republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-268.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Juveniles; evidence of trafficking, sexual abuse, or rape by the alleged victim.	Juveniles; evidence of trafficking, sexual abuse, or rape by the alleged victim prior to or during the commission of the alleged offense; treatment and rehabilitation. Requires a juvenile and domestic relations district court, when determining whether to retain jurisdiction of a juvenile defendant during a transfer hearing, to consider any evidence that such juvenile was a victim of felonious sexual assault or trafficking by the alleged victim prior to or during the commission of the alleged offense and that such alleged offense was a direct result of the juvenile being a victim of such felonious sexual assault or trafficking. The bill also requires that a study and report prior to a transfer hearing include any relevant information supporting an allegation that such juvenile was a victim of felonious sexual assault or trafficking by the alleged victim. The bill also creates a procedure for a juvenile to present such evidence in mandatory transfer cases that under current law require the juvenile and domestic relations district court to transfer the case to the circuit court and provides that upon a finding that the alleged offense was a direct result of the juvenile being a victim of such felonious sexual assault or trafficking, the juvenile and domestic relations district court can instead conduct a transfer hearing to determine whether to keep the case in juvenile court. The bill also creates a similar procedure allowing a juvenile to present such evidence in certain cases where current law requires the juvenile and domestic relations district court to transfer the case to circuit court if the attorney for the Commonwealth gives notice of an intent to proceed with such transfer. Also, in juvenile cases that are tried in circuit court, the bill allows the court to set aside a guilty verdict and instead render the juvenile delinquent if prior to the final order or within 21 days of such order, the court receives evidence that the juvenile was a victim of such felonious sexual assault or trafficking. Lastly, the bill states that it is the intent of the General Assembly that these juveniles be viewed as victims and provided treatment and services in the juvenile system.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	HB 268	Virginia HB 268 (2024)	bill		enacted	Vivian E. Watts	5	37	7	2024-01-05	2024-04-08	openstates	ocd-bill/2f8f38e2-a624-4c19-9792-5dcd98919db4	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB268	ca84f7e0b57321fe435e4423c77c8c1473fd1008aa0448c7e6e58e55248a1798	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 268 (2024) — Juveniles; evidence of trafficking, sexual abuse, or rape by the alleged victim.

Juveniles; evidence of trafficking, sexual abuse, or rape by the alleged victim prior to or during the commission of the alleged offense; treatment and rehabilitation. Requires a juvenile and domestic relations district court, when determining whether to retain jurisdiction of a juvenile defendant during a transfer hearing, to consider any evidence that such juvenile was a victim of felonious sexual assault or trafficking by the alleged victim prior to or during the commission of the alleged offense and that such alleged offense was a direct result of the juvenile being a victim of such felonious sexual assault or trafficking. The bill also requires that a study and report prior to a transfer hearing include any relevant information supporting an allegation that such juvenile was a victim of felonious sexual assault or trafficking by the alleged victim. The bill also creates a procedure for a juvenile to present such evidence in mandatory transfer cases that under current law require the juvenile and domestic relations district court to transfer the case to the circuit court and provides that upon a finding that the alleged offense was a direct result of the juvenile being a victim of such felonious sexual assault or trafficking, the juvenile and domestic relations district court can instead conduct a transfer hearing to determine whether to keep the case in juvenile court. The bill also creates a similar procedure allowing a juvenile to present such evidence in certain cases where current law requires the juvenile and domestic relations district court to transfer the case to circuit court if the attorney for the Commonwealth gives notice of an intent to proceed with such transfer. Also, in juvenile cases that are tried in circuit court, the bill allows the court to set aside a guilty verdict and instead render the juvenile delinquent if prior to the final order or within 21 days of such order, the court receives evidence that the juvenile was a victim of such felonious sexual assault or trafficking. Lastly, the bill states that it is the intent of the General Assembly that these juveniles be viewed as victims and provided treatment and services in the juvenile system.

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0365 (committee substitute) — source
2. Committee substitute printed 24106337D-H1 (committee substitute) — source
3. Committee substitute printed 24107718D-S1 (committee substitute) — source
4. HB268ER (committee substitute) — source
5. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101837D (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) — 97–0 (pass) · lower
• Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Adoption (100-Y 0-N) — 99–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) — 8–0 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) — 21–0 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Vivian E. Watts — primary (person)
• Alfonso H. Lopez — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2024-01-05 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24101837D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-05 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2024-01-23 Assigned Courts sub: Criminal referral-committee
• 2024-01-26 House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
• 2024-01-26 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2024-02-02 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-02 Committee substitute printed 24106337D-H1 substitution
• 2024-02-06 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-02-07 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-02-07 Committee substitute agreed to 24106337D-H1 substitution
• 2024-02-07 Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB268H1 substitution
• 2024-02-07 Impact statement from DPB (HB268H1)
• 2024-02-08 Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-08 VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-09 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2024-02-09 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2024-02-28 Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
• 2024-02-28 Committee substitute printed 24107718D-S1 substitution
• 2024-02-28 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-03-01 Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
• 2024-03-04 Impact statement from DPB (HB268S1)
• 2024-03-04 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-03-04 Reading of substitute waived
• 2024-03-04 Committee substitute agreed to 247107718D-S1 substitution
• 2024-03-04 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB268S1 substitution
• 2024-03-04 Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-03-05 Senate substitute agreed to by House 24107718D-S1 (100-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2024-03-05 VOTE: Adoption (100-Y 0-N)
• 2024-03-25 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-03-25 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB268ER) passage
• 2024-03-25 Signed by President passage
• 2024-03-26 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-03-27 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 27, 2024 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2024-03-27 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-04-03 Approved by Governor-Chapter 365 (effective 7/1/24) executive-signature
• 2024-04-03 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0365)
• 2024-04-08 Impact statement from DPB (HB268ER)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/2f8f38e2-a624-4c19-9792-5dcd98919db4. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).