---
type: "Bill"
title: "Predetermination for licensing eligibility; prior convictions."
description: "Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Department of Health Professions; predetermination for licensing eligibility; prior convictions. Prohibits the use of vague or arbitrary terms by a regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or Department of Health when refusing a person a license, certificate, or registration to practice, pursue, or engage in any regulated occupation or profession. The bill requires such regulatory board denying a registration, license, or certificate based on information in the applicant's criminal history record to notify the applicant in writing of (i) the specific offense or offenses that contributed to such denial; (ii) how the criminal history directly relates to the occupation for which the registration, license, or certificate applies; and (iii) how the regulatory board weighed rehabilitation factors when making its decision.The bill further allows an applicant to request a written predetermination from a regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation concerning whether his criminal record would disqualify him from obtaining a license, certificate, registration, or other authority to engage in a particular occupation, trade, or profession in the Commonwealth."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 826"
citation: "Virginia SB 826 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mamie E. Locke"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 34
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2024-12-31"
last_action: "2025-03-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/87ccc964-5c99-4458-a1bf-7496d319b794"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB826"
source_hash: "6a4a41657a16d5e493992d5a6b0792e1265fb3f2e43f14e7de4ebc343e7c92b8"
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 826 (2025) — Predetermination for licensing eligibility; prior convictions.

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; Department of Health Professions; predetermination for licensing eligibility; prior convictions. Prohibits the use of vague or arbitrary terms by a regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or Department of Health when refusing a person a license, certificate, or registration to practice, pursue, or engage in any regulated occupation or profession. The bill requires such regulatory board denying a registration, license, or certificate based on information in the applicant's criminal history record to notify the applicant in writing of (i) the specific offense or offenses that contributed to such denial; (ii) how the criminal history directly relates to the occupation for which the registration, license, or certificate applies; and (iii) how the regulatory board weighed rehabilitation factors when making its decision.The bill further allows an applicant to request a written predetermination from a regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation concerning whether his criminal record would disqualify him from obtaining a license, certificate, registration, or other authority to engage in a particular occupation, trade, or profession in the Commonwealth.

## 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/1012146.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1076951.PDF)
3. **Education and Health Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1035637.PDF)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1059609.PDF)

## Votes

- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Health and Human Services (21-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Education and Health with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Passed House (97-Y 0-N) — **97–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Mamie E. Locke — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-12-31** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25100569D `filing, introduction`
- **2024-12-31** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-17** Assigned Education sub: Health Professions `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-30** Reported from Education and Health with substitute (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-01-30** Committee substitute printed 25105935D-S1 `substitution`
- **2025-01-31** Rules suspended
- **2025-01-31** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N)
- **2025-01-31** Passed by for the day
- **2025-02-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-02-03** Reading of substitute waived
- **2025-02-03** Education and Health Substitute agreed to
- **2025-02-03** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
- **2025-02-03** Rules suspended
- **2025-02-03** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N)
- **2025-02-03** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-04** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB826)
- **2025-02-06** Placed on Calendar
- **2025-02-06** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2025-02-06** Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-06** Assigned sub: Health Professions `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-11** Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
- **2025-02-13** Reported from Health and Human Services (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2025-02-17** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-02-18** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2025-02-18** Passed House (97-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2025-02-20** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-02-20** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB826ER) `passage`
- **2025-02-20** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2025-02-23** Signed by President `passage`
- **2025-02-24** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB826)
- **2025-03-05** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 5, 2025 `enrolled`
- **2025-03-05** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 `executive-receipt`
- **2025-03-24** Approved by Governor-Chapter 505 (Effective 07/01/25) `executive-signature`
- **2025-03-24** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0505)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/87ccc964-5c99-4458-a1bf-7496d319b794`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).