---
type: "Bill"
title: "Correctional facility; intentionally covering, removing, etc., a security camera, penalty."
description: "Covering a security camera in a correctionalfacility; penalty. Provides that any person, other than a law-enforcementofficer, jail officer, correctional officer, or other custodial officer,who intentionally covers, removes, damages, renders inoperable orotherwise obscures a security camera, as defined in the bill, withoutthe permission of the sheriff, jail superintendent, warden, or Directorof the Department of Corrections or Department of Juvenile Justiceis guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that anyperson who intentionally covers, removes, damages, renders inoperableor otherwise obscures a security camera with the intent of inhibitingor preventing a security camera from recording or transmitting aphotograph, motion picture, or other digital image of the commissionof a felony is guilty of a Class 6 felony."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2022"
identifier: "SB 700"
citation: "Virginia SB 700 (2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bill DeSteph"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 32
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2022-01-21"
last_action: "2022-04-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/500636ad-4a83-47d4-b0ae-73d9fea6806b"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+sum+SB700"
source_hash: "e6dd41bf1922eef40a3152c3cc87f8ddcc2ab92467c9e3b8edffa78d8c979edd"
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 700 (2022) — Correctional facility; intentionally covering, removing, etc., a security camera, penalty.

Covering a security camera in a correctionalfacility; penalty. Provides that any person, other than a law-enforcementofficer, jail officer, correctional officer, or other custodial officer,who intentionally covers, removes, damages, renders inoperable orotherwise obscures a security camera, as defined in the bill, withoutthe permission of the sheriff, jail superintendent, warden, or Directorof the Department of Corrections or Department of Juvenile Justiceis guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also provides that anyperson who intentionally covers, removes, damages, renders inoperableor otherwise obscures a security camera with the intent of inhibitingor preventing a security camera from recording or transmitting aphotograph, motion picture, or other digital image of the commissionof a felony is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0674** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0674)
2. **Committee substitute printed 22106076D-S1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB700S1)
3. **Presented and ordered printed 22104206D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB700)
4. **SB700ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?221+ful+SB700ER)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Public Safety (16-Y 6-N) — **16–6** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Passage (78-Y 22-N) — **77–22** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations (16-Y 0-N) — **16–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bill DeSteph — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-01-21** Presented and ordered printed 22104206D `introduction`
- **2022-01-21** Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services `referral-committee`
- **2022-01-21** Impact statement from VCSC (SB700)
- **2022-01-27** Impact statement from DPB (SB700)
- **2022-02-04** Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-04** Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-04** Committee substitute printed 22106076D-S1 `substitution`
- **2022-02-07** Impact statement from VCSC (SB700S1)
- **2022-02-08** Impact statement from DPB (SB700S1)
- **2022-02-10** Reported from Finance and Appropriations (16-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-02-11** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-14** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-02-14** Reading of substitute waived
- **2022-02-14** Committee substitute agreed to 22106076D-S1
- **2022-02-14** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB700S1
- **2022-02-14** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2022-02-14** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2022-02-21** Placed on Calendar
- **2022-02-21** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2022-02-21** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-25** Reported from Public Safety (16-Y 6-N) `committee-passage`
- **2022-03-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-03-02** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2022-03-02** Passed House (78-Y 22-N) `passage`
- **2022-03-02** VOTE: Passage (78-Y 22-N)
- **2022-03-07** Enrolled
- **2022-03-08** Impact statement from DPB (SB700ER)
- **2022-03-08** Signed by President
- **2022-03-08** Signed by Speaker
- **2022-03-22** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 22, 2022
- **2022-03-22** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2022
- **2022-04-11** Approved by Governor-Chapter 674 (effective 7/1/22) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/500636ad-4a83-47d4-b0ae-73d9fea6806b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).