HB 629 VA

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Became Law

Certain sex offenses; sexual extortion; unlawful creation of image of another; penalties. Provides that any person who, with the intent to cause the complaining witness to engage in certain sexual acts, maliciously (i) threatens in writing, including electronically, (a) to disseminate, sell, or publish a videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, or (b) to not delete, remove, or take back a previously disseminated, sold, or published videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, that depicts the complaining witness or such complaining witness's family or household member, as defined in relevant law, as totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast or (ii) threatens eviction, loss of housing, property damage, or any financial loss, but such complaining witness does not thereby engage in such sexual acts is guilty of attempted sexual extortion and shall be punished as prescribed by relevant law.The bill also adds to the existing offense of unlawfully creating an image of another a prohibition on any person knowingly and intentionally creating any videographic or still image by any means whatsoever of any nonconsenting person if that person is not exposed to show the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in relevant law, when such nonconsenting person is in a restroom, dressing room, locker room, hotel room, motel room, tanning bed, tanning booth, bedroom, or other location. A violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor unless such nonconsenting person is younger than the age of 18, in which case it is elevated to a Class 6 felony.

• Katrina Callsen Democratic · primary

1. Jan 13, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104107D · lower
2. Jan 13, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/13/2026 3:26 pm) · lower
3. Jan 13, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · lower
4. Jan 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) · lower
5. Feb 10, 2026 Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal · lower
6. Feb 11, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
7. Feb 11, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) · lower
8. Feb 13, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) · lower
9. Feb 13, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26105586D-H1 · lower
10. Feb 15, 2026 Read first time · lower
11. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · lower
12. Feb 16, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
13. Feb 16, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) · lower
14. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
15. Feb 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:55 am) · lower
16. Feb 17, 2026 Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:59 am) · lower
17. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A) · lower
18. Feb 18, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
19. Feb 18, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · upper
20. Feb 25, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · upper
21. Mar 4, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · upper
22. Mar 5, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
23. Mar 5, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
24. Mar 5, 2026 Passed by for the day (Voice Vote) · upper
25. Mar 6, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
26. Mar 9, 2026 Read third time · upper
27. Mar 9, 2026 Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
28. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled · lower
29. Mar 14, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB629ER) · lower
30. Mar 14, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
31. Mar 14, 2026 Signed by President · upper
32. Mar 18, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) · lower
33. Mar 25, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 · lower
34. Mar 25, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
35. Apr 10, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 539 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
36. Apr 10, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0539) · 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