---
type: "Bill"
title: "DNA; post-conviction testing."
description: "Post-conviction testing of DNA. Permits private laboratories that are accredited and follow the appropriate Quality Assurance Standards issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to complete post-conviction testing of DNA evidence."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 1071"
citation: "Virginia SB 1071 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Thomas K. Norment, Jr."]
version_count: 5
action_count: 39
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2020-01-17"
last_action: "2020-04-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/47e50e33-59ea-4eea-b170-d982304bfe72"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB1071"
source_hash: "eedab1fc922dd9c5379ff19dc9f19cafcba198d4b7e4c21c7d1ed6d3001c38fd"
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 SB 1071 (2020) — DNA; post-conviction testing.

Post-conviction testing of DNA. Permits private laboratories that are accredited and follow the appropriate Quality Assurance Standards issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to complete post-conviction testing of DNA evidence.

## Version chain

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

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1282)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP1282)
2. **Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1071ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB1071ER)
3. **Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1071E** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB1071E)
4. **Impact statement from DPB (SB1071)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB1071)
5. **Reenrolled bill text (SB1071ER2)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+SB1071ER2)

## Votes

- Reported from Judiciary with amendment (12-Y 0-N) — **12–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice (21-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (100-Y 0-N) — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (39-Y 1-N) — **39–1** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: (90-Y 0-N) — **89–0** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Thomas K. Norment, Jr. — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-01-17** Presented and ordered printed 20105999D `introduction`
- **2020-01-17** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-28** Impact statement from DPB (SB1071)
- **2020-02-10** Reported from Judiciary with amendment (12-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-11** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-11** Reading of amendment waived
- **2020-02-11** Committee amendment agreed to
- **2020-02-11** Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1071E
- **2020-02-11** Printed as engrossed 20105999D-E
- **2020-02-11** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-11** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-12** Impact statement from DPB (SB1071E)
- **2020-02-14** Placed on Calendar
- **2020-02-14** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-14** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-14** Assigned Courts sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-17** Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-19** Reported from Courts of Justice (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-21** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-24** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-24** Passed House BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-24** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (100-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-27** Enrolled
- **2020-02-27** Impact statement from DPB (SB1071ER)
- **2020-02-27** Signed by President
- **2020-02-27** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-03-10** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 10, 2020
- **2020-03-10** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
- **2020-04-11** Governor's recommendation received by Senate
- **2020-04-22** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (39-Y 1-N)
- **2020-04-22** House concurred in Governor's recommendation (90-Y 0-N)
- **2020-04-22** VOTE: (90-Y 0-N)
- **2020-04-22** Governor's recommendation adopted
- **2020-04-22** Reenrolled
- **2020-04-22** Reenrolled bill text (SB1071ER2)
- **2020-04-22** Signed by President as reenrolled
- **2020-04-22** Signed by Speaker as reenrolled
- **2020-04-22** Enacted, Chapter 1282 (effective 7/1/20) `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/47e50e33-59ea-4eea-b170-d982304bfe72`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).