, or enforcement mechanisms.
TIMELINE
The document header was updated from a 'House Substitute' proposal to an 'Approved' Chaptered Act, indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages and is now law.
TECHNICAL
Minor formatting adjustments were made to the text, such as adding non-breaking spaces between section numbers and titles (e.g., changing '§ 19.2-169.1' to '§ 19.2-169.1') to ensure proper typesetting in the final code.
The effective date for § 37.2-808 was updated from 'Expires July 1, 2026' to 'Effective July 1, 2026', aligning the emergency custody section with the bill's overall effective date.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 17, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 4, 2026
How they voted
39–0
Passed
Total votes 39
Feb 17, 2026
D
Democratic20
100% Yea
R
Republican19
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
45
Key actions
13
Committee
7
Apr 8, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor-Chapter502 (Effective 7/1/2027)
executive
Mar 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Mar 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Mar 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB528ER)
upper
Mar 6, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House with substitute (99-Y 0-N 0-A)
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House with substitute (97-Y 0-N 0-A)
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
House subcommittee offered
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Committee
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate committee offered
upper
Jan 13, 2026
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Bill Stanley
RRepublican
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