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House passes scores of measures on third reading, including criminal justice, health and consumer protections
Summary
During a lengthy floor session the Virginia House took final action on a large set of bills sent from the Senate or carrying Senate amendments. Measures touched criminal justice, telehealth in corrections, emergency management, consumer protections, and budget rules.
The Virginia House of Delegates on the floor considered and acted on scores of Senate bills and House bills with Senate amendments across criminal justice, public safety, health and consumer-protection areas. The floor work included committee-substitute approvals, debate on several measures and a series of recorded votes.
Why it matters: The actions finalized or moved forward statutory changes that affect corrections policy, emergency management training, consumer protections, and state fiscal procedures. Many bills adopted committee substitutes to conform House and Senate language before passage.
Key measures acted upon (selected):
- Senate Bill 10-13 (affirmative defense for persons with neurocognitive disorders or intellectual/developmental disabilities): Committee substitute agreed; passed on third reading. Floor discussion noted the substitute was requested by Commonwealth's attorneys to allow advance notice to prosecution when an affirmative defense based on a diagnosed neurological disorder or intellectual disability will be raised. The final announced tally was Ayes 63, Noes 43.
- Senate Bill 10-39 (inmate participation in telehealth): Required the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to develop policies accommodating inmate participation in telehealth appointments in correctional facilities; passed on third reading. Announced tally: Ayes 81, Noes 15.
- Senate Bill 11-55 (revocation of post-release supervision): Committee substitute agreed; passed. Floor remarks noted conformance to House Bill 15-89; announced tally: Ayes 53, Noes 43.
- Senate Bill 11-91 (data reporting to Virginia Longitudinal Data System): Allowed the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to contribute certain data to the Virginia Longitudinal Data System administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; passed. Announced tally: Ayes 67, Noes 30.
- Senate Bill 13-24 (obstructing health care facility access): Created a class 1 misdemeanor for knowingly obstructing entry or exit from health care facilities and a class 3 misdemeanor for approaching within 8 feet under specified circumstances; passed. Announced tally: Ayes 51, Noes 45.
- Senate Bill 13-86 (Department of Emergency Management standards): Adopted recommendations from the joint subcommittee on pandemic response and preparedness; committee substitute agreed, bill passed with announced tally: Ayes 51, Noes 45.
- Senate Bill 14-16 (driver duties to stop for pedestrians/vulnerable road users): Made failure to stop a traffic infraction and created a class 1 misdemeanor if the infraction results in serious bodily injury or death to a vulnerable road user; passed. Announced tally: Ayes 75, Noes 20.
- Senate Bill 14-20 (use of forfeited assets): With committee substitute, authorized state/local agencies receiving forfeited assets to use proceeds for law enforcement equipment and training (not for personal use); passed. Announced tally: Ayes 90, Noes 5.
- Senate Bill 14-72 (revenue reserves and budgetary amendments): Modified the revenue reserve fund cap language and removed the super deposit requirement; passed. Announced tally: Ayes 84, Noes 13.
Several additional bills—on medical-malpractice expert opinions, gift certificate dormancy and fee rules, parole-board procedures, newborn genomic testing coverage, school telehealth, and other matters—were considered, many with Senate substitutes adopted to conform language between chambers. The House also approved a slate of judicial nominations and adopted numerous joint and memorial resolutions during the session.
Votes at a glance (selected bills from the floor session): - SB 10-13: Passed (Ayes 63, Noes 43) - SB 10-39: Passed (Ayes 81, Noes 15) - SB 11-55: Passed (Ayes 53, Noes 43) - SB 11-91: Passed (Ayes 67, Noes 30) - SB 13-24: Passed (Ayes 51, Noes 45) - SB 13-86: Passed (Ayes 51, Noes 45) - SB 14-16: Passed (Ayes 75, Noes 20) - SB 14-20: Passed (Ayes 90, Noes 5) - SB 14-72: Passed (Ayes 84, Noes 13)
What was said: Floor speakers included the delegates who presented each bill’s committee substitute and brief debate from members on several measures. For example, Delegate Watts introduced the committee substitute for SB 10-13 and described its intent to allow notice to prosecutors when an affirmative defense based on a neurological disorder or intellectual disability will be raised; Delegate Doug Simon moved the committee substitute on inmate telehealth (SB 10-39). Roll-call tallies were announced by the clerk between votes and are recorded in the transcript.
Ending — next steps: Bills that passed will be enrolled and sent to the governor for signature, veto or amendment as applicable. Where the House adopted Senate substitutes, conference or enrollment steps may follow to finalize statutory text for enactment. Specific implementation details, appropriations, or effective dates were not always described on the floor and will be set in the enrolled bills or implementing guidance.
