republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/hb-976.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Person in temporary detention process; alternative transportation provider."
description: "Transportation of person in the temporary detention process. Provides that an alternative transportation provider shall be deemed to be able to provide transportation of a person in the temporary detention process in a safe manner if the alternative transportation provider is (i) an employee of, or the person providing services pursuant to a contract with, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or (ii) an employee of a private or state hospital within the confines of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides further requirements for an alternative transportation provider to be deemed available to provide transportation for a minor in the temporary detention process in a safe manner. The bill also permits law-enforcement agencies or alternative transportation providers to transfer custody of a minor to a facility or location where the minor is awaiting transport if such facility or location (i) agrees to accept custody of the minor and (ii) is capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the minor and others from harm. Finally, the bill provides restrictions on the use of restraint related to the transportation of a minor for the purposes outlined in the bill.The provisions of this bill are identical to relevant provisions of SB 75."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 976"
citation: "Virginia HB 976 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Marcia S. \"Cia\" Price"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 32
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2026-01-13"
last_action: "2026-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/655d6a1d-34c9-4b09-8423-8100fccf6408"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB976"
source_hash: "f4936d02120685ba44386273d4d2a7ecec5e9bb59e2e825e6773863a5f5fb870"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 976 (2026) — Person in temporary detention process; alternative transportation provider.

Transportation of person in the temporary detention process. Provides that an alternative transportation provider shall be deemed to be able to provide transportation of a person in the temporary detention process in a safe manner if the alternative transportation provider is (i) an employee of, or the person providing services pursuant to a contract with, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services or (ii) an employee of a private or state hospital within the confines of the Commonwealth. The bill also provides further requirements for an alternative transportation provider to be deemed available to provide transportation for a minor in the temporary detention process in a safe manner. The bill also permits law-enforcement agencies or alternative transportation providers to transfer custody of a minor to a facility or location where the minor is awaiting transport if such facility or location (i) agrees to accept custody of the minor and (ii) is capable of providing the level of security necessary to protect the minor and others from harm. Finally, the bill provides restrictions on the use of restraint related to the transportation of a minor for the purposes outlined in the bill.The provisions of this bill are identical to relevant provisions of SB 75.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086734.PDF)
2. **Behavioral Health Subcommittee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1143208.PDF)
3. **Health and Human Services Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1143212.PDF)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1198095.PDF)

## Votes

- Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Rereferred from Courts of Justice — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **96–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Marcia S. "Cia" Price — primary (person)
- Atoosa R. Reaser — cosponsor (person)
- Laura Jane Cohen — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-13** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101839D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-21** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB976)
- **2026-01-23** Assigned sub: Behavioral Health `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-12** House subcommittee offered
- **2026-02-12** Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N) `substitution`
- **2026-02-12** Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (21-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-12** Committee substitute printed 26107183D-H1 `substitution`
- **2026-02-15** 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 (97-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-17** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB976)
- **2026-02-17** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB976)
- **2026-02-18** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-18** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** Rereferred from Courts of Justice to Rehabilitation and Social Services (15-Y 0-N) `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-27** Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-02** Rules suspended
- **2026-03-02** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-03-02** Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-03** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-03** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB976)
- **2026-03-10** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-10** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB976ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-14** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-13** Approved by Governor-Chapter 720 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/655d6a1d-34c9-4b09-8423-8100fccf6408`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).