republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-173.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	State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report.	State correctional facilities; visitation policies; work group. Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for long-distance visitors. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual, or in response to an active security event. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to consider and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations regarding visitation. The work group is required to report its findings and specific legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 276.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	HB 173	Virginia HB 173 (2026)	bill		enacted	Bonita G. Anthony	9	56	13	2026-01-06	2026-04-13	openstates	ocd-bill/3354e467-df71-4ae5-9eca-fd4e5c56b833	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB173	e4961d425941ac3d74d728ee3780d2b3ef96e55c61983fa540e9cc3d8e63db2d	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 173 (2026) — State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report.

State correctional facilities; visitation policies; work group. Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for long-distance visitors. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual, or in response to an active security event. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to consider and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations regarding visitation. The work group is required to report its findings and specific legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 276.

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. Conference Report (committee substitute) — source
4. Conference Report Substitute (committee substitute) — source
5. Finance and Appropriations Substitute (committee substitute) — source
6. Public Safety Substitute (committee substitute) — source
7. Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute (committee substitute) — source
8. Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Substitute (committee substitute) — source
9. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Adopt Conference Committee Report R — 21–18 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Passage R — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 65–31 (pass) · lower
• Insist & Request R — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 2–97 (fail) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — 5–2 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Appropriations — 15–7 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• H VOTE: — 64–31 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Public Safety with substitute — 17–4 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting — 5–2 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute — 14–1 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Bonita G. Anthony — primary (person)
• Angelia Williams Graves — cosponsor (person)
• Charlie Schmidt — cosponsor (person)
• David W. Marsden — cosponsor (person)
• Debra D. Gardner — cosponsor (person)
• Destiny LeVere Bolling — cosponsor (person)
• Jackie H. Glass — cosponsor (person)
• Joshua G. Cole — cosponsor (person)
• Karen Keys-Gamarra — cosponsor (person)
• Lamont Bagby — cosponsor (person)
• Marty Martinez — cosponsor (person)
• Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)
• Rae Cousins — cosponsor (person)
• Rozia A. Henson, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
• Sam Rasoul — cosponsor (person)
• Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2026-01-06 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101239D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-06 Referred to Committee on Public Safety referral-committee
• 2026-01-16 Assigned HPS sub: Subcommittee #2 referral-committee
• 2026-01-29 House subcommittee offered
• 2026-01-29 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N) substitution
• 2026-02-05 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
• 2026-02-06 House committee offered
• 2026-02-06 Reported from Public Safety with substitute and referred to Appropriations (17-Y 4-N 1-A) committee-passage
• 2026-02-06 Committee substitute printed 26107327D-H1 substitution
• 2026-02-06 Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety referral-committee
• 2026-02-11 Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N)
• 2026-02-11 Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-13 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-16 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-16 committee substitute agreed to substitution
• 2026-02-16 Engrossed by House - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-02-17 Read third time and passed House (65-Y 31-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-18 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
• 2026-02-18 Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services referral-committee
• 2026-02-27 Senate committee offered
• 2026-02-27 Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 1-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-27 Committee substitute printed 26108760D-S1 substitution
• 2026-03-02 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
• 2026-03-04 Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-03-05 Committee substitute printed 26109174D-S2 substitution
• 2026-03-05 Rules suspended
• 2026-03-05 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-03-05 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-03-06 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
• 2026-03-06 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-03-09 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-03-09 Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote)
• 2026-03-09 Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
• 2026-03-09 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-03-09 Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-03-10 Senate substitute rejected by House (2-Y 97-N 0-A)
• 2026-03-11 Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) substitution
• 2026-03-11 Senate requested conference committee referral-committee
• 2026-03-12 House acceded to request
• 2026-03-12 Conferees appointed by House
• 2026-03-12 House Conferees: Anthony, Gardner, McLaughlin
• 2026-03-12 Conferees appointed by Senate
• 2026-03-12 Senate Conferees: Carroll Foy, Jones, DeSteph
• 2026-03-13 Conference Report released
• 2026-03-14 Conference report agreed to by House (65-Y 31-N 0-A) committee-passage-favorable
• 2026-03-14 Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) committee-passage-favorable
• 2026-03-18 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
• 2026-03-30 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-30 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB173ER) passage
• 2026-03-30 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-31 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-31 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-31 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-01 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
• 2026-04-13 Approved by Governor-Chapter 571 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature
• 2026-04-13 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0571)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/3354e467-df71-4ae5-9eca-fd4e5c56b833. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).