Virginia House judiciary subcommittees move dozens of bills; several sent to appropriations or tabled

The House criminal and civil subcommittees met in joint session to consider a broad package of bills affecting criminal justice, juvenile procedure, privacy and civil liability. Committee chairs reported multiple uncontested bills in blocks, voted to strike several patron-requested measures, tabled one bill at the patron’s request and referred a number of bills to the Appropriations Committee for fiscal review.

The meeting matters because the measures debated cover bail and discovery procedures, criminal records access, juvenile courtroom practices, compensation for wrongful incarceration and statutory changes that affect evidentiary and privacy rules. Several bills the subcommittees reported will now face fiscal review on their path through the full House.

Committee action and outcomes: the panels struck four patron-requested bills at the start of the session (identified in the transcript as "House bill 27 26," "House bill 23 85," "House Bill 24 92" and "House Bill 25 30") by a recorded vote of 20-0. At the patron’s request, House Bill 15 58 was laid on the table by roll call (recorded as 19-0). The subcommittees then reported a large uncontested block of bills (reported 20-0) and processed many individual bills with substitutes or line amendments, several of which were referred to Appropriations.

Notable bills the subcommittees reported or referred to appropriations included: - HB 16 27 (access to criminal history record information / discovery procedures): reported with a substitute (committee vote reported as 18-2). The substitute expanded digital transmission options and incorporated related language from another bill (HB 23 14). - HB 16 30 (discovery and electronic delivery of records to defense counsel): reported with a substitute (18-2). The substitute requires the Commonwealth to deliver discovery by electronic means unless counsel requests a physical copy or the material cannot legally or practically be shared electronically; it also requires police reports to be provided at least 10 days before trial when requested. - HB 18 73 (bail factors and secured bond language): reported with a substitute (11-9). The substitute removed a provision that had required secured bond for certain persons and clarified factors a judicial officer must consider when setting bail; the bill was reported by the committee with a narrow margin. - HB 19 46 (sale/possession restrictions tied to age for tobacco/nicotine vapor products): reported and referred to Appropriations (20-0). The substitute treated products purchased or possessed by under-21 persons as contraband in some circumstances and gave enforcement authority channels for coordination with agencies. - HB 20 88 (forensic nursing advisory council / access to sexual assault forensic testing): reported and referred to Appropriations (20-0). The substitute set up a forensic nursing advisory council under the Department of Health and included provisions for remote guided evidence-collection procedures in some circumstances. - HB 22 17 (bail hearings / appointment of counsel / phased effective dates): reported with a substitute (12-8). The substitute requires chief judges in each circuit to create implementation plans by Nov. 1, 2025, with certain provisions delayed until Jan. 1, 2026. - HB 22 23 (elimination of fees for court-appointed counsel / appropriation referral): initially failed on a tie vote (10-10) in the full committee; the committee reconsidered and ultimately reported and referred it to Appropriations (11-10) after reconsideration. - HB 23 22 (appointment of qualified counsel for indigent defendants in certain life-exposure cases): reported and referred to Appropriations unanimously (20-0). - HB 25 46 (electronic-location data and evidentiary protections): reported with a substitute (reported 22-0). The substitute added conditions for when real-time location/subscriber data may be admissible in criminal proceedings and limited presentation of such data to establish probable cause. - HB 25 55 (sentence modification and marijuana-related offenses): reported with substitute (14-8) that changed eligibility and scope for sentence modification related to certain marijuana convictions. - HB 25 74 (juvenile reporting and certain offenses to school superintendents): reported and referred to Appropriations with amendment (16-6).

One public speaker, attorney Richard Hawkins, addressed the civil subcommittee about a change in a civil-immunity provision and the related mandatory award of attorney fees. Hawkins said he opposed changing the courts’ discretion on awarding fees; he said converting the fee award language from discretionary to mandatory would “remove the court’s discretion, and chills plaintiffs from bringing their own civil litigation.” (Richard Hawkins, attorney.)

Committee chairs also set scheduling: judicial subcommittee and criminal subcommittee follow-up meetings were announced after adjournment, and members were advised that bills with fiscal impact will be docketed for subsequent floor and appropriations consideration.

Votes at a glance (selected items; committee-recorded outcomes): - Struck bills (patron request): "House bill 27 26," "House bill 23 85," "House bill 24 92," "House bill 25 30" — Stricken, vote 20-0. - HB 15 58 — Laid on the table at patron’s request, vote reported 19-0. - Uncontested block of bills (multiple bills listed in transcript) — Reported, vote 20-0. - HB 16 27 (substitute) — Reported with substitute, tally reported 18-2. - HB 16 30 (new substitute re: electronic discovery) — Reported with substitute, tally reported 18-2. - HB 18 73 (bail factors) — Reported with substitute, tally reported 11-9. - HB 19 46 (age-based tobacco/vapor enforcement) — Reported and referred to Appropriations, vote 20-0. - HB 20 88 (forensic nursing advisory council) — Reported and referred to Appropriations, vote 20-0. - HB 22 17 (bail hearings; phased effective dates) — Reported with substitute, vote 12-8. - HB 22 23 (eliminate fees for court-appointed counsel) — Initially failed in the committee (10-10), then reconsidered and reported and referred to Appropriations (11-10). - HB 23 22 (counsel for indicted felony with mandatory-minimum exposure) — Reported and referred to Appropriations, vote 20-0. - HB 25 46 (real-time location data admissibility) — Reported with substitute, vote reported 22-0. - HB 25 55 (marijuana-related sentence modification) — Reported with substitute, vote 14-8. - HB 25 74 (juvenile reporting for certain offenses) — Reported and referred to Appropriations as amended, vote 16-6.

The committees adjourned after setting follow-up meetings and scheduling for bills with fiscal impact to reach Appropriations and full-committee consideration in the coming days.