---
type: "Bill"
title: "Minor witnesses; appointment of guardian ad litem in circuit court."
description: "Minor witnesses; appointment of guardian ad litem in circuit court. Authorizes a circuit court to appoint a discreet and competent attorney-at-law as guardian ad litem for a minor witness called to testify in a matter before the circuit court involving certain sex offenses. Under current law, a general district court may appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor witness called to testify in any proceeding and the circuit court may continue the appointment or appoint a new guardian ad litem for such matter on appeal."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 1277"
citation: "Virginia SB 1277 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Russet Perry"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2025-01-08"
last_action: "2025-03-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e78b3328-8b2f-4fe4-9a12-c95917c65875"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1277"
source_hash: "14f7bc0ededbecd5acc0d16086463613f9475c9877541cfccce2e3fcc0454d15"
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 1277 (2025) — Minor witnesses; appointment of guardian ad litem in circuit court.

Minor witnesses; appointment of guardian ad litem in circuit court. Authorizes a circuit court to appoint a discreet and competent attorney-at-law as guardian ad litem for a minor witness called to testify in a matter before the circuit court involving certain sex offenses. Under current law, a general district court may appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor witness called to testify in any proceeding and the circuit court may continue the appointment or appoint a new guardian ad litem for such matter on appeal.

## 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/1018642.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072722.PDF)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1051529.PDF)

## Votes

- Passed House (96-Y 0-N) — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 1-A) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Russet Perry — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-08** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25100512D `filing, introduction`
- **2025-01-08** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-22** Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-28** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1277)
- **2025-01-29** Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-30** Rules suspended
- **2025-01-30** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 1-A)
- **2025-01-30** Passed by for the day
- **2025-01-31** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2025-01-31** Rules suspended
- **2025-01-31** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N)
- **2025-01-31** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-06** Placed on Calendar
- **2025-02-06** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2025-02-06** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-06** Assigned Courts sub: Civil `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-07** Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
- **2025-02-10** Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-12** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-02-13** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2025-02-13** Passed House (96-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-18** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-02-18** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1277ER) `passage`
- **2025-02-18** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1277)
- **2025-02-18** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-02-20** Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-03-03** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 3, 2025 `enrolled`
- **2025-03-03** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 `executive-receipt`
- **2025-03-21** Approved by Governor-Chapter 334 (Effective 07/01/25) `executive-signature`
- **2025-03-21** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0334)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e78b3328-8b2f-4fe4-9a12-c95917c65875`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).