Bill Commons

VA HB 1280

died on adjournment

State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Description

State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning. Expands the program assignments in which the Director of the Department of Corrections may place a prisoner while such prisoner is confined in a state correctional facility. The bill requires the Director to place a prisoner in an appropriate program assignment within (i) 90 days of the arrival of a prisoner sentenced to a new term of confinement to a state correctional facility or (ii) 60 days of a prisoner already in custody being transferred to a new state correctional facility and provides that participation in such program assignments shall be for an average of 30 hours per week, calculated individually across the calendar year. Finally, the bill expands upon the requirements for a prisoner's reentry plan, including requiring an assessment, if necessary, of a prisoner's readiness to take a high school equivalency test and any modifications needed for the prisoner to take or improve upon such test, and making available peer and group educational programs developed and led by qualified prisoners.

Introduced
2026-01-14
Status date
Latest action
2026-03-04 — Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Sponsors

  • Joshua G. Coleprimary
  • Vivian E. Wattscosponsor
  • Irene Shincosponsor
  • Marcia S. "Cia" Pricecosponsor
  • Destiny LeVere Bollingcosponsor
  • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.cosponsor
  • Lashrecse D. Airdcosponsor
  • Nicole Colecosponsor
  • Nadarius E. Clarkcosponsor
  • Jessica L. Andersoncosponsor
  • Karen Keys-Gamarracosponsor
  • Stacey Annie Carrollcosponsor
  • Rae Cousinscosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-14

    Presented and ordered printed 26104959D

    introduction

  2. 2026-01-14

    Referred to Committee on Public Safety

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-23

    Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2

    referral-committee

  4. 2026-01-29

    Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 0-N)

  5. 2026-01-30

    Reported from Public Safety and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 3-N)

    committee-passage

  6. 2026-01-31

    Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

    referral-committee

  7. 2026-02-03

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)

  8. 2026-02-11

    House subcommittee offered

  9. 2026-02-11

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N)

    substitution

  10. 2026-02-11

    Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  11. 2026-02-11

    Committee substitute printed 26107749D-H1

    substitution

  12. 2026-02-13

    Read first time

    reading-1

  13. 2026-02-16

    Read second time

    reading-2

  14. 2026-02-16

    committee substitute agreed to

    substitution

  15. 2026-02-16

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    substitution

  16. 2026-02-17

    Read third time and passed House (91-Y 5-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  17. 2026-02-17

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)

  18. 2026-02-18

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  19. 2026-02-18

    Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services

    referral-committee

  20. 2026-02-27

    Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  21. 2026-02-27

    Committee substitute printed 26108856D-S1

    substitution

  22. 2026-03-02

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)

  23. 2026-03-04

    Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

Versions

  • IntroducedCompare
  • Transportation & Public Safety Subcommittee SubstituteCompare
  • Appropriations SubstituteCompare
  • Rehabilitation and Social Services SubstituteCompare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-01-29 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Sam Rasoul: yes
    • Holly M. Seibold: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Michael J. Webert: yes
    • Karen Hamilton: yes
  • Reported from Public Safety

    2026-01-30 · pass · 18-3

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Marcus B. Simon: yes
    • Adele Y. McClure: yes
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
    • Sam Rasoul: yes
    • Nadarius E. Clark: yes
    • Dan I. Helmer: yes
    • Holly M. Seibold: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Michael B. Feggans: yes
    • Debra D. Gardner: yes
    • Kimberly Pope Adams: yes
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Tony O. Wilt: yes
    • Michael J. Webert: not voting
    • Delores Oates: no
    • Eric Phillips: yes
    • Eric R. Zehr: no
    • Mitchell Cornett: no
    • Karen Hamilton: yes
  • Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

    2026-02-11 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Paul E. Krizek: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • Scott A. Wyatt: yes
  • Reported from Appropriations with substitute

    2026-02-11 · pass · 22-0

    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: yes
    • Bill Wiley: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
  • H VOTE:

    2026-02-17 · pass · 90-5

    Member-level votes (99)
    • Michael J. Webert: yes
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Bonita G. Anthony: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: 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: yes
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
    • 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.: yes
    • Lily V. Franklin: yes
    • Margaret A. Franklin: yes
    • Debra D. Gardner: yes
    • Thomas A. Garrett, Jr.: yes
    • Jackie H. Glass: yes
    • Timothy P. Griffin: yes
    • Elizabeth R. Guzman: yes
    • Karen Hamilton: yes
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Dan I. Helmer: yes
    • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: not voting
    • 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: not voting
    • Adele Y. McClure: yes
    • Garrett McGuire: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
    • Joseph P. McNamara: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • May Nivar: yes
    • Delores Oates: yes
    • 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: yes
    • 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
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Bill Wiley: yes
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Tony O. Wilt: yes
    • Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
    • Scott A. Wyatt: yes
    • Eric R. Zehr: no
  • Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute

    2026-02-27 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
  • Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations

    2026-03-04 · pass · 15-0

    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: yes
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:35:59.552682Z

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