Fabio
99 lines
7.8 KiB
Markdown
99 lines
7.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: "Bill"
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title: "State correctional facilities; visitation policies, reports."
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description: "State correctional facilities; visitation policies; report. Requires the Department of Corrections to establish and publicly post on its website and in the lobby of each state correctional facility an objective dress code for individuals visiting a state correctional facility and specifies certain requirements for and limitations on what such dress code may include. The bill prohibits any state correctional facility from enforcing a dress code that is more restrictive than the dress code posted by the Department.The bill also prohibits any individual from being denied in-person visitation unless such individual is in clear violation of visitation rules or policies. Prior to denying entry to a visitor, the bill requires the reasoning to be (i) reviewed in person by the facility administrative duty officer and (ii) approved by a regional administrator or superior. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually on or before November 1 to the General Assembly and the Governor with information on visitors denied entry to state correctional facilities, including the following information disaggregated by facility and by month: (a) the number of visitors denied entry and (b) the reasoning for such denials, including the specific rules or policies such visitors were alleged to have violated.The bill requires the Department to convene a work group consisting of relevant stakeholders to consider goals and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations related to facilitating visitation within state correctional facilities and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026."
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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 296"
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citation: "Virginia HB 296 (2026)"
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classification: ["bill"]
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subjects: []
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status: "enacted"
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primary_sponsors: ["Holly M. Seibold"]
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version_count: 5
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action_count: 31
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vote_count: 7
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first_action: "2026-01-09"
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last_action: "2026-04-08"
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source: "openstates"
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source_identifier: "ocd-bill/386e9f69-5181-4ae8-bfc5-9420b4feebcc"
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source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB296"
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source_hash: "9aa9c4e21f7c3ca3dc2a2d9fcf2b8e980e848956a96a7ae1f43ebded51e89da8"
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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 296 (2026) — State correctional facilities; visitation policies, reports.
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State correctional facilities; visitation policies; report. Requires the Department of Corrections to establish and publicly post on its website and in the lobby of each state correctional facility an objective dress code for individuals visiting a state correctional facility and specifies certain requirements for and limitations on what such dress code may include. The bill prohibits any state correctional facility from enforcing a dress code that is more restrictive than the dress code posted by the Department.The bill also prohibits any individual from being denied in-person visitation unless such individual is in clear violation of visitation rules or policies. Prior to denying entry to a visitor, the bill requires the reasoning to be (i) reviewed in person by the facility administrative duty officer and (ii) approved by a regional administrator or superior. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually on or before November 1 to the General Assembly and the Governor with information on visitors denied entry to state correctional facilities, including the following information disaggregated by facility and by month: (a) the number of visitors denied entry and (b) the reasoning for such denials, including the specific rules or policies such visitors were alleged to have violated.The bill requires the Department to convene a work group consisting of relevant stakeholders to consider goals and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations related to facilitating visitation within state correctional facilities and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 1, 2026.
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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/1083444.PDF)
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2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217742.PDF)
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3. **Rehabilitation and Social Services Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186723.HTML)
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4. **Senate Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1195830.HTML)
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5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201053.PDF)
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## Votes
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- Subcommittee recommends reporting — **7–0** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Public Safety — **21–0** (pass) · lower
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- H VOTE: — **95–3** (pass) · lower
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- H VOTE: — **71–27** (pass) · lower
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- Passage R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
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- Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendments — **15–0** (pass) · upper
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- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
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## Sponsors
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- Holly M. Seibold — primary (person)
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- Irene Shin — cosponsor (person)
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## Timeline
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The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
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- **2026-01-09** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104772D `filing, introduction`
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- **2026-01-09** 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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- **2026-01-22** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB296)
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- **2026-01-29** Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)
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- **2026-01-30** Reported from Public Safety (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-02-03** Read first time `reading-1`
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- **2026-02-04** Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
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- **2026-02-04** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
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- **2026-02-05** Read third time and passed House (95-Y 3-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
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- **2026-02-06** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
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- **2026-02-06** 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 amendments (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2026-03-02** Rules suspended
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- **2026-03-02** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
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- **2026-03-02** Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
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- **2026-03-03** Read third time `reading-3`
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- **2026-03-03** Senate Amendments agreed to `amendment-passage`
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- **2026-03-03** Engrossed by Senate as amended
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- **2026-03-03** Passed Senate with amendments Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
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- **2026-03-05** Senate amendments agreed to by House (71-Y 27-N 0-A) `amendment-passage`
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- **2026-03-12** Enrolled `enrolled`
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- **2026-03-12** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB296ER) `passage`
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- **2026-03-12** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB296)
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- **2026-03-12** Signed by Speaker `passage`
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- **2026-03-12** Signed by President `passage`
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- **2026-03-14** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
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- **2026-03-14** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
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- **2026-04-08** Approved by Governor-Chapter 380 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
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- **2026-04-08** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0380)
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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/386e9f69-5181-4ae8-bfc5-9420b4feebcc`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).
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