VA HB 553
vetoedCorrections, Department of; language services for offenders.
Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did VA HB 553 pass?
No. VA HB 553 passed the legislature but was vetoed on 2026-04-11. Latest recorded action (2026-04-11): Governor's recommendation received by House
What is VA HB 553 about?
Department of Corrections; language services for offenders. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall take reasonable steps to provide offenders with limited English proficiency meaningful access to Department facilities, services, programs, and activities to ensure that language does not prevent Department employees from communicating effectively with such offenders.
Who sponsors VA HB 553?
Jessica L. Anderson is the primary sponsor of VA HB 553, joined by 7 cosponsors.
Description
Department of Corrections; language services for offenders. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall take reasonable steps to provide offenders with limited English proficiency meaningful access to Department facilities, services, programs, and activities to ensure that language does not prevent Department employees from communicating effectively with such offenders.
- Introduced
- 2026-01-13
- Latest action
- 2026-04-11 — Governor's recommendation received by House
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Jessica L. Andersonprimary
- Sam Rasoulcosponsor
- Leslie Chambers Mehtacosponsor
- Karen Keys-Gamarracosponsor
- Irene Shincosponsor
- Bonita G. Anthonycosponsor
- Charlie Schmidtcosponsor
- Rozia A. Henson, Jr.cosponsor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2026-01-13
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101313D
filing,introduction
2026-01-13
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
referral-committee
2026-01-20
Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2
referral-committee
2026-01-29
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-29
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 1-N)
2026-01-29
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB553)
2026-01-30
Reported from Public Safety with amendment(s) (16-Y 5-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-03
Read first time
reading-1
2026-02-04
Read second time
reading-2
2026-02-04
committee amendments agreed to
amendment-passage
2026-02-04
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-02-05
Read third time and passed House (68-Y 30-N 0-A)
passage,reading-3
2026-02-06
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-06
Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
referral-committee
2026-02-09
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB553)
2026-02-20
Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services (11-Y 4-N)
committee-passage
2026-02-23
Rules suspended
2026-02-23
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-23
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-24
Read third time
reading-3
2026-02-24
Passed Senate (23-Y 16-N 0-A)
passage
2026-02-26
Enrolled
enrolled
2026-02-26
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB553ER)
passage
2026-02-26
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB553)
2026-02-26
Signed by Speaker
passage
2026-02-26
Signed by President
passage
2026-03-10
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
enrolled,executive-receipt
2026-03-10
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
executive-receipt
2026-04-11
Governor's recommendation received by House
executive-veto-line-item
Versions
Documents
Votes
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s)
2026-01-29 · pass · 6-1
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: no
- Karen Hamilton: yes
Reported from Public Safety with amendment(s)
2026-01-30 · pass · 16-5
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: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
- Mitchell Cornett: no
- Karen Hamilton: no
H VOTE:
2026-02-05 · pass · 68-30
Member-level votes (100)
- Jessica L. Anderson: yes
- Bonita G. Anthony: yes
- Alex Q. Askew: yes
- Terry L. Austin: yes
- Jason S. Ballard: no
- 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: 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.: no
- Lily V. Franklin: yes
- Margaret A. Franklin: not voting
- 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: no
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: yes
- Terry G. Kilgore: no
- 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: yes
- John Chilton McAuliff: yes
- Adele Y. McClure: yes
- Garrett McGuire: yes
- Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
- 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: no
- Justin Pence: no
- Eric Phillips: no
- 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: no
- Jeion A. Ward: yes
- R. Lee Ware: no
- Vivian E. Watts: yes
- Michael J. Webert: no
- Madison Whittle: no
- Bill Wiley: no
- Rodney T. Willett: yes
- Wren M. Williams: no
- Tony O. Wilt: yes
- Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
- Scott A. Wyatt: no
- Eric R. Zehr: no
Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services
2026-02-20 · pass · 11-4
Member-level votes (15)
- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: no
- Bryce E. Reeves: no
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Scott A. Surovell: yes
- Bill DeSteph: no
- Christopher T. Head: yes
- Emily M. Jordan: yes
- Angelia Williams Graves: yes
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
- Timmy French: no
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Mark J. Peake: yes
- Danica A. Roem: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)
2026-02-23 · pass · 37-0
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: not voting
- 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: not voting
- 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: not voting
- 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
Passage R
2026-02-24 · pass · 23-16
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: no
- Christie New Craig: no
- R. Creigh Deeds: yes
- Bill DeSteph: no
- J.D. "Danny" Diggs: no
- Tara A. Durant: no
- Barbara A. Favola: yes
- Timmy French: no
- T. Travis Hackworth: no
- Christopher T. Head: yes
- Michael J. Jones: yes
- Emily M. Jordan: no
- Mamie E. Locke: yes
- L. Louise Lucas: yes
- David W. Marsden: yes
- Ryan T. McDougle: no
- Jeremy S. McPike: yes
- Tammy Brankley Mulchi: no
- Mark D. Obenshain: no
- Mark J. Peake: no
- Stella G. Pekarsky: yes
- Russet Perry: yes
- Todd E. Pillion: no
- Bryce E. Reeves: no
- Danica A. Roem: yes
- Aaron R. Rouse: yes
- Saddam Azlan Salim: yes
- Kannan Srinivasan: yes
- William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
- Richard H. Stuart: not voting
- Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
- 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 553. 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.