---
type: "Bill"
title: "Persons acquitted by reason of insanity; use of two-way electronic communications in proceedings."
description: "Persons acquitted by reason of insanity; use of two-way electronic communications in proceedings. Permits the annual or biennial hearing required for persons acquitted of a criminal offense by reason of insanity to be conducted using a two-way electronic video and audio communication system unless objected to by the acquittee, the acquittee's attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 639"
citation: "Virginia HB 639 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Chris L. Hurst"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 27
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-06"
last_action: "2020-03-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/39826a1c-eaa1-4fa0-999a-a9214e56d4e8"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB639"
source_hash: "bbaccd24b08c9ca45beedaf77d0eb0b511516be49bb1372b92023f5c41d8dbd7"
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 639 (2020) — Persons acquitted by reason of insanity; use of two-way electronic communications in proceedings.

Persons acquitted by reason of insanity; use of two-way electronic communications in proceedings. Permits the annual or biennial hearing required for persons acquitted of a criminal offense by reason of insanity to be conducted using a two-way electronic video and audio communication system unless objected to by the acquittee, the acquittee's attorney, or the attorney for the Commonwealth.

## Version chain

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

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0096)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0096)
2. **Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB639ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB639ER)
3. **Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB639H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB639)
4. **Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB639H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB639H1)

## Votes

- Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: (97-Y 0-N) — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N) — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Chris L. Hurst — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-01-06** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102529D `introduction`
- **2020-01-06** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-14** Assigned Courts sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-15** House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2020-01-15** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N)
- **2020-01-22** Committee substitute printed 20105919D-H1 `substitution`
- **2020-01-22** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-24** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-01-27** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-27** Committee substitute agreed to 20105919D-H1
- **2020-01-27** Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB639H1
- **2020-01-28** Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (97-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-01-28** VOTE: (97-Y 0-N)
- **2020-01-29** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2020-01-29** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-12** Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-13** Impact statement from DPB (HB639H1)
- **2020-02-14** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-17** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-17** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-20** Enrolled
- **2020-02-20** Impact statement from DPB (HB639ER)
- **2020-02-20** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-02-21** Signed by President
- **2020-02-25** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 25, 2020
- **2020-02-25** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 3, 2020
- **2020-03-03** Approved by Governor-Chapter 96 (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/39826a1c-eaa1-4fa0-999a-a9214e56d4e8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).