republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2025/sb-1255.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	Restraints on juveniles; use in court prohibited, exceptions.	Use of restraints on juveniles in court prohibited; exceptions. Prohibits the use of instruments of restraint, as defined in the bill, on a juvenile appearing before the juvenile and domestic relations district court unless, upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth or on the court's own motion sua sponte, the court makes a finding that (i) the use of such restraints is necessary (a) to prevent physical harm to such juvenile or another person, (b) because such juvenile has a history of disruptive courtroom behavior that has placed others in potentially harmful situations or presents a substantial threat of serious harm to himself or others as evidenced by recent behavior, or (c) because such juvenile presents a substantial risk of flight from the courtroom and (ii) there are no less restrictive alternatives to such restraints that will prevent flight of or harm to such juvenile or another person, including court personnel or law-enforcement officers. The bill provides that the juvenile shall be entitled to an attorney prior to a hearing on the use of instruments of restraint. The bill also requires the court to provide the juvenile's attorney an opportunity to be heard before the court orders the use of instruments of restraint, and the juvenile's attorney may waive the juvenile's appearance at such hearing. Lastly, the bill requires the court, if such restraints are ordered, to communicate to the parties the basis of the decision either orally or in writing. This bill is identical to HB 2222.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2025	SB 1255	Virginia SB 1255 (2025)	bill		enacted	Lamont Bagby	5	34	6	2025-01-08	2025-03-24	openstates	ocd-bill/2ab24523-fb5f-4c61-83f7-c43aef8d4316	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1255	ffabef83f0fbe7007d70731d77ef170f8b1169e814030ad66264161616189bf2	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 1255 (2025) — Restraints on juveniles; use in court prohibited, exceptions.

Use of restraints on juveniles in court prohibited; exceptions. Prohibits the use of instruments of restraint, as defined in the bill, on a juvenile appearing before the juvenile and domestic relations district court unless, upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth or on the court's own motion sua sponte, the court makes a finding that (i) the use of such restraints is necessary (a) to prevent physical harm to such juvenile or another person, (b) because such juvenile has a history of disruptive courtroom behavior that has placed others in potentially harmful situations or presents a substantial threat of serious harm to himself or others as evidenced by recent behavior, or (c) because such juvenile presents a substantial risk of flight from the courtroom and (ii) there are no less restrictive alternatives to such restraints that will prevent flight of or harm to such juvenile or another person, including court personnel or law-enforcement officers. The bill provides that the juvenile shall be entitled to an attorney prior to a hearing on the use of instruments of restraint. The bill also requires the court to provide the juvenile's attorney an opportunity to be heard before the court orders the use of instruments of restraint, and the juvenile's attorney may waive the juvenile's appearance at such hearing. Lastly, the bill requires the court, if such restraints are ordered, to communicate to the parties the basis of the decision either orally or in writing. This bill is identical to HB 2222.

Version chain

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

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Chaptered (committee substitute) — source
3. Courts of Justice Substitute (committee substitute) — source
4. Courts of Justice Substitute (committee substitute) — source
5. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Passed House (95-Y 0-N) — 95–0 (pass) · lower
• Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• House substitute agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N) — 38–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N) — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Lamont Bagby — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2025-01-08 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25103554D filing, introduction
• 2025-01-08 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2025-01-20 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2025-01-21 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N)
• 2025-01-21 Rules suspended
• 2025-01-21 Passed by for the day
• 2025-01-22 Committee substitute printed 25105484D-S1 substitution
• 2025-01-22 Read second time reading-2
• 2025-01-22 Reading of substitute waived
• 2025-01-22 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
• 2025-01-22 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute-SB1255S1 substitution
• 2025-01-23 Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) passage, reading-3
• 2025-01-31 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1255)
• 2025-02-04 Placed on Calendar
• 2025-02-04 Read first time reading-1
• 2025-02-04 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2025-02-05 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2025-02-05 Committee substitute printed 25106789D-H1 substitution
• 2025-02-07 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1255)
• 2025-02-07 Read second time reading-2
• 2025-02-10 Read third time reading-3
• 2025-02-10 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
• 2025-02-10 Engrossed by House - committee substitute substitution
• 2025-02-10 Passed House with substitute (95-Y 0-N) passage
• 2025-02-12 House substitute agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2025-02-17 Enrolled enrolled
• 2025-02-17 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1255ER) passage
• 2025-02-17 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2025-02-18 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1255)
• 2025-02-20 Signed by President passage
• 2025-02-20 Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on February 20, 2025 enrolled
• 2025-02-20 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 executive-receipt
• 2025-03-24 Approved by Governor-Chapter 470 (Effective 07/01/25) executive-signature
• 2025-03-24 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0470)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/2ab24523-fb5f-4c61-83f7-c43aef8d4316. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).