Bill Commons

VA HB 248

enacted

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; development of behavioral health co-response teams.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did VA HB 248 pass?

Yes. VA HB 248 has been enacted into law as of 2026-04-10. Latest recorded action (2026-04-10): Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0535)

What is VA HB 248 about?

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 317.

Who sponsors VA HB 248?

Vivian E. Watts is the primary sponsor of VA HB 248, joined by 1 cosponsor.

Description

Interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements; behavioral health co-response teams. Provides that interjurisdictional law-enforcement agreements may allow for the development of co-response teams staffed by one or more law-enforcement agencies that respond to behavioral health-related calls in multiple jurisdictions. This bill is a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 317.

Introduced
2026-01-08
Latest action
2026-04-10 — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0535)
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Sponsors

  • Vivian E. Wattsprimary
  • Amy J. Laufercosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-08

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102852D

    filing,introduction

  2. 2026-01-08

    Referred to Committee on Public Safety

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-16

    Assigned HPS sub: Subcommittee #2

    referral-committee

  4. 2026-01-22

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)

  5. 2026-01-23

    Reported from Public Safety (22-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  6. 2026-01-27

    Read first time

    reading-1

  7. 2026-01-28

    Read second time and engrossed

    reading-2

  8. 2026-01-29

    Read third time and passed House (99-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  9. 2026-01-30

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  10. 2026-01-30

    Referred to Committee on Local Government

    referral-committee

  11. 2026-02-10

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB248)

  12. 2026-02-23

    Reported from Local Government (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 (HB248ER)

    passage

  20. 2026-03-02

    Signed by Speaker

    passage

  21. 2026-03-02

    Signed by President

    passage

  22. 2026-03-02

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB248)

  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. 2026-04-10

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 535 (effective 7/1/2026)

    executive-signature

  26. 2026-04-10

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0535)

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-01-22 · 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

    2026-01-23 · pass · 22-0

    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: yes
    • Delores Oates: yes
    • Eric Phillips: yes
    • Eric R. Zehr: yes
    • Mitchell Cornett: yes
    • Karen Hamilton: yes
  • H VOTE:

    2026-01-29 · pass · 99-0

    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: yes
    • Laura Jane Cohen: yes
    • Joshua G. Cole: yes
    • Nicole Cole: yes
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: yes
    • Mitchell Cornett: yes
    • 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: yes
    • Charniele L. Herring: yes
    • M. Keith Hodges: yes
    • 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: 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: yes
    • 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
    • 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: yes
    • Eric R. Zehr: yes
  • Reported from Local Government

    2026-02-23 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • T. Travis Hackworth: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes
    • Tara A. Durant: yes
    • J.D. "Danny" Diggs: yes
    • Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
    • Kannan Srinivasan: yes
    • Luther Cifers, III: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: not voting
    • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker: 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

Attribution

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

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Use this data

Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=VA&identifier=HB 248. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.

Known limitations

  • Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
  • Committee referrals are not yet captured.

See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.