Bill Commons

VA HB 885

Status unknown

Court Date Reminder Program; established, report.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did VA HB 885 pass?

The current status of VA HB 885 is not known from the official record. Latest recorded action (2026-03-03): Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

What is VA HB 885 about?

Court Date Reminder Program established. Establishes a Court Date Reminder Program, to be developed or procured by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, for the purpose of reminding criminal defendants to appear at each of their scheduled court appearances. The bill directs the Program to send a text message notification to any defendant with a criminal case in general district court or circuit court for whom the court has a telephone number prior to any scheduled hearing that requires his appearance and allows a defendant to opt out of participating in the Program. The Program has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.The bill also directs the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to convene a Court Date Reminder Program work group to advise on the implementation and expansion of the Program and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by December 1, 2026.

Who sponsors VA HB 885?

Patrick A. Hope is the primary sponsor of VA HB 885, joined by 14 cosponsors.

Description

Court Date Reminder Program established. Establishes a Court Date Reminder Program, to be developed or procured by the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, for the purpose of reminding criminal defendants to appear at each of their scheduled court appearances. The bill directs the Program to send a text message notification to any defendant with a criminal case in general district court or circuit court for whom the court has a telephone number prior to any scheduled hearing that requires his appearance and allows a defendant to opt out of participating in the Program. The Program has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.The bill also directs the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to convene a Court Date Reminder Program work group to advise on the implementation and expansion of the Program and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice by December 1, 2026.

Introduced
2026-01-13
Latest action
2026-03-03 — Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Sponsors

  • Patrick A. Hopeprimary
  • Virgil Thorntoncosponsor
  • Joshua E. Thomascosponsor
  • Charlie Schmidtcosponsor
  • Marcia S. "Cia" Pricecosponsor
  • May Nivarcosponsor
  • Karen Keys-Gamarracosponsor
  • Kathy K.L. Trancosponsor
  • Margaret A. Franklincosponsor
  • Lindsey Doughertycosponsor
  • Rae Cousinscosponsor
  • Joshua G. Colecosponsor
  • Karen R. "Kacey" Carnegiecosponsor
  • Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parkercosponsor
  • Rozia A. Henson, Jr.cosponsor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-13

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101227D

    filing,introduction

  2. 2026-01-13

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-27

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB885)

  4. 2026-01-30

    Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

    referral-committee

  5. 2026-02-02

    House subcommittee offered

  6. 2026-02-02

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)

    substitution

  7. 2026-02-04

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  8. 2026-02-04

    Committee substitute printed 26106715D-H1

    substitution

  9. 2026-02-05

    Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay

    referral-committee

  10. 2026-02-09

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB885)

  11. 2026-02-09

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)

  12. 2026-02-09

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  13. 2026-02-11

    Read first time

    reading-1

  14. 2026-02-12

    Read second time

    reading-2

  15. 2026-02-12

    committee substitute agreed to

    substitution

  16. 2026-02-12

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    substitution

  17. 2026-02-13

    Read third time and passed House (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  18. 2026-02-16

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  19. 2026-02-16

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    referral-committee

  20. 2026-02-23

    Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  21. 2026-03-03

    Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

    2026-02-02 · 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 with substitute

    2026-02-04 · pass · 22-0

    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: yes
    • James A. "Jay" Leftwich: yes
    • Jason S. Ballard: yes
    • Wren M. Williams: yes
    • Will Davis: yes
    • Madison Whittle: yes
    • Justin Pence: yes
  • Subcommittee recommends reporting

    2026-02-09 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr.: yes
    • Delores L. McQuinn: yes
    • David A. Reid: yes
    • Briana D. Sewell: yes
    • Marcia S. "Cia" Price: yes
    • James W. Morefield: yes
    • Robert S. Bloxom, Jr.: yes
  • Reported from Appropriations

    2026-02-09 · 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:

    2026-02-13 · pass · 96-0

    Member-level votes (100)
    • Don Scott: yes
    • Phillip A. Scott: yes
    • Holly M. Seibold: not voting
    • 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
    • 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: not voting
    • Laura Jane Cohen: yes
    • Joshua G. Cole: yes
    • Nicole Cole: yes
    • Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler: not voting
    • 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
    • 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 Courts of Justice

    2026-02-23 · pass · 13-0

    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.: not voting
    • 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
  • Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations

    2026-03-03 · pass · 14-0

    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: not voting
    • 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

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 885. 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.