Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings, exceptions, penalty.
In plain English Prohibits law-enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings while on duty, with exceptions for disease protection and special weapons teams, and creates penalties for violations.
Official synopsis: Law-enforcement officers; restrictions on wearing of facial coverings; exceptions; penalty. Prohibits any law-enforcement officer, defined in the bill, from wearing a facial covering, defined in the bill, while engaged in the performance of his official duties. The bill sets out several exceptions to such prohibition,…
Became lawActs of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1131) · 2026-05-20
Celebrating the life of Jada Mairin Samitt.
Became lawBill text as passed House and Senate (HJ265ER) · 2026-04-13
Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.
In plain English Allows subpoenas for electronic records held by out-of-state companies to be served by hand, mail, fax, or email in civil and criminal cases.
Official synopsis: Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records. Provides that, in addition to methods for how service of process may be effected on certain corporations, any subpoena issued pursuant to a civil or criminal proceeding for electronic records, electronically stored information, or…
Became lawActs of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0868) · 2026-04-13
Law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies; disclosure of certain law-enforcement records.
In plain English Allows law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies to hold closed meetings about investigations and allows them to access certain police records involving juveniles and abuse crimes.
Official synopsis: Law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies; closed meetings; disclosure of certain law-enforcement records. Provides an exemption to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to allow closed meetings for discussion or consideration by any law-enforcement civilian oversight body established pursuant to general law or established by a local…
Became lawActs of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0861) · 2026-04-13
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, rental agreement noncompliance.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies; rental agreement noncompliance; victim of family abuse. Removes the requirement that a tenant who is a victim of family abuse provide the landlord prompt notification should the perpetrator return to the dwelling unit to prevent the landlord…
Became lawActs of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0844) · 2026-04-13
Defendant; evidence of mental condition admissible.
Evidence of defendant's mental condition admissible. Provides that evidence of the defendant's mental condition at the time of the alleged offense, including lay testimony, may be admitted and considered if such evidence (i) has any tendency to show the defendant did or did not have…
Passed one chamberFailed to Pass from conference · 2026-03-14
Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations.
Limitation on sentence upon revocation of suspension of sentence; technical violations. Provides that the court shall consider all technical violations that are alleged to have occurred after a prior sentencing or revocation hearing as single technical violation and adjudicate the case as such, with punishment…
Passed one chamberContinued to next session in Courts of Justice (12-Y 3-N) · 2026-03-09
Virginia Fungi Task Force; established, report.
Virginia Fungi Task Force established; report. Requires the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to establish the Virginia Fungi Task Force to assess, categorize, and protect the Commonwealth's natural fungi species and explore the economic potential of fungi. The bill directs the Task…
Passed one chamberContinued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · 2026-03-04
Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; public funding for multifamily residential housing, etc.
Public funding for multifamily residential housing; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; common household pets. Requires any multifamily residential housing development receiving an investment of public funds to allow occupants to own or otherwise maintain within the occupant's dwelling unit at least one common household…
Passed one chamberPassed by indefinitely in General Laws and Technology (14-Y 1-N) · 2026-03-04
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; prohibited provisions in rental agreements.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; prohibited provisions in rental agreements; landlord's maintenance responsibilities. Prohibits a rental agreement from containing any provision stating that the tenant agrees to pay (i) any fee for the maintenance of the premises, including the maintenance or provision of heating…
Not out of committeeContinued to next session in General Laws (Voice Vote) · 2026-02-12
Higher educational institutions, public; restrictions on student speech, limitations.
Public institutions of higher education; students and campus; restrictions on student speech; limitations. Clarifies the requirements for and limitations on the ability of a public institution of higher education to impose restrictions on the time, place, or manner of student speech that occurs in outdoor…
Not out of committeeContinued to next session in Education (Voice Vote) · 2026-02-11
“In plain English” lines are written by ThePolitibase with AI (Claude), from the official synopsis only; the synopsis is the authoritative text. Descriptions are the legislature’s own synopsis. Bill data from LegiScan, CC BY 4.0.