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HB318Introduced in the House of Delegates

Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties, juvenile offenders, parole procedures and considerations.

Passed

Introduced by Patrick Hope, District 1

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Requires the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) to consist of five members. Current law allows the Board to consist of up to five members. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, mental health and adolescent development, reentry and community services, or victim services. These provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.The bill also requires the Board to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to certain juvenile offenders eligible for parole and specifies various factors the Board shall give substantial weight to when making a determination on whether to grant parole to such juvenile offender. The bill allows a juvenile offender to request for reconsideration or appeal of a decision by the Board not to grant parole based on (a) the Board's failure to give substantial weight to such juvenile offender's age and its related mitigating circumstances as required by the bill or (b) the Board's overreliance on static factors such as the nature and circumstances of the offense and failure to ground its decision in evidence of maturity, rehabilitation, and a lack of present danger to public safety. The bill requires the Board to provide individualized reasons for the grant or denial of parole upon reconsideration or appeal.The bill also requires that if parole is denied for any such juvenile offender, each Board member shall identify his reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast, including any youth-related factor and evidence of maturity and rehabilitation that was considered. The bill requires that the Board provide to such prisoner for whom parole is denied recommendations to demonstrate commitment to rehabilitation and at the next hearing, the Board is required to consider whether the prisoner has followed such recommendations. The bill also requires the Board to annually review the cases of such juvenile offenders eligible for parole. This bill is identical to SB 60.

Where it stands

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1046)

April 22, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

8 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

7 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · April 22, 2026

21

Yes

18

No

1

Absent or Not Voting

40 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker5Yes
Michael Jones77Yes
Timmy French1No
Mark Obenshain2No
Chris Head3Absent
David Suetterlein4No
Travis Hackworth5No
Todd Pillion6No
William Stanley7No
Mark Peake8No

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104539D

  2. Referred to Committee on General Laws

  3. Referred from General Laws and referred to Public Safety (Voice Vote)

  4. Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2

  5. House subcommittee offered

  6. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N)

  7. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)

  8. Reported from Public Safety with substitute (19-Y 3-N)

  9. Committee substitute printed 26107070D-H1

  10. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)

  11. Read first time

  12. Motion to refer to Appropriations agreed to

  13. Referred to Committee on Appropriations

  14. Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety

  15. Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (5-Y 2-N)

  16. House subcommittee offered

  17. Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N)

  18. Read first time

  19. Read second time

  20. committee substitute agreed to

  21. committee amendments agreed to

  22. Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended

  23. Read third time and passed House (67-Y 29-N 0-A)

  24. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  25. Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services

  26. Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)

  27. Senate committee offered

  28. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)

  29. Committee substitute printed 26108306D-S1

  30. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)

  31. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)

  32. Rules suspended

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

  34. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  35. Read third time

  36. Passed by for the day

  37. Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute agreed to

  38. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  39. Passed Senate with substitute (20-Y 19-N 0-A)

  40. Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N 0-A)

  41. Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  42. Senate requested conference committee

  43. House acceded to request

  44. Conferees appointed by House

  45. House Conferees: Hope, Seibold, Wachsmann

  46. Conferees appointed by Senate

  47. Senate Conferees: Surovell, VanValkenburg, Jordan

  48. Conference Report released

  49. Conference report agreed to by House (65-Y 29-N 0-A)

  50. Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  51. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)

  52. Enrolled

  53. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB318ER)

  54. Signed by President

  55. Signed by Speaker

  56. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

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

  58. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)

  59. Governor's recommendation received by House

  60. House concurred in Governor's recommendation (67-Y 33-N 0-A)

  61. Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (21-Y 18-N 0-A)

  62. Governor's recommendation adopted

  63. Reenrolled bill text (HB318ER2)

  64. Signed by Speaker

  65. Signed by President

  66. Approved by Governor - Chapter 1046 (effective - see bill)

  67. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1046)

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