Bill Commons

VA HB 245

enacted

Jurisdiction of district courts in felony cases; specialty dockets, Behavioral Health Docket Act.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Description

Jurisdiction of district courts in felony cases; specialty dockets; Behavioral Health Docket Act. Authorizes a general district court and a juvenile and domestic relations district court to retain jurisdiction over a felony offense for the purpose of allowing the accused to complete a specialty docket or behavioral health docket established pursuant to relevant law. Current law only explicitly provides such courts with the ability to certify felony charges to the circuit court or dismiss such charges after a preliminary hearing to determine if probable cause exists for such charges.

Introduced
2026-01-08
Status date
—
Latest action
2026-04-13 — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0580)
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Vivian E. Wattsprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-08

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102480D

    filing,introduction

  2. 2026-01-08

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-20

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

    referral-committee

  4. 2026-01-20

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB245)

  5. 2026-01-21

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)

  6. 2026-01-28

    Reported from Courts of Justice (18-Y 1-N)

    committee-passage

  7. 2026-01-30

    Read first time

    reading-1

  8. 2026-02-02

    Read second time and engrossed

    reading-2

  9. 2026-02-03

    Read third time and passed House (76-Y 19-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  10. 2026-02-04

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  11. 2026-02-04

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  12. 2026-02-23

    Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  13. 2026-02-24

    Rules suspended

  14. 2026-02-24

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  15. 2026-02-24

    Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

  16. 2026-02-25

    Read third time

    reading-3

  17. 2026-02-25

    Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage

  18. 2026-03-02

    Enrolled

    enrolled

  19. 2026-03-02

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB245ER)

    passage

  20. 2026-03-02

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB245)

  21. 2026-03-02

    Signed by Speaker

    passage

  22. 2026-03-02

    Signed by President

    passage

  23. 2026-03-10

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

    enrolled,executive-receipt

  24. 2026-03-10

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

    executive-receipt

  25. 2026-04-13

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 580 (effective 7/1/2026)

    executive-signature

  26. 2026-04-13

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0580)

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-01-21 · pass · 10-0

    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: yes
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes

  • Reported from Courts of Justice

    2026-01-28 · pass · 18-1

    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: not voting
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: not voting
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Charlie Schmidt: yes
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: no
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: not voting
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Justin Pence: yes

  • H VOTE:

    2026-02-03 · pass · 76-19

    Member-level votes (100)
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Bonita G. Anthony: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: no
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: not voting
    • Gretchen M. Bulova: yes
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegie: yes
    • Betsy B. Carr: yes
    • Stacey Annie Carroll: yes
    • Mike A. Cherry: no
    • Nadarius E. Clark: yes
    • Laura Jane Cohen: yes
    • Joshua G. Cole: yes
    • Nicole Cole: yes
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
    • Mitchell Cornett: no
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Will Davis: no
    • 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: 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: yes
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
    • Hillary Pugh Kent: no
    • Karen Keys-Gamarra: not voting
    • Terry G. Kilgore: yes
    • Barry D. Knight: not voting
    • Paul E. Krizek: yes
    • Amy J. Laufer: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: no
    • Destiny LeVere Bolling: yes
    • Alfonso H. Lopez: yes
    • Michelle Lopes Maldonado: yes
    • Marty Martinez: not voting
    • John Chilton McAuliff: yes
    • Adele Y. McClure: yes
    • Garrett McGuire: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: yes
    • Joseph P. McNamara: not voting
    • 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: no
    • 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: no
    • 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: no
    • Joshua E. Thomas: yes
    • Virgil Thornton: yes
    • Luke E. Torian: yes
    • Kathy K.L. Tran: yes
    • H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr.: no
    • Wendell S. Walker: yes
    • Jeion A. Ward: yes
    • R. Lee Ware: no
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Michael J. Webert: no
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Bill Wiley: no
    • Rodney T. Willett: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Tony O. Wilt: yes
    • Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: yes
    • Scott A. Wyatt: no
    • Eric R. Zehr: no

  • Reported from Courts of Justice

    2026-02-23 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • 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: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes

  • Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)

    2026-02-24 · pass · 39-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: not voting
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Passage R

    2026-02-25 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: yes
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: yes
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Bill DeSteph: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • Barbara A. Favola: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Michael J. Jones: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • L. Louise Lucas: yes
    • David W. Marsden: yes
    • Ryan T. McDougle: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Tammy Brankley Mulchi: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: yes
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Russet Perry: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • David R. Suetterlein: yes
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB245

Attribution

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

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