---
type: "Bill"
title: "Crimes by gangs; expands definition, penalties for gang crimes."
description: "Crimes by gangs; expands definition, penalties for gang crimes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "SB 1207"
citation: "Virginia SB 1207 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["McDougle"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 58
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2023-01-10"
last_action: "2023-03-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e7739d29-221c-4aad-aff3-2ece8e3df1d0"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+SB1207"
source_hash: "6984e593d45875cfd4e54b99b15443b6a4ae29290a9546db75a520a6854e4860"
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 1207 (2023) — Crimes by gangs; expands definition, penalties for gang crimes.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0397** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+CHAP0397)
2. **Committee substitute printed 23105149D-S1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1207S1)
3. **Committee substitute printed 23106692D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1207H1)
4. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/23 23104152D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1207)
5. **SB1207ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1207ER)
6. **SB1207S2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+SB1207S2)

## Votes

- VOTE: Passage (56-Y 43-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Read third time and passed Senate (36-Y 4-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Judiciary with substitute (11-Y 4-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- House substitute rejected by Senate (16-Y 24-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (12-Y 7-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- Conference report agreed to by Senate (31-Y 9-N) — **0–0** (fail) · upper
- VOTE: Adoption (56-Y 39-N) — **0–0** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- McDougle — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-10** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/23 23104152D `filing, introduction`
- **2023-01-10** Referred to Committee on the Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-12** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1207)
- **2023-01-30** Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2023-01-30** Reported from Judiciary with substitute (11-Y 4-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-01-30** Committee substitute printed 23105149D-S1 `substitution`
- **2023-01-30** Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-30** Impact statement from DPB (SB1207)
- **2023-01-31** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1207S1)
- **2023-02-01** Senate subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
- **2023-02-02** Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2023-02-02** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (16-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-02** Committee substitute printed 23105887D-S2 `substitution`
- **2023-02-02** Substitute bill reprinted 23105887D-S2
- **2023-02-03** Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
- **2023-02-06** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1207S2)
- **2023-02-06** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-06** Judiciary Committee substitute rejected 23105149D-S1
- **2023-02-06** Reading of substitute waived
- **2023-02-06** Finance and Appropriations Committee substitute agreed to 23105887D-S2 `substitution`
- **2023-02-06** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB1207S2 `substitution`
- **2023-02-07** Impact statement from DPB (SB1207S2)
- **2023-02-07** Read third time and passed Senate (36-Y 4-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-02-10** Placed on Calendar
- **2023-02-10** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2023-02-10** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-13** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (12-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
- **2023-02-13** Committee substitute printed 23106692D-H1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-14** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1207H1)
- **2023-02-15** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-16** Impact statement from DPB (SB1207H1)
- **2023-02-16** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2023-02-16** Committee substitute agreed to 23106692D-H1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-16** Engrossed by House - committee substitute SB1207H1 `substitution`
- **2023-02-16** Passed House with substitute (56-Y 43-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-16** VOTE: Passage (56-Y 43-N) `passage`
- **2023-02-20** House substitute rejected by Senate (16-Y 24-N)
- **2023-02-21** House insisted on substitute `substitution`
- **2023-02-21** House requested conference committee `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-22** Senate acceded to request (40-Y 0-N)
- **2023-02-22** Conferees appointed by Senate
- **2023-02-22** Senators: McDougle, Morrissey, Deeds
- **2023-02-23** Conferees appointed by House
- **2023-02-23** Delegates: Ballard, Adams, L.R., Watts
- **2023-02-24** Amended by conference committee
- **2023-02-24** Conference report agreed to by Senate (31-Y 9-N) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-25** Conference report agreed to by House (56-Y 39-N) `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-25** VOTE: Adoption (56-Y 39-N)
- **2023-03-07** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2023-03-07** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1207ER) `passage`
- **2023-03-08** Signed by President `passage`
- **2023-03-08** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2023-03-09** Impact statement from VCSC (SB1207ER)
- **2023-03-13** Impact statement from DPB (SB1207ER)
- **2023-03-13** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 13, 2023 `enrolled`
- **2023-03-13** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 27, 2023 `executive-receipt`
- **2023-03-23** Approved by Governor-Chapter 397 (effective 7/1/23) `executive-signature`
- **2023-03-23** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0397)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e7739d29-221c-4aad-aff3-2ece8e3df1d0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).