republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2024/hb-898.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Forensic Science, Department of; laboratory procedures, requirements regarding DNA profiles."
description: "Department of Forensic Science; laboratory procedures; requirements regarding DNA profiles. Provides that when an accused person or his attorney files a motion for a scientific investigation, he must certify that the Department of Forensic Science or Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services has indicated it has a methodology to perform the requested scientific investigation. The bill also clarifies that the signature of a person who received material to be analyzed by a laboratory on an evidence submission receipt shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such person was an authorized agent and that such receipt constitutes proper receipt by the laboratory. The bill also provides that such signature on a request for laboratory examination form or evidence submission receipt may be made by hand or electronic means. The bill also removes the requirement that a party intending to offer the results of a deoxyribonucleic (DNA) analysis provide or make available copies of the DNA profiles but retains the requirement that such party provide or make available copies of the report or statement to be introduced. Additionally, the bill requires the Department to confirm whether or not there is a DNA profile on file for a specific individual if a federal, state, or local criminal justice agency that participates in the National DNA Index System requests that information in furtherance of an official investigation of any criminal offense. The bill provides that the provisions of the bill shall not apply to DNA profiles received by the court and maintained by the clerk in a court file open to the public prior to July 1, 2024. The bill contains technical amendments."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 898"
citation: "Virginia HB 898 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hillary Pugh Kent"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 37
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2024-01-09"
last_action: "2024-04-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/eec320cb-7dc6-407c-8b22-ed9c845119f1"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB898"
source_hash: "5acc5f55268574e778da18864fe870ba6b128967833074a2dac9c1eb9aefa254"
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 HB 898 (2024) — Forensic Science, Department of; laboratory procedures, requirements regarding DNA profiles.

Department of Forensic Science; laboratory procedures; requirements regarding DNA profiles. Provides that when an accused person or his attorney files a motion for a scientific investigation, he must certify that the Department of Forensic Science or Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services has indicated it has a methodology to perform the requested scientific investigation. The bill also clarifies that the signature of a person who received material to be analyzed by a laboratory on an evidence submission receipt shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such person was an authorized agent and that such receipt constitutes proper receipt by the laboratory. The bill also provides that such signature on a request for laboratory examination form or evidence submission receipt may be made by hand or electronic means. The bill also removes the requirement that a party intending to offer the results of a deoxyribonucleic (DNA) analysis provide or make available copies of the DNA profiles but retains the requirement that such party provide or make available copies of the report or statement to be introduced. Additionally, the bill requires the Department to confirm whether or not there is a DNA profile on file for a specific individual if a federal, state, or local criminal justice agency that participates in the National DNA Index System requests that information in furtherance of an official investigation of any criminal offense. The bill provides that the provisions of the bill shall not apply to DNA profiles received by the court and maintained by the clerk in a court file open to the public prior to July 1, 2024. The bill contains technical amendments.

## Version chain

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

1. **CHAP0210** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+CHAP0210)
2. **Committee substitute printed 24106590D-H1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB898H1)
3. **Committee substitute printed 24108586D-S1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB898S1)
4. **HB898ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB898ER)
5. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102140D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+ful+HB898)

## Votes

- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (98-Y 0-N) — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Adoption (99-Y 1-N) — **98–1** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Hillary Pugh Kent — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-09** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24102140D `filing, introduction`
- **2024-01-09** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-22** Impact statement from DPB (HB898)
- **2024-01-23** Assigned Courts sub: Criminal `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-24** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N) `substitution`
- **2024-02-02** House committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered
- **2024-02-02** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-02-02** Committee substitute printed 24106590D-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 24106590D-H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-07** Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB898H1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-07** Impact statement from DPB (HB898H1)
- **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** Committee substitute printed 24108586D-S1 `substitution`
- **2024-02-28** Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-01** Impact statement from DPB (HB898S1)
- **2024-03-01** Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- **2024-03-04** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2024-03-04** Reading of substitute waived
- **2024-03-04** Committee substitute agreed to 24108586D-S1 `substitution`
- **2024-03-04** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB898S1 `substitution`
- **2024-03-04** Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2024-03-05** Senate substitute agreed to by House 24108586D-S1 (99-Y 1-N) `substitution`
- **2024-03-05** VOTE: Adoption (99-Y 1-N)
- **2024-03-25** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2024-03-25** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB898ER) `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`
- **2024-03-28** Approved by Governor-Chapter 210 (effective 7/1/24) `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-28** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0210)
- **2024-04-08** Impact statement from DPB (HB898ER)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/eec320cb-7dc6-407c-8b22-ed9c845119f1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).