HB 489 VA

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Passed Legislature

Restorative justice practices. Provides that participation in a restorative justice practice, as defined in the bill, shall not be used as evidence or as an admission of guilt, delinquency, or civil liability in current or subsequent legal proceedings against any participant. The bill also provides that restorative justice communications, defined in the bill, are not admissible in, or subject to discovery for, any legal proceeding, and disclosure of such communications shall not be compelled in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation. The bill prohibits any person involved in a restorative justice practice, as defined in the bill, from testifying about any phase of such practice in any judicial or administrative proceeding, arbitration, or mediation except in certain circumstances enumerated in the bill. Lastly, the bill provides civil immunity for any person, who in good faith, discloses any restorative justice communication based on his belief that such disclosure is allowed pursuant to such provisions, provided that such disclosure was limited to solely address any such allowable disclosure.

• Patrick A. Hope Democratic · primary

1. Jan 12, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105104D · lower
2. Jan 12, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · lower
3. Feb 7, 2026 Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal · lower
4. Feb 11, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
5. Feb 11, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N) · lower
6. Feb 13, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 6-N) · lower
7. Feb 13, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107493D-H1 · lower
8. Feb 15, 2026 Read first time · lower
9. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · lower
10. Feb 16, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
11. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
12. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed House (61-Y 36-N 0-A) · lower
13. Feb 18, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
14. Feb 18, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · upper
15. Mar 5, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
16. Mar 5, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (8-Y 6-N) · upper
17. Mar 6, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26109133D-S1 · upper
18. Mar 9, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
19. Mar 9, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
20. Mar 9, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
21. Mar 10, 2026 Read third time · upper
22. Mar 10, 2026 Passed by for the day · upper
23. Mar 11, 2026 Floor offered Senator Perry Substitute · upper
24. Mar 11, 2026 Senator Perry Substitute withdrawn · upper
25. Mar 11, 2026 Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to · upper
26. Mar 11, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
27. Mar 11, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
28. Mar 11, 2026 Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
29. Mar 11, 2026 Floor offered Senator Surovell Amendment · upper
30. Mar 11, 2026 Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote) · upper
31. Mar 11, 2026 Senator Surovell Amendment agreed to · upper
32. Mar 11, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - substitute with amendment · upper
33. Mar 11, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute with amendment (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
34. Mar 11, 2026 Read third time · upper
35. Mar 12, 2026 Senate substitute with amendment rejected by House (1-Y 95-N 0-A) · lower
36. Mar 12, 2026 Senate insisted on substitute with amendment Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
37. Mar 12, 2026 Senate requested conference committee · upper
38. Mar 12, 2026 House acceded to request · lower
39. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
40. Mar 12, 2026 House Conferees: Hope, Keys-Gamarra, Kilgore · lower
41. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
42. Mar 12, 2026 Senate Conferees: Perry, Favola, McDougle · upper
43. Mar 12, 2026 Senate insisted on substitute with amendment · upper
44. Mar 14, 2026 No further action taken · lower
45. Mar 14, 2026 Failed to Pass from conference · lower
46. Mar 14, 2026 Failed to Pass from conference · lower

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.

• Senate Amendment · HTML
• Senator Surovell Amendment · HTML
• Senator Perry Substitute · PDF
• Senator Perry Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · 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