---
type: "Bill"
title: "Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty."
description: "Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person 18 years of age or older to display obscene material, as defined in relevant law, to a minor younger than 13 years of age with lascivious intent. Current law only prohibits the display of child pornography or a grooming video or materials to a child younger than 13 years of age by a person 18 years of age or older."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 778"
citation: "Virginia SB 778 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mark D. Obenshain"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 38
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2026-01-22"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c1fc23ab-de77-4e56-ae82-2708229aabef"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB778"
source_hash: "f1557ce44f247dc4a126ee607c12b0d2fad36d6209eeab84ade76c007f6a5562"
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 778 (2026) — Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty.

Display of obscene material to a minor unlawful; penalty. Makes it a Class 6 felony for any person 18 years of age or older to display obscene material, as defined in relevant law, to a minor younger than 13 years of age with lascivious intent. Current law only prohibits the display of child pornography or a grooming video or materials to a child younger than 13 years of age by a person 18 years of age or older.

## 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/1094344.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217470.PDF)
3. **Courts of Justice Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132620.PDF)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207046.PDF)

## Votes

- Subcommittee recommends reporting — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Appropriations — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice — **22–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Mark D. Obenshain — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-22** Presented and ordered printed 26105663D `introduction`
- **2026-01-22** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-23** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB778)
- **2026-01-23** Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/23/2026 3:08 pm)
- **2026-02-04** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-06** Committee substitute printed 26107281D-S1 `substitution`
- **2026-02-06** Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/6/2026 10:47 am)
- **2026-02-09** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB778)
- **2026-02-11** Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-12** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-12** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-12** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-02-13** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-13** Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
- **2026-02-13** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) `substitution`
- **2026-02-13** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-13** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-13** Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-23** Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-24** Placed on Calendar
- **2026-02-24** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-24** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)
- **2026-03-02** Reported from Courts of Justice and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-03** Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-04** Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-06** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-09** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-09** Passed House (96-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-13** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB778ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-13** Signed by President `passage`
- **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`
- **2026-03-17** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB778)
- **2026-04-06** Approved by Governor-Chapter 348 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0348)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c1fc23ab-de77-4e56-ae82-2708229aabef`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).