HB 1219 VA

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Became Law

Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants; model policy. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers upon a finding of reasonable and probable cause by an authorized judicial official, as defined in the bill, and permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime or to respond to a public safety call for service when such crime scene or call for service is located on public property, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location during the initial response to an incident, or to provide real-time aerial observation to increase on-scene safety and security. Such provisions are subject to a reenactment clause. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, to establish a model policy for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to SB 647.

• Briana D. Sewell Democratic · primary

1. Jan 14, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103614D · lower
2. Jan 14, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · lower
3. Jan 23, 2026 Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal · lower
4. Feb 6, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
5. Feb 6, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) · lower
6. Feb 11, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (22-Y 0-N) · lower
7. Feb 11, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26106525D-H1 · lower
8. Feb 13, 2026 Read first time · lower
9. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · lower
10. Feb 16, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
11. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) · lower
12. Feb 17, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
13. Feb 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From DPB (2/17/2026 3:20 pm) · lower
14. Feb 18, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
15. Feb 18, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · upper
16. Feb 25, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · upper
17. Mar 4, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · upper
18. Mar 5, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
19. Mar 5, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
20. Mar 5, 2026 Passed by for the day (Voice Vote) · upper
21. Mar 6, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
22. Mar 9, 2026 Read third time · upper
23. Mar 9, 2026 Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
24. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled · lower
25. Mar 14, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1219ER) · lower
26. Mar 14, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
27. Mar 14, 2026 Signed by President · upper
28. Mar 18, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1219) · lower
29. Mar 25, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 · lower
30. Mar 25, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
31. Apr 6, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 270 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
32. Apr 6, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0270) · executive

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

• Chaptered · PDF
• Chaptered · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Criminal Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
• Criminal Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML