APPROVED

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HB126 Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates.
Introduced by: Katrina Callsen (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to establish additional standards no later than January 1, 2027, to ensure access to legal counsel for inmates held in any local, regional, or community correctional facility and enumerates the standards that the Board shall include in such additional standards.

1/30/2026 House-Public Safety committee amendment offered

2/05/2026 Read third time and passed House (89‑Y 8‑N 0‑A)​

2/20/2026 Rereferred from S-Rehabilitation and Social Services committee to Courts of Justice (15‑Y 0‑N)

3/02/2026 Passed Senate with substitute (27‑Y 13‑N 0‑A)

3/04/2026 Senate substitute agreed to by House (92‑Y 4‑N 0‑A)

3/12/2026 House. Signed by Speaker

3/11/2026 Senate. Signed by President

4/06/2026 Approved by Governor‑Chapter 73 (effective 7/1/2026)

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HB1392 Powers and duties for operation of local and regional correctional facilities and courthouse security; attorney access to courthouses and communication and visitation with incarcerated clients; penalty.

Introduced by: Karen Keys-Gamarra (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here. Provides that if a sheriff allows courthouse employees or law-enforcement officers 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. The bill also requires any telephonic, electronic, or web-based communication system for prisoners that is offered by a sheriff or jail superintendent who operates a local or regional correctional facility to include a confidential means for a prisoner to communicate with his attorney at regular and reasonable times.

2/06/2026 Reported from H-Public Safety committee with amendment(s)

2/11/2026 House-Public Safety committee amendments agreed to

2/12/2026 Read third time and passed House (83‑Y 14‑N 0‑A)

2/25/2026 Reported from Senate-Courts of Justice committee with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11‑Y 3‑N 1‑A)

3/10/2026 Engrossed by Senate ‑ S-Senate substitute as amended

3/11/2026 Senate substitute with amendments agreed to by House (84‑Y 13‑N 1‑A)

3/31/2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

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