---
type: "Bill"
title: "Profane swearing in public; removes the crime from Code."
description: "Profane swearing in public. Removes the crime of profane swearing in public, which is currently punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates HB 132."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 1071"
citation: "Virginia HB 1071 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Dawn M. Adams"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 31
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-07"
last_action: "2020-03-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/facaa45c-2717-4f26-9c73-e990f755a13c"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB1071"
source_hash: "d2591d976ce100fecce030f23581b71036c97d9bce50b64ab366297639cd710f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 1071 (2020) — Profane swearing in public; removes the crime from Code.

Profane swearing in public. Removes the crime of profane swearing in public, which is currently punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor. This bill incorporates HB 132.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0160)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0160)
2. **Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1071ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB1071ER)
3. **Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB1071H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB1071H1)
4. **Impact statement from DPB (HB1071)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB1071)

## Votes

- Passed Senate (31-Y 7-N 1-A) — **31–7** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N) — **6–2** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (17-Y 5-N) — **17–5** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (76-Y 24-N) — **75–24** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Dawn M. Adams — primary (person)
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price — cosponsor (person)
- Mark H. Levine — cosponsor (person)
- Mark L. Cole — cosponsor (person)
- Michael J. Webert — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-07** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20101994D `introduction`
- **2020-01-07** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-14** Assigned Courts sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-15** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 2-N)
- **2020-01-22** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (17-Y 5-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-22** Committee substitute printed 20106255D-H1 `substitution`
- **2020-01-22** Incorporates HB132 (Webert)
- **2020-01-23** Impact statement from DPB (HB1071)
- **2020-01-24** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-01-27** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-01-28** Engrossment reconsidered by House
- **2020-01-28** Passed by for the day
- **2020-01-29** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-29** Committee substitute agreed to 20106255D-H1
- **2020-01-29** Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB1071H1
- **2020-01-30** Read third time and passed House (76-Y 24-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-01-30** VOTE: Passage (76-Y 24-N)
- **2020-01-31** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2020-01-31** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-09** Impact statement from DPB (HB1071H1)
- **2020-02-17** Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-18** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-19** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-19** Passed Senate (31-Y 7-N 1-A) `passage`
- **2020-02-21** Enrolled
- **2020-02-21** Impact statement from DPB (HB1071ER)
- **2020-02-21** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-02-24** Signed by President
- **2020-02-26** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 26, 2020
- **2020-02-26** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 4, 2020
- **2020-03-04** Approved by Governor-Chapter 160 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/facaa45c-2717-4f26-9c73-e990f755a13c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).