Committee endorses aligning pretrial law with the Public Safety Assessment

The House Courts subcommittee unanimously reported Senate Bill 714 after brief debate about statutory language clarifying that pretrial officers 'conduct risk assessments' — language intended to reflect current practice and promote a consistent statewide approach.

Sponsor notes and supporters said the change simply updates the statute to endorse the nationally used Public Safety Assessment (PSA) tool, while preserving the option for individual interviews when practicable. Gary Hughes of the Virginia Community Criminal Justice Association, representing pretrial and probation officers, said the PSA helps make assessments universal and equitable across jurisdictions. Rob Pogenclass of Justice for Virginia said the measure aligns the Commonwealth with best practices.

Committee members asked about geographic coverage and whether the change would help defendants in rural areas where interviews are not feasible; the sponsor responded the statutory change reflects operational reality and can improve release decisions that preserve employment and housing for some defendants.

SB 714 passed the subcommittee by voice vote and was reported 10–0. The bill does not include new funding; supporters said implementation would mainly be administrative though counties with limited pretrial staff may need operational support.