Bill Commons

VA SB 269

Status unknown

Mental health service providers; definitions, use of artificial intelligence system, civil penalty.

Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · upper

Quick answers

Did VA SB 269 pass?

The current status of VA SB 269 is not known from the official record. Latest recorded action (2026-03-02): Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)

What is VA SB 269 about?

Use of artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers; civil penalty. Permits the use of an artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers to assist in providing therapy or counseling services if such mental health service provider maintains full responsibility for all interactions, outputs, and data use associated with the system. The bill prohibits the use of an artificial intelligence system to provide therapy or counseling services without a mental health service provider. The bill specifies that records kept by mental health service providers must comply with health records privacy requirements; creates an exception for religious counseling, peer support, or self-help materials and educational resources; and establishes a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for violations of the statute.

Who sponsors VA SB 269?

Barbara A. Favola is the primary sponsor of VA SB 269.

Description

Use of artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers; civil penalty. Permits the use of an artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers to assist in providing therapy or counseling services if such mental health service provider maintains full responsibility for all interactions, outputs, and data use associated with the system. The bill prohibits the use of an artificial intelligence system to provide therapy or counseling services without a mental health service provider. The bill specifies that records kept by mental health service providers must comply with health records privacy requirements; creates an exception for religious counseling, peer support, or self-help materials and educational resources; and establishes a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for violations of the statute.

Introduced
2026-01-12
Latest action
2026-03-02 — Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Sponsors

  • Barbara A. Favolaprimary

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-12

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104492D

    filing,introduction

  2. 2026-01-12

    Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-01-20

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB269)

  4. 2026-01-28

    Senate committee offered

  5. 2026-01-28

    Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

    committee-passage

  6. 2026-01-29

    Committee substitute printed 26106455D-S1

    substitution

  7. 2026-01-30

    Rules suspended

  8. 2026-01-30

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)

  9. 2026-01-30

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  10. 2026-02-02

    Read second time

    reading-2

  11. 2026-02-02

    Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

    substitution

  12. 2026-02-02

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    substitution

  13. 2026-02-03

    Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    passage,reading-3

  14. 2026-02-06

    Placed on Calendar

  15. 2026-02-06

    Read first time

    reading-1

  16. 2026-02-06

    Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation

    referral-committee

  17. 2026-02-11

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB269)

  18. 2026-03-02

    Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute

    2026-01-28 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Adam P. Ebbin: yes
    • Mamie E. Locke: yes
    • Bryce E. Reeves: yes
    • Jeremy S. McPike: yes
    • Todd E. Pillion: yes
    • Aaron R. Rouse: yes
    • Christopher T. Head: yes
    • Emily M. Jordan: yes
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Schuyler T. VanValkenburg: yes
    • Danica A. Roem: yes
    • Jennifer D. Carroll Foy: yes
    • Timmy French: yes
    • Christie New Craig: yes
    • Angelia Williams Graves: yes

  • Constitutional reading dispensed R

    2026-01-30 · pass · 38-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: 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
    • Adam P. Ebbin: 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: not voting
    • 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

    2026-02-03 · pass · 39-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Lashrecse D. Aird: yes
    • Lamont Bagby: 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
    • Adam P. Ebbin: 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: not voting
    • 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/SB269

Attribution

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

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Source and document changesStatus and relationship changes

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=SB 269. 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.