HB16 Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated.
Introduced by Marcia S. "Cia" Price (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.

Requires a court to establish a program and allow any person upon whom a fine and costs have been imposed to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by earning credits for the performance of community service work or work performed while incarcerated, defined in the bill as any work done on or after July 1, 2023, by a person confined in any penal or corrective institution of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions who is paid a wage that is less than the Virginia minimum wage.

The bill requires such program be available during such person's imprisonment in a local, regional, or state correctional facility. The bill provides that a person who is performing work while incarcerated shall be credited at the same rate as the community service work rate less any wages received. Under current law, a court is required to establish a program for providing an option for community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs but offering such option is not mandatory. The bill also requires the local, regional, or state correctional facility to provide confirmation of the hours worked and the credits earned for such work upon request of any person who has performed work while incarcerated or his representative.

2/06/2026 Read third time and passed House (72‑Y 25‑N 0‑A)

2/25/2026 Reported from Senate-Courts of Justice committee with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9‑Y 6‑N)

​3/04/2026 Reported from S-Finance and Appropriations committee

3/10/2026 Senate amendments agreed to by House (79‑Y 20‑N 0‑A)

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PASSED THE HOUSE AND SENATE.  PENDING GOVERNOR'S ACTION.

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HB17 Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection, responsibility for collections.
Introduced by Marcia S. "Cia" Price (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.

Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.

The bill extends the time period for commencing collection activity from 90 days to 180 days after judgment, but provides that no collection activity shall be commenced while a defendant is incarcerated on an active term of imprisonment and subject to a deferred payment agreement.

The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than 180 days after the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day. This bill is identical to SB 180. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

2/06/2026 House. Read third time and passed House (66‑Y 32‑N 0‑A)

3/03/2026 Reported from Senate-Finance and Appropriations committee with substitute (10‑Y 5‑N)​

3/06/2026 Senate substitute agreed to by House (65‑Y 33‑N 0‑A)

3/13/2026 Senate. Signed by President

3/13/2026 House. Signed by Speaker

3/14/2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

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HB331 Proceedings deferred; payment of costs.
Introduced by: Adele Y. McClure (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.
Provides that for any deferral entered into on or after July 1, 2026, pursuant to relevant law, the court shall not require the defendant to pay such costs or other fees imposed pursuant to relevant law as a term or condition of his deferral. The bill states that upon fulfillment of all other terms and conditions, the court shall adjudicate the matter consistent with the agreement of the parties or, if none, by conviction of an alternative charge or dismissal of the case. The bill specifies that such costs and other fees shall remain due until paid, and all methods of payment and collection already available at law to satisfy or collect any outstanding costs or other fees shall remain available to such court after the underlying case against the defendant has been adjudicated or dismissed.

2/03/2026 Read third time and passed House with a substitute (65‑Y 32‑N 0‑A)​

2/25/2026 Reported from Senate-Courts of Justice committee with amendment and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9‑Y 6‑N)

3/04/2026 Passed Senate with amendment (21‑Y 19‑N 0‑A)

3/06/2026 Senate amendment agreed to by House (65‑Y 31‑N 0‑A)

3/13/2026S enate. Signed by President

3/13/2026 House. Signed by Speaker

3/14/2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

 

SB180 Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection, responsibility for collections.
Introduced by: Angelia Williams Graves (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here

Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.

The bill extends the time period for commencing collection activity from 90 days to 180 days after judgment, but provides that no collection activity shall be commenced while a defendant is incarcerated on an active term of imprisonment and subject to a deferred payment agreement.

The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than 180 days after the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day. This bill incorporates SB 185 and SB 810 and is identical to HB 17. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

2/02/2026 Reported from Senate-Courts of Justice committee with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9‑Y 6‑N)

2/10/2026 Senate. Incorporates SB185 (Williams Graves)

2/13/2026 Read third time and passed Senate (22‑Y 17‑N 0‑A)

2/23/2026 Senate. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB180)

S-Finance and Appropriations Substitute

3/02/2026 Reported from House-Courts of Justice committee (22‑Y 0‑N)

3/04/2026 Passed House (89‑Y 9‑N 0‑A)

3/12/2026 House. Signed by Speaker

3/11/2026 Senate. Signed by President

3/14/2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

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CONTINUED TO 2027

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HB268 Fines and costs; period of limitations on collection, deferred payment agreement.
Introduced by Phil M. Hernandez (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.

Summary As Passed House
Changes the period of limitations for the collection of court fines and costs from within 60 years from the date of the offense or delinquency giving rise to imposition of such penalty if imposed by a circuit court or within 30 years if imposed by a general district court to within 10 years from the date of the judgment whether imposed by a circuit court or general district court. The bill provides that upon the expiration of the period of limitations, no action shall be brought to collect the debt.

The bill also provides that for any defendant sentenced to an active term of incarceration and ordered to pay any fine, cost, forfeiture, or penalty related to the charge that such defendant is incarcerated for, or any other charge for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, the court shall enter such defendant into a deferred payment agreement for such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties. The bill requires the due date for such deferred payment agreement to be set no earlier than the defendant's scheduled release from incarceration on the charges for which such defendant was sentenced on the same day, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the period of limitations for payment of such fines, costs, forfeitures, or penalties shall start to run on the due date for such deferred payment agreement.

The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

2/2/2026 House-Courts of Justice committee amendments agreed to

2/03/2026 Read third time and passed House (91‑Y 7‑N 0‑A)

2/25/2026 Reported from Senate Courts of Justice committee with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9‑Y 6‑N)​

3/03/2026 Continued to 2027 in S-Finance and Appropriations committee (15‑Y 0‑N)

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HB852 Abolition of fees; legal representation of indigent defendant; jury trial costs; report.
Introduced by: Rae Cousins (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.
Abolition of fees; legal representation of indigent defendant; jury trial costs; report. Eliminates the fees for the cost of court-appointed counsel or public defender representation for persons who are determined to be indigent. The bill also eliminates fees for persons who utilize a jury trial. The bill contains a reenactment clause for such elimination of fees.

The bill also directs the Indigent Defense Commission to convene a work group with all relevant stakeholders, including the Attorney General or his designee, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court or his designee, and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources or his designee; representatives from the Compensation Board, the Virginia Crime Commission, the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Virginia Court Clerk's Association, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, and the Virginia Probation and Parole Association; a minimum of two criminal justice reform organizations working on fees and other financial assessments imposed in criminal prosecutions in Virginia; and a minimum of two people who have been billed for exercising their constitutional right to counsel through representation by court appointed counsel or their right to a trial by a jury of their peers to identify, in regard to charges for exercising constitutional rights to counsel or to a jury, (i) current collections practices; (ii) where funds that are currently received or collected are directed; (iii) the impact of the reduction in the burden on individuals currently assessed with such fees; (iv) what other states have done to avoid or eliminate public defense and trial by jury costs; and (v) a plan for eliminating these fees no later than July 1, 2027. The bill requires the work group to submit an executive summary and report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, that includes (a) current practices for implementation and collection of criminal court debt; (b) recommendations for implementing the provisions of the bill related to elimination of fees, if reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly, including planning the elimination of public defense and trial by jury costs; and (c) any other recommendations on related costs or fees that may be eliminated.

2/09/2026 House. Reported from H-Appropriations committee with substitute

2/13/2026 Read third time and passed House (60‑Y 35‑N 0‑A)

2/16/2026 Senate. Referred to Committee for S-Courts of Justice

2/23/2026 Reported from Senate-Courts of Justice committee and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9‑Y 5‑N)

3/03/2026 Senate. Continued to 2027 in S-Finance and Appropriations committee (14‑Y 0‑N)

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FAILED BILLS 2026

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HB660 Court fines and fees; indigent defendant; waiver of fees.
Introduced by: Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.

Provides that in any criminal or traffic case, the court may waive the assessment of certain fees specified in the bill, either wholly or in part, if the court determines the defendant to be indigent pursuant to the financial criteria set forth in relevant law and unable to pay such fee. The bill provides that the court may make such determination sua sponte or upon motion of the defendant at any time prior to the entry of an order for which such fee is assessed or the final order has been entered.

2/02/2026 House subcommittee recommends laying on the table (7‑Y 0‑N)

2/18/2026 House. Left in Committee Appropriations