VA HB 127
Status unknownPerson not free on bail; court appearance, right to counsel.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did VA HB 127 pass?
The current status of VA HB 127 is not known from the official record. Latest recorded action (2026-03-03): Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N 1-A)
What is VA HB 127 about?
Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings in jurisdictions having a public defender office, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused and (ii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing. The bill also allows a jurisdiction that does not have a public defender office establish to implement such provisions. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Who sponsors VA HB 127?
Katrina Callsen is the primary sponsor of VA HB 127, joined by 2 cosponsors.
Description
Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings in jurisdictions having a public defender office, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused and (ii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing. The bill also allows a jurisdiction that does not have a public defender office establish to implement such provisions. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-02
- Latest action
- 2026-03-03 — Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N 1-A)
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Katrina Callsenprimary
- Charlie Schmidtcosponsor
- Rae Cousinscosponsor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2026-01-02
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101174D
filing,introduction
2026-01-02
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
referral-committee
2026-01-21
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB127)
2026-01-22
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
referral-committee
2026-01-28
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-28
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)
substitution
2026-02-04
Racial and Ethnic Impact Statement From JLARC (2/4/2026 11:36 am)
2026-02-04
Racial and Ethnic Impact Statement From JLARC (2/4/2026 11:49 am)
2026-02-04
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-04
Committee substitute printed 26106177D-H1
substitution
2026-02-05
Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay
referral-committee
2026-02-06
House subcommittee offered
2026-02-06
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 0-N)
2026-02-09
Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (21-Y 1-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-11
Read first time
reading-1
2026-02-12
Read second time
reading-2
2026-02-12
committee substitute agreed to
substitution
2026-02-12
committee amendment agreed to
amendment-passage
2026-02-12
Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended
substitution
2026-02-13
Read third time and passed House (84-Y 10-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-16
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-16
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
referral-committee
2026-02-19
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB127)
2026-02-23
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 3-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-23
Committee substitute printed 26108450D-S1
substitution
2026-03-02
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB127)
2026-03-03
Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N 1-A)
Versions
Documents
Votes
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute
2026-01-28 · pass · 9-0
Member-level votes (10)
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Karrie K. Delaney: yes
- Phil M. Hernandez: yes
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- Charlie Schmidt: yes
- Wren M. Williams: not voting
- Will Davis: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute
2026-02-04 · pass · 22-0
Member-level votes (22)
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Marcus B. Simon: yes
- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
- Karrie K. Delaney: yes
- Phil M. Hernandez: yes
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Charlie Schmidt: yes
- Terry G. Kilgore: yes
- James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
- Jason S. Ballard: yes
- Wren M. Williams: yes
- Will Davis: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
- Justin Pence: yes
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s)
2026-02-06 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- James W. Morefield: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s)
2026-02-09 · pass · 21-1
Member-level votes (22)
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Paul E. Krizek: yes
- C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Charniele L. Herring: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- Terry L. Austin: yes
- James W. Morefield: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
- M. Keith Hodges: yes
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Bill Wiley: yes
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
H VOTE:
2026-02-13 · pass · 84-10
Member-level votes (100)
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: yes
- Jason S. Ballard: yes
- Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
- Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
- Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
- Katrina Callsen: yes
- Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
- Betsy B. Carr: yes
- Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
- Mike A. Cherry: yes
- Nadarius E. Clark: not voting
- Laura Jane Cohen: yes
- Joshua G. Cole: yes
- Nicole Cole: not voting
- Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: not voting
- Mitchell Cornett: no
- Rae Cousins: yes
- Will Davis: yes
- Karrie K. Delaney: yes
- Lindsey Dougherty: yes
- Mark C. Downey: yes
- Michael B. Feggans: yes
- Hyland F. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr.: no
- Lily V. Franklin: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: yes
- Debra D. Gardner: yes
- Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: no
- Jackie H. Glass: yes
- Timothy P. Griffin: no
- Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
- Karen Hamilton: no
- C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
- Dan I. Helmer: yes
- Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
- Phil M. Hernandez: yes
- Charniele L. Herring: yes
- M. Keith Hodges: no
- Patrick A. Hope: yes
- Hillary Pugh Kent: yes
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Terry G. Kilgore: yes
- Barry D. Knight: not voting
- Paul E. Krizek: yes
- Amy J. Laufer: yes
- James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
- Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
- Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
- Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
- Marty Martinez: yes
- John Chilton McAuliff: yes
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
- Joseph P. McNamara: no
- Delores L. McQuinn: yes
- Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
- James W. Morefield: yes
- May Nivar: yes
- Delores Oates: no
- Israel D. O'Quinn: yes
- Justin Pence: yes
- Eric Phillips: yes
- Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
- Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
- Sam Rasoul: yes
- Atoosa R. Reaser: yes
- David A. Reid: yes
- Chris S. Runion: yes
- Charlie Schmidt: yes
- Don Scott: yes
- Phillip A. Scott: no
- Holly M. Seibold: not voting
- Briana D. Sewell: yes
- Irene Shin: yes
- Marcus B. Simon: yes
- Shelly A. Simonds: yes
- JJ Singh: yes
- Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr.: yes
- Anne Ferrell Tata: yes
- Joshua E. Thomas: yes
- Virgil Thornton: yes
- Luke E. Torian: yes
- Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
- H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: yes
- Wendell S. Walker: yes
- Jeion A. Ward: yes
- R. Lee Ware: yes
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Michael J. Webert: yes
- Madison Whittle: yes
- Bill Wiley: yes
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Wren M. Williams: yes
- Tony O. Wilt: yes
- Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: yes
- Scott A. Wyatt: not voting
- Eric R. Zehr: no
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute
2026-02-23 · pass · 11-3
Member-level votes (15)
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Mark D. Obenshain: no
- Ryan T. McDougle: yes
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Richard H. Stuart: not voting
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Mark J. Peake: no
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations
2026-03-03 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (15)
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: yes
- Mark D. Obenshain: yes
- Richard H. Stuart: yes
- Bryce E. Reeves: yes
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: yes
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Lamont Bagby: not voting
- Lashrecse D. Aird: abstain
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
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