HB1215Introduced in the House of Delegates
Admission of evidence; evidentiary hearing, excluded persons.
Introduced by Delores Oates, District 31
What does this bill do?
Plain-English breakdown
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Official description
Admission of evidence; evidentiary hearing; excluded persons. Exempts no more than two persons whose presence, in the judgment of the court, would be supportive of the complaining witness and would not impair the conduct of a fair hearing or pose a substantial risk of influencing or affecting the content of the testimony from being excluded from evidentiary hearings for certain prosecutions. The bill provides that if such support persons are exempted, the judge shall admonish such support persons to not prompt, communicate with, or influence the complaining witness in any way. Lastly, the bill provides that a court may exercise its discretion to remove a support person from the courtroom if it believes such support person is prompting, communicating with, or influencing the complaining witness.
Where it stands
Left in Committee Courts of Justice
February 18, 2026
How did lawmakers vote?
House of DelegatesStage: Subcommittee recommends striking from the docket (10-Y 0-N) · February 6, 2026
10
Yes
0
No
0
Absent or Not Voting
10 delegates recorded in this House of Delegates vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.
What do people think?
Citizen Voice
How would you vote on this bill?
An unofficial public opinion poll. It does not affect the bill or the official vote.
One response per device. Location is self-reported and not verified. Results are informal and not a scientific survey.
See how each delegate voted
| Delegate | District | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Karrie Delaney | 9 | Yes |
| Vivian Watts | 14 | Yes |
| Will Davis | 39 | Yes |
| Wren Williams | 47 | Yes |
| Madison Whittle | 49 | Yes |
| Katrina Callsen | 54 | Yes |
| Leslie Chambers Mehta | 73 | Yes |
| Charlie Schmidt | 77 | Yes |
| Rae Cousins | 79 | Yes |
| Phil Hernandez | 94 | Yes |
Bill history
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103645D
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (10-Y 0-N)
Reconsidered by Courts of Justice (Voice Vote)
Subcommittee recommends striking from the docket (10-Y 0-N)
Left in Committee Courts of Justice
Verify the information
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