republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-247.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	Deferred dispos. in criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.	Deferred disposition in a criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities; expungement. Adds developmental disabilities to the autism and intellectual disability deferred disposition statute. The bill also provides that when a court defers and dismisses a charge pursuant to the autism, intellectual disability, or developmental disability deferred disposition statute, such charge may be considered as otherwise dismissed for purposes of expungement of police and court records. The bill also (i) clarifies that the defendant may request a hearing to determine the appropriateness of a deferred disposition at any time before or after any plea and (ii) provides that no statement made by the defendant at such a hearing is admissible in any criminal proceeding, except that any such statement made under oath may be admissible in a criminal proceeding for perjury or for purposes of impeachment in a criminal matter. This bill is identical to SB 416.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	HB 247	Virginia HB 247 (2026)	bill		enacted	Vivian E. Watts	6	37	9	2026-01-08	2026-04-13	openstates	ocd-bill/8ac172d3-2c07-4431-812c-ddd1342d9fd7	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB247	9e14a878fc1db2571822f022997bdda238d5ac8a1bc06a6a3a25532986bfcbe3	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 247 (2026) — Deferred dispos. in criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.

Deferred disposition in a criminal case; persons with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities; expungement. Adds developmental disabilities to the autism and intellectual disability deferred disposition statute. The bill also provides that when a court defers and dismisses a charge pursuant to the autism, intellectual disability, or developmental disability deferred disposition statute, such charge may be considered as otherwise dismissed for purposes of expungement of police and court records. The bill also (i) clarifies that the defendant may request a hearing to determine the appropriateness of a deferred disposition at any time before or after any plea and (ii) provides that no statement made by the defendant at such a hearing is admissible in any criminal proceeding, except that any such statement made under oath may be admissible in a criminal proceeding for perjury or for purposes of impeachment in a criminal matter. This bill is identical to SB 416.

Version chain

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

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Courts of Justice Amendment (committee substitute) — source
3. Courts of Justice Substitute (committee substitute) — source
4. Criminal Subcommittee Amendment (committee substitute) — source
5. Engrossed (committee substitute) — source
6. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• H VOTE: — 59–36 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute — 10–4 (pass) · upper
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) — 8–2 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) — 15–7 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting — 6–1 (pass) · lower
• Passage R — 32–8 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Appropriations — 15–7 (pass) · lower
• H VOTE: — 62–33 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — 39–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Vivian E. Watts — primary (person)
• Laura Jane Cohen — cosponsor (person)
• Virgil Thornton — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2026-01-08 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102493D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-08 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2026-01-23 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB247)
• 2026-01-30 Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal referral-committee
• 2026-02-02 House subcommittee offered
• 2026-02-02 Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (8-Y 2-N)
• 2026-02-04 Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-05 Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay referral-committee
• 2026-02-06 Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 1-N)
• 2026-02-09 Reported from Appropriations (15-Y 7-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-11 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-12 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-12 committee amendments agreed to amendment-passage
• 2026-02-12 Engrossed by House as amended
• 2026-02-13 Read third time and passed House (59-Y 36-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-16 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
• 2026-02-16 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2026-02-20 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB247)
• 2026-02-23 Senate committee offered
• 2026-02-23 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (10-Y 4-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-23 Committee substitute printed 26108374D-S1 substitution
• 2026-02-24 Rules suspended
• 2026-02-24 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-02-24 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-02-25 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-02-25 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to
• 2026-02-25 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-02-25 Passed Senate with substitute (32-Y 8-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-02-27 Senate substitute agreed to by House (62-Y 33-N 0-A) substitution
• 2026-03-04 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-04 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB247ER) passage
• 2026-03-04 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB247)
• 2026-03-04 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-04 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-10 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-10 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-13 Approved by Governor-Chapter 960 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/8ac172d3-2c07-4431-812c-ddd1342d9fd7. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).