---
type: "Bill"
title: "Electronic communication systems within state correctional facilities; telephone calls."
description: "Electronic communication systems within statecorrectional facilities; free telephone calls and communication services.Requires the Department of Corrections to provide telephone systemsand web-based or electronic communications systems free of chargeto any person, whether such person is initiating or receiving thecommunication. The bill also requires that a minimum ratio of onetelephone per every 10 inmates be available within each housing unitat each correctional facility and that a maximum number of telephonenumbers permitted on an approved call list must be no fewer than20. This bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 801"
citation: "Virginia HB 801 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Sam Rasoul"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 40
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2024-01-09"
last_action: "2024-04-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5bec7200-bb75-40d2-bf90-89b3064cc7c6"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB801"
source_hash: "9bbb8ecca81106a57be27fa65f7fcf940092c940500111797284b62e6cdab2b6"
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 801 (2024) — Electronic communication systems within state correctional facilities; telephone calls.

Electronic communication systems within statecorrectional facilities; free telephone calls and communication services.Requires the Department of Corrections to provide telephone systemsand web-based or electronic communications systems free of chargeto any person, whether such person is initiating or receiving thecommunication. The bill also requires that a minimum ratio of onetelephone per every 10 inmates be available within each housing unitat each correctional facility and that a maximum number of telephonenumbers permitted on an approved call list must be no fewer than20. This bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0455** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+CHAP0455)
2. **Committee substitute printed 24107325D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB801H1)
3. **HB801ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB801ER)
4. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101691D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB801)

## Votes

- Reported from Appropriations with substitute (12-Y 8-N) — **12–8** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (4-Y 3-N) — **4–3** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendment (10-Y 5-N) — **10–5** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (4-Y 2-N) — **4–2** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Adoption (63-Y 37-N) — **62–37** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Public Safety (13-Y 9-N) — **13–9** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate with amendment (30-Y 9-N) — **30–9** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (56-Y 41-N) — **55–41** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Sam Rasoul — primary (person)
- Atoosa R. Reaser — cosponsor (person)
- Holly M. Seibold — cosponsor (person)
- Jackie H. Glass — cosponsor (person)
- Joshua G. Cole — cosponsor (person)
- Karen Keys-Gamarra — cosponsor (person)
- Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-09** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101691D `filing, introduction`
- **2024-01-09** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-19** Assigned PS sub: Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-25** Subcommittee recommends reporting (4-Y 2-N)
- **2024-01-25** Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-26** Assigned App. sub: Transportation & Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-26** Impact statement from DPB (HB801)
- **2024-01-26** Reported from Public Safety (13-Y 9-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-01-26** Referred to Committee on Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-09** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (4-Y 3-N) `substitution`
- **2024-02-09** Reported from Appropriations with substitute (12-Y 8-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-09** House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2024-02-09** Committee substitute printed 24107325D-H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-11** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2024-02-12** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-02-12** Committee substitute agreed to 24107325D-H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-12** Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB801H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-13** Impact statement from DPB (HB801H1)
- **2024-02-13** Read third time and passed House (56-Y 41-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-02-13** VOTE: Passage (56-Y 41-N) `passage`
- **2024-02-14** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2024-02-14** Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-23** Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendment (10-Y 5-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-26** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2024-02-27** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2024-02-27** Reading of amendment waived
- **2024-02-27** Committee amendment agreed to `amendment-passage`
- **2024-02-27** Engrossed by Senate as amended
- **2024-02-27** Passed Senate with amendment (30-Y 9-N) `passage`
- **2024-02-29** Senate amendment agreed to by House (63-Y 37-N) `amendment-passage`
- **2024-02-29** VOTE: Adoption (63-Y 37-N)
- **2024-03-06** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2024-03-06** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB801ER) `passage`
- **2024-03-06** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2024-03-07** Impact statement from DPB (HB801ER)
- **2024-03-07** Signed by President `passage`
- **2024-03-11** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2024 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-11** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-04-04** Approved by Governor-Chapter 455 (effective 7/1/24) `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-04** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0455)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5bec7200-bb75-40d2-bf90-89b3064cc7c6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).