---
type: "Bill"
title: "Forgery, as certain violations; amends venue provisions for prosecution."
description: "Forgery; venue. Clarifies that the venue provision for prosecution of forgery applies to forging public records, etc., forging coin or bank notes, and forging, uttering, etc., other writings."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 559"
citation: "Virginia SB 559 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bryce E. Reeves"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 38
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2026-01-14"
last_action: "2026-04-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5d763e83-f6b8-47c8-a946-bf0fab345183"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB559"
source_hash: "b0758ee1c487b685d049496fa23e7f03735f5bfa69651cd6bef272da6c024810"
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 559 (2026) — Forgery, as certain violations; amends venue provisions for prosecution.

Forgery; venue. Clarifies that the venue provision for prosecution of forgery applies to forging public records, etc., forging coin or bank notes, and forging, uttering, etc., other writings.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090808.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218221.PDF)
3. **Courts of Justice Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189437.PDF)
4. **Criminal Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181805.PDF)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1202653.PDF)

## Votes

- Reported from Courts of Justice — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Concur House Substitute R — **38–2** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed R — **36–0** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed R — **35–0** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **10–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bryce E. Reeves — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-14** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100647D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-14** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-23** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB559)
- **2026-02-11** Reported from Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-13** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-13** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-13** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-02-16** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-16** Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-02-16** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-16** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-16** Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-16** Blank Action
- **2026-02-20** Placed on Calendar
- **2026-02-20** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-20** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-21** Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) `substitution`
- **2026-03-02** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-02** Committee substitute printed 26108692D-H1 `substitution`
- **2026-03-03** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB559)
- **2026-03-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-04** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-04** committee substitute agreed to `substitution`
- **2026-03-04** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2026-03-04** Passed House with substitute (97-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-04** Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
- **2026-03-04** Passed House with substitute (99-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-06** House substitute agreed to by Senate (38-Y 2-N 0-A) `substitution`
- **2026-03-12** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-12** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB559ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB559)
- **2026-03-14** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-08** Approved by Governor-Chapter 507 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-08** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0507)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5d763e83-f6b8-47c8-a946-bf0fab345183`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).