republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-438.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	Written complaints; felony offenses to be provided.	Written complaints; felony offenses. Provides that a written complaint is required for a felony offense, regardless of whether the complainant is a law-enforcement officer. Current law only requires a written complaint for any offense if the complainant is not a law-enforcement officer. The bill also provides that if no arrest warrant is issued in response to a written complaint made by a complainant, whether the complainant is a law-enforcement officer or not, the written complaint shall be returned to the complainant.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2024	HB 438	Virginia HB 438 (2024)	bill		enacted	Jonathan "Jed" Arnold	5	40	8	2024-01-08	2024-04-17	openstates	ocd-bill/910625f7-823e-4af6-91a9-1ad08378f7eb	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB438	3e7b565ea7fddc2890220395ec8e979c90af93b07c5c7b8fef76d2ab2bed9f7f	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 438 (2024) — Written complaints; felony offenses to be provided.

Written complaints; felony offenses. Provides that a written complaint is required for a felony offense, regardless of whether the complainant is a law-enforcement officer. Current law only requires a written complaint for any offense if the complainant is not a law-enforcement officer. The bill also provides that if no arrest warrant is issued in response to a written complaint made by a complainant, whether the complainant is a law-enforcement officer or not, the written complaint shall be returned to the complainant.

Version chain

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

1. CHAP0809 (committee substitute) — source
2. HB438ER (committee substitute) — source
3. HB438ER2 (committee substitute) — source
4. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102515D (committee substitute) — source
5. Printed as engrossed 24102515D-E (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — 38–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) — 98–0 (pass) · lower
• BLOCK VOTE: (100-Y 0-N) — 99–0 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (8-Y 0-N) — 8–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) — 21–0 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Jonathan "Jed" Arnold — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2024-01-08 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102515D filing, introduction
• 2024-01-08 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2024-01-18 Assigned Courts sub: Criminal referral-committee
• 2024-01-19 Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendments (8-Y 0-N)
• 2024-01-23 Impact statement from DPB (HB438)
• 2024-01-26 Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-01-30 Read first time reading-1
• 2024-01-31 Read second time reading-2
• 2024-01-31 Committee amendment agreed to amendment-passage
• 2024-01-31 Engrossed by House as amended HB438E
• 2024-01-31 Printed as engrossed 24102515D-E
• 2024-02-01 Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2024-02-01 VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-02 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2024-02-02 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2024-02-05 Impact statement from DPB (HB438E)
• 2024-02-14 Reported from Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2024-02-16 Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
• 2024-02-19 Read third time reading-3
• 2024-02-19 Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) passage
• 2024-02-22 Enrolled enrolled
• 2024-02-22 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB438ER) passage
• 2024-02-22 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2024-02-23 Impact statement from DPB (HB438ER)
• 2024-02-25 Signed by President passage
• 2024-03-01 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 1, 2024 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2024-03-01 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 8, 2024 executive-receipt
• 2024-03-08 Governor's recommendation received by House executive-veto-line-item
• 2024-03-09 Placed on Calendar
• 2024-03-09 Passed by until Reconvene, Wednesday, April 17, 2024
• 2024-04-17 House concurred in Governor's recommendation BLOCK VOTE (100-Y 0-N)
• 2024-04-17 BLOCK VOTE: (100-Y 0-N)
• 2024-04-17 Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
• 2024-04-17 Governor's recommendation adopted executive-signature
• 2024-04-17 Reenrolled enrolled
• 2024-04-17 Reenrolled bill text (HB438ER2) enrolled
• 2024-04-17 Signed by Speaker as reenrolled enrolled, passage
• 2024-04-17 Signed by President as reenrolled enrolled, passage
• 2024-04-17 Enacted, Chapter 809 (effective 7/1/24) became-law
• 2024-04-17 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0809)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/910625f7-823e-4af6-91a9-1ad08378f7eb. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).