HB1280Introduced in the House of Delegates
State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report.
Introduced by Joshua Cole, District 28
What does this bill do?
Plain-English breakdown
Writing a plain-English summary of this bill… this can take a few seconds the first time.
Official description
State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning. Expands the program assignments in which the Director of the Department of Corrections may place a prisoner while such prisoner is confined in a state correctional facility. The bill requires the Director to place a prisoner in an appropriate program assignment within (i) 90 days of the arrival of a prisoner sentenced to a new term of confinement to a state correctional facility or (ii) 60 days of a prisoner already in custody being transferred to a new state correctional facility and provides that participation in such program assignments shall be for an average of 30 hours per week, calculated individually across the calendar year. Finally, the bill expands upon the requirements for a prisoner's reentry plan, including requiring an assessment, if necessary, of a prisoner's readiness to take a high school equivalency test and any modifications needed for the prisoner to take or improve upon such test, and making available peer and group educational programs developed and led by qualified prisoners.
Where it stands
Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
March 4, 2026
How did lawmakers vote?
House of Delegates votes
5 recorded votes · each counted separately
Senate votes
2 recorded votes · each counted separately
SenateStage: Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) · March 4, 2026
15
Yes
0
No
0
Absent or Not Voting
15 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.
See how each senator voted
| Senator | District | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Obenshain | 2 | Yes |
| Todd Pillion | 6 | Yes |
| Creigh Deeds | 11 | Yes |
| Lashrecse Aird | 13 | Yes |
| Lamont Bagby | 14 | Yes |
| Louise Lucas | 18 | Yes |
| Aaron Rouse | 22 | Yes |
| Mamie Locke | 23 | Yes |
| Richard Stuart | 25 | Yes |
| Ryan McDougle | 26 | Yes |
Bill history
Presented and ordered printed 26104959D
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2
Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 0-N)
Reported from Public Safety and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 3-N)
Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)
House subcommittee offered
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N)
Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
Committee substitute printed 26107749D-H1
Read first time
Read second time
committee substitute agreed to
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
Read third time and passed House (91-Y 5-N 0-A)
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
Committee substitute printed 26108856D-S1
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280)
Continued to next session in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
Verify the information
Our commitment to neutrality
We provide factual information only. We never tell you which politicians or bills to support, and we do not rank, score, or endorse anyone.