VA SB83 | 2026 | Regular Regular Session
Status
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: Vetoed on May 19 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-05-19 - Vetoed by Governor
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [HTML]
Status: Vetoed on May 19 2026 - 100% progression
Action: 2026-05-19 - Vetoed by Governor
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [HTML]
Summary
Security policies for courthouses and local or regional correctional facilities; penalty. Adds several provisions relating to courthouse and courtroom security. The bill requires the chief judge of each general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit court to set a policy regarding the use and possession of portable electronic devices by visitors to the court. The bill authorizes such chief judge to condition the use and possession of portable electronic devices upon certain limitations. The bill also provides that if a sheriff allows courthouse employees to bypass any security screening required to enter a courthouse, such sheriff shall also exempt from the security screening any attorney who displays a valid Virginia State Bar-issued bar card and a government-issued identification. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any attorney who has had his license to practice law in the Commonwealth suspended or revoked and who displays a Virginia State Bar-issued bar card in an effort to be exempt from the security screening. Finally, the bill requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to develop and establish minimum standards to ensure that attorneys have sufficient opportunities to have confidential visits with their clients and requires sheriffs or jail superintendents to provide a telephonic, electronic, or web-based communication method for prisoners in local correctional facilities to communicate with attorneys.
Title
District or circuit court; possession of portable electronic devices.
Sponsors
Roll Calls
2026-03-06 - Senate - House amendments agreed to by Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A) (Y: 26 N: 14 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - House - Passed House with amendments (99-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 99 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - House - Passed House with amendments (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 97 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-03-02 - House - Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) (Y: 22 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-13 - Senate - Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 13-N 0-A) (Y: 26 N: 13 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-02-11 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-10 - Senate - Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Y: 10 N: 5 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-02 - Senate - Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) (Y: 9 N: 6 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - House - Passed House with amendments (99-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 99 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - House - Passed House with amendments (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 97 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2026-03-02 - House - Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) (Y: 22 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-13 - Senate - Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 13-N 0-A) (Y: 26 N: 13 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-02-11 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-10 - Senate - Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Y: 10 N: 5 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-02-02 - Senate - Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) (Y: 9 N: 6 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
History
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-19 | Vetoed by Governor | |
| 2026-05-19 | Senate | Governor's Veto Received by Senate |
| 2026-04-22 | Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026 | |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Communicated to Governor |
| 2026-04-22 | Senate | Passed by for the day |
| 2026-04-11 | Governor's recommendation received by Senate | |
| 2026-03-14 | Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 | |
| 2026-03-14 | Senate | Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 |
| 2026-03-12 | Senate | Signed by President |
| 2026-03-12 | House | Signed by Speaker |
| 2026-03-12 | Senate | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83) |
| 2026-03-12 | Senate | Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB83ER) |
| 2026-03-12 | Senate | Enrolled |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | House amendments agreed to by Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Passed House with amendments (99-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Passed House with amendments (97-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Engrossed by House as amended |
| 2026-03-04 | House | committee amendments agreed to |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Read third time |
| 2026-03-03 | House | Read second time |
| 2026-03-02 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-02-23 | Senate | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83) |
| 2026-02-18 | House | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| 2026-02-18 | House | Read first time |
| 2026-02-18 | House | Placed on Calendar |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 13-N 0-A) |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Read second time |
| 2026-02-11 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-02-11 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-02-11 | Senate | Rules suspended |
| 2026-02-10 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) |
| 2026-02-02 | Senate | Committee substitute printed 26105369D-S1 |
| 2026-02-02 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) |
| 2026-02-02 | Senate | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83) |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Senate committee offered |
| 2025-12-29 | Senate | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| 2025-12-29 | Senate | Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100784D |
