SB 83 VA

0likes☆Favorite🔕SubscribeShare

To Executive

Security policies for courthouses and local or regional correctional facilities; penalty. Adds several provisions relating to courthouse and courtroom security. The bill requires the chief judge of each general district court, juvenile and domestic relations district court, and circuit court to set a policy regarding the use and possession of portable electronic devices by visitors to the court. The bill authorizes such chief judge to condition the use and possession of portable electronic devices upon certain limitations. The bill also provides that if a sheriff allows courthouse employees to bypass any security screening required to enter a courthouse, such sheriff shall also exempt from the security screening any attorney who displays a valid Virginia State Bar-issued bar card and a government-issued identification. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any attorney who has had his license to practice law in the Commonwealth suspended or revoked and who displays a Virginia State Bar-issued bar card in an effort to be exempt from the security screening. Finally, the bill requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to develop and establish minimum standards to ensure that attorneys have sufficient opportunities to have confidential visits with their clients and requires sheriffs or jail superintendents to provide a telephonic, electronic, or web-based communication method for prisoners in local correctional facilities to communicate with attorneys.

• Saddam Azlan Salim Democratic · primary

1. Dec 29, 2025 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100784D · upper
2. Dec 29, 2025 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · upper
3. Jan 26, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
4. Feb 2, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83) · upper
5. Feb 2, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) · upper
6. Feb 2, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26105369D-S1 · upper
7. Feb 10, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) · upper
8. Feb 11, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
9. Feb 11, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
10. Feb 11, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
11. Feb 12, 2026 Read second time · upper
12. Feb 12, 2026 Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) · upper
13. Feb 12, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) · upper
14. Feb 13, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 13-N 0-A) · upper
15. Feb 18, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
16. Feb 18, 2026 Read first time · lower
17. Feb 18, 2026 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice · lower
18. Feb 23, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83) · upper
19. Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) · lower
20. Mar 3, 2026 Read second time · lower
21. Mar 4, 2026 Read third time · lower
22. Mar 4, 2026 committee amendments agreed to · lower
23. Mar 4, 2026 Engrossed by House as amended · lower
24. Mar 4, 2026 Passed House with amendments (97-Y 0-N 0-A) · lower
25. Mar 4, 2026 Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House · lower
26. Mar 4, 2026 Passed House with amendments (99-Y 0-N 0-A) · lower
27. Mar 6, 2026 House amendments agreed to by Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A) · upper
28. Mar 12, 2026 Enrolled · upper
29. Mar 12, 2026 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB83ER) · upper
30. Mar 12, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB83) · upper
31. Mar 12, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
32. Mar 12, 2026 Signed by President · upper
33. Mar 14, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 · upper
34. Mar 14, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
35. Apr 11, 2026 Governor's recommendation received by Senate · 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.

• Governor's Recommendation · HTML
• Enrolled · PDF
• Enrolled · HTML
• House Amendments · HTML
• Courts of Justice Amendment · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Courts of Justice Substitute · PDF
• Courts of Justice Substitute · HTML
• Introduced · PDF
• Introduced · HTML