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 absent

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 absent

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 absent

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 absent

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 absent

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 342: Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; magistrates, availability of complaint forms in courthouses.

Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission; magistrates; availability of complaint forms in courthouses. Requires that paper copies of any standardized form developed and utilized by the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission and any standardized form developed and utilized by the Department of Magistrate Services in the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia for the filing of a complaint be made available to the public in the clerk's office in all state courts of the Commonwealth. The bill also requires that a sign be posted in all such courts, in a location accessible to the public, that notes the availability and location of such forms.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill requires complaint forms for judicial oversight in courthouses, enhancing accountability in court processes, a core component of criminal justice.80% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 149: 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 SB 136.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces probation periods for rehabilitation completion (education, treatment, housing), aligning with reform goals to lower recidivism and support reintegration.95% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

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 absent

signed · Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 6, 2026

HB 223: Public defender; local funding for positions.

HB 223 allows counties and cities to fund public defender positions using local resources. It directly affects local governments and public defender offices by giving them the option to establish or expand these roles through municipal budgets. The bill's key provision is enabling governing bodies (like city councils or county commissions) to allocate funds for public defender staffing without requiring state financial support. The bill passed the House unanimously and is now under review by the Committee for Courts of Justice.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnables local funding for public defenders, strengthening defense access and aligning with criminal justice reform goals like fair representation.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

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 absent