SB 71 Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin.

Summary
Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions; absence of next of kin. Authorizes, for purposes of the Health Care Decisions Act, the patient care consulting committee to make health care decisions for a patient incapable of making informed decisions when no next of kin is reasonably available.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Dec 17, 2025 Last action Feb 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 1 edit · Jan 27, 2026
MINOR
The bill text shows formatting and layout changes between the introduced and engrossed versions, with no substantive policy modifications to the Health Care Decisions Act. The core provisions regarding advance directives, patient capacity, and decision-making authority remain unchanged. The differences appear to be related to document formatting, spacing, and header information rather than legislative content.
TECHNICAL

Formatting and layout changes including spacing adjustments, header information updates (ENGROSSED status, amendment dates), and line number reorganization. No substantive policy content was modified.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 23, 2026

How they voted

380
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 39
Jan 23, 2026
D Democratic20
20 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
18 Yea 1
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
17
Key actions
7
Committee
6
Amendments
1
Jan 27, 2026
Committee
Rereferred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by temporarily
upper
Jan 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Education and Health Amendment agreed to
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health with amendment (11-Y 2-N 1-A)
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate committee offered
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate subcommittee offered
upper
Jan 20, 2026
Committee
Assigned Education sub: Health
upper
Dec 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors