Fabio
148 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
148 lines
10 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: "Bill"
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title: "State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report."
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description: "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."
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jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
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legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
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session: "2026"
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identifier: "HB 173"
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citation: "Virginia HB 173 (2026)"
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classification: ["bill"]
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subjects: []
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status: "enacted"
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primary_sponsors: ["Bonita G. Anthony"]
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version_count: 9
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action_count: 56
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vote_count: 13
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first_action: "2026-01-06"
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last_action: "2026-04-13"
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source: "openstates"
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source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3354e467-df71-4ae5-9eca-fd4e5c56b833"
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source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB173"
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source_hash: "e4961d425941ac3d74d728ee3780d2b3ef96e55c61983fa540e9cc3d8e63db2d"
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vintage: "2026-07-01"
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source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
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retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
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confidence: "reported"
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tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
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---
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# Virginia HB 173 (2026) — State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report.
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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.
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## Version chain
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The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
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1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082722.PDF)
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2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218778.PDF)
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3. **Conference Report** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211096.HTML)
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4. **Conference Report Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211092.PDF)
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5. **Finance and Appropriations Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1195932.PDF)
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6. **Public Safety Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132444.PDF)
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7. **Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185713.PDF)
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8. **Subcommittee #2 Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101121.PDF)
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9. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1214265.PDF)
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## Votes
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- Adopt Conference Committee Report R — **21–18** (pass) · upper
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- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
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- Passage R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
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- H VOTE: — **65–31** (pass) · lower
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- Insist & Request R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
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- H VOTE: — **2–97** (fail) · lower
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- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **5–2** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Appropriations — **15–7** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute — **15–0** (pass) · upper
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- H VOTE: — **64–31** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Public Safety with substitute — **17–4** (pass) · lower
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- Subcommittee recommends reporting — **5–2** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute — **14–1** (pass) · upper
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## Sponsors
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- Bonita G. Anthony — primary (person)
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- Angelia Williams Graves — cosponsor (person)
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- Charlie Schmidt — cosponsor (person)
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- David W. Marsden — cosponsor (person)
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- Debra D. Gardner — cosponsor (person)
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- Destiny LeVere Bolling — cosponsor (person)
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- Jackie H. Glass — cosponsor (person)
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- Joshua G. Cole — cosponsor (person)
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- Karen Keys-Gamarra — cosponsor (person)
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- Lamont Bagby — cosponsor (person)
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- Marty Martinez — cosponsor (person)
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- Nadarius E. Clark — cosponsor (person)
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- Rae Cousins — cosponsor (person)
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- Rozia A. Henson, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
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- Sam Rasoul — cosponsor (person)
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- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. — cosponsor (person)
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## Timeline
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The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
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- **2026-01-06** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101239D `filing, introduction`
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- **2026-01-06** Referred to Committee on Public Safety `referral-committee`
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- **2026-01-16** Assigned HPS sub: Subcommittee #2 `referral-committee`
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- **2026-01-29** House subcommittee offered
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- **2026-01-29** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N) `substitution`
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- **2026-02-05** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
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- **2026-02-06** House committee offered
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- **2026-02-06** Reported from Public Safety with substitute and referred to Appropriations (17-Y 4-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-02-06** Committee substitute printed 26107327D-H1 `substitution`
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- **2026-02-06** Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety `referral-committee`
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- **2026-02-11** Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 2-N)
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- **2026-02-11** Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-02-13** Read first time `reading-1`
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- **2026-02-16** Read second time `reading-2`
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- **2026-02-16** committee substitute agreed to `substitution`
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- **2026-02-16** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
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- **2026-02-17** Read third time and passed House (65-Y 31-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
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- **2026-02-18** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
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- **2026-02-18** Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services `referral-committee`
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- **2026-02-27** Senate committee offered
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- **2026-02-27** Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 1-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-02-27** Committee substitute printed 26108760D-S1 `substitution`
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- **2026-03-02** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
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- **2026-03-04** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-03-05** Committee substitute printed 26109174D-S2 `substitution`
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- **2026-03-05** Rules suspended
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- **2026-03-05** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
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- **2026-03-05** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
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- **2026-03-06** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
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- **2026-03-06** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
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- **2026-03-09** Read third time `reading-3`
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- **2026-03-09** Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote)
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- **2026-03-09** Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
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- **2026-03-09** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
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- **2026-03-09** Passed Senate with substitute (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
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- **2026-03-10** Senate substitute rejected by House (2-Y 97-N 0-A)
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- **2026-03-11** Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `substitution`
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- **2026-03-11** Senate requested conference committee `referral-committee`
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- **2026-03-12** House acceded to request
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- **2026-03-12** Conferees appointed by House
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- **2026-03-12** House Conferees: Anthony, Gardner, McLaughlin
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- **2026-03-12** Conferees appointed by Senate
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- **2026-03-12** Senate Conferees: Carroll Foy, Jones, DeSteph
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- **2026-03-13** Conference Report released
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- **2026-03-14** Conference report agreed to by House (65-Y 31-N 0-A) `committee-passage-favorable`
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- **2026-03-14** Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) `committee-passage-favorable`
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- **2026-03-18** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
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- **2026-03-30** Enrolled `enrolled`
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- **2026-03-30** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB173ER) `passage`
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- **2026-03-30** Signed by President `passage`
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- **2026-03-31** Signed by Speaker `passage`
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- **2026-03-31** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
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- **2026-03-31** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
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- **2026-04-01** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB173)
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- **2026-04-13** Approved by Governor-Chapter 571 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
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- **2026-04-13** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0571)
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## Source
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OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3354e467-df71-4ae5-9eca-fd4e5c56b833`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).
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