Criminal Justice

Limitation on prosecution of felony due to lapse of time after finding of probable cause; misdemeanors; exceptions; retaining counsel. Provides that the speedy trial statute is tolled for the accused to retain private counsel or have counsel appointed to him pursuant to relevant law. The bill requires the court to conduct, not more than 30 days apart, reviews of the accused's attorney status and provides that such tolling shall end when the accused has either retained counsel or had counsel appointed to him and such counsel has entered an appearance in the case or the accused executes a valid waiver of counsel. Lastly, the bill provides that such provisions shall not be construed as ending the tolling of speedy trial for any other reason pursuant to relevant law.

Short-term rental properties; human trafficking awareness training. Requires every short-term rental operator, defined in the bill, and its employees to complete an approved training course on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking, as provided or approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The bill requires that any short-term rental registry ordinance adopted by a locality pursuant to relevant law shall include that the training on recognizing and reporting instances of suspected human trafficking required by the bill be completed as part of the registration process. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. The bill contains technical amendments.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that would provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to SB 6.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); qualifications of voters; right to vote; persons not entitled to vote. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, general election to approve or reject an amendment that would provide for the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth, revise the qualifications of voters so that a person convicted of a felony is not entitled to vote during his period of incarceration but is automatically invested with the right to vote upon release from incarceration, and update the existing prohibition on voting by persons found to be mentally incompetent to instead apply to persons who have been found to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. This bill is identical to HB 963.