Bill Commons

VA HB 637

vetoed

Possession of residue of a controlled substance unlawful; penalties exceptions.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did VA HB 637 pass?

No. VA HB 637 passed the legislature but was vetoed. Latest recorded action (2026-04-14): Vetoed by Governor

What is VA HB 637 about?

Possession of an item containing residue of a controlled substance; penalty. Creates the offense of possession of residue of a controlled substance with a tiered system of punishment. Currently, possession of any amount of a controlled substance has a tiered system of punishment as if there is a usable amount of such controlled substance.

Who sponsors VA HB 637?

Katrina Callsen is the primary sponsor of VA HB 637, joined by 1 cosponsor.

Description

Possession of an item containing residue of a controlled substance; penalty. Creates the offense of possession of residue of a controlled substance with a tiered system of punishment. Currently, possession of any amount of a controlled substance has a tiered system of punishment as if there is a usable amount of such controlled substance.

Introduced
2026-01-13
Latest action
2026-04-14 — Vetoed by Governor
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Katrina Callsenprimary
  • Michelle Lopes Maldonadocosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-04-14

    Vetoed by Governor

    executive-veto

  2. 2026-04-01

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB637)

  3. 2026-03-31

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

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-03-31

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

    enrolled,executive-receipt

  5. 2026-03-31

    Signed by Speaker

    passage

  6. 2026-03-30

    Signed by President

    passage

  7. 2026-03-30

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB637ER)

    passage

  8. 2026-03-30

    Enrolled

    enrolled

  9. 2026-03-10

    Passed Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A)

    passage

  10. 2026-03-10

    Read third time

    reading-3

  11. 2026-03-09

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  12. 2026-03-09

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-03-09

    Rules suspended

  14. 2026-03-05

    Reported from Courts of Justice (10-Y 4-N)

    committee-passage

  15. 2026-02-18

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  16. 2026-02-18

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  17. 2026-02-17

    Read third time and passed House (63-Y 33-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  18. 2026-02-16

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    substitution

  19. 2026-02-16

    committee substitute agreed to

    substitution

  20. 2026-02-16

    Read second time

    reading-2

  21. 2026-02-13

    Read first time

    reading-1

  22. 2026-02-12

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB637)

  23. 2026-02-11

    Committee substitute printed 26105603D-H1

    substitution

  24. 2026-02-11

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (16-Y 6-N)

    committee-passage

  25. 2026-02-06

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 2-N)

    substitution

  26. 2026-02-06

    House subcommittee offered

  27. 2026-02-03

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

    referral-committee

  28. 2026-01-29

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB637)

  29. 2026-01-13

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  30. 2026-01-13

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104914D

    filing,introduction

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

    2026-02-06 · pass · 8-2

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Vivian E. Watts: yes
    • Karrie K. Delaney: yes
    • Phil M. Hernandez: yes
    • Rae Cousins: yes
    • Katrina Callsen: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: not voting
    • Charlie Schmidt: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Will Davis: no
    • Madison Whittle: no
    • Patrick A. Hope: yes
  • Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute

    2026-02-11 · pass · 16-6

    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: no
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: no
    • Jason S. Ballard: no
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Will Davis: no
    • Madison Whittle: no
    • Justin Pence: no
  • H VOTE:

    2026-02-17 · pass · 62-33

    Member-level votes (99)
    • Jessica L. Anderson: yes
    • Bonita G. Anthony: yes
    • Alex Q. Askew: yes
    • Terry L. Austin: no
    • Jason S. Ballard: no
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: no
    • 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: not voting
    • Adele Y. McClure: yes
    • Garrett McGuire: yes
    • Ellen H. McLaughlin: no
    • Joseph P. McNamara: no
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • Leslie Chambers Mehta: not voting
    • James W. Morefield: no
    • 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.: yes
    • 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: yes
    • Tony O. Wilt: no
    • Thomas C. Wright, Jr.: no
    • Scott A. Wyatt: no
    • Eric R. Zehr: no
  • Reported from Courts of Justice

    2026-03-05 · pass · 10-4

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Scott A. Surovell: yes
    • Mark D. Obenshain: no
    • Ryan T. McDougle: no
    • R. Creigh Deeds: yes
    • Richard H. Stuart: yes
    • William M. Stanley, Jr.: no
    • Jennifer B. Boysko: not voting
    • Mark J. Peake: yes
    • 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
  • Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)

    2026-03-09 · 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
  • Passage R

    2026-03-10 · pass · 23-17

    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: no
    • 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: yes
    • 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: yes
    • Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr.: no
    • David R. Suetterlein: no
    • 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:

Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:

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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 637. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.

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