Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 124: 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 SB 144.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases mandatory minimum sentence (6 months) for assaulting judges on duty, enhancing penalties under criminal law per bill language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 743: Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties.

Damage or trespass to public services or utilities or critical infrastructure; penalties. Adds the intentional destruction of or damage to any fixture, equipment, or information technology system that is used to provide, process, transmit, or maintain public services, public utilities, cable television, broadband, or other critical infrastructure, as defined in relevant law, to the existing offense of damage or trespass to public services or utilities. The bill contains technical amendments and is identical to HB 317.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds penalties for damaging critical infrastructure, expanding criminalization without reform focus per indicators.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill imposes penalties for damaging IT systems in critical infrastructure, protecting technology infrastructure from intentional harm, aligning with cybersecurity protection.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 778: Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty.

Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person 18 years of age or older to display obscene material, as defined in relevant law, to a minor younger than 13 years of age with lascivious intent. Current law only prohibits the display of child pornography or a grooming video or materials to a child younger than 13 years of age by a person 18 years of age or older.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new felony for displaying obscene material to minors, increasing penalties beyond current child pornography laws.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 1219: Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants.

Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants; model policy. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers upon a finding of reasonable and probable cause by an authorized judicial official, as defined in the bill, and permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime or to respond to a public safety call for service when such crime scene or call for service is located on public property, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location during the initial response to an incident, or to provide real-time aerial observation to increase on-scene safety and security. Such provisions are subject to a reenactment clause. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, to establish a model policy for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 647.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAllows warrantless drone use for crime scenes/public safety, weakening judicial oversight and potentially infringing on privacy rights within law enforcement procedures.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes 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 No ✗ Opposes 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 · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 662: 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 SB 444.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offenses (theft, fraud) with penalties, expanding criminalization rather than advancing reform or protections.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 357: Person arrested for a felony; release of accused on secured or unsecured bond.

Release of accused on secured or unsecured bond. Removes the conditions requiring that any person arrested for a felony who (i) has previously been convicted of a felony, (ii) is presently on bond for an unrelated arrest in any jurisdiction, or (iii) is on probation or parole be released only upon a secure bond. Additionally, the bill adds to the factors a judicial officer shall consider in making a bail determination (a) the person's current bond status for an unrelated arrest in any jurisdiction and (b) whether the person is on probation or parole.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill removes mandatory secured bond for certain felons, allowing unsecured bond instead, reducing pretrial detention and aligning with criminal justice reform goals of reducing financial barriers and promoting community reintegration.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 648: 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 SB 360.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new Class 1 misdemeanor for distributing nitrous oxide devices, expanding criminalization without reform elements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes 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 No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice