The People's Ledger
← All Virginia bills

SB137Introduced in the Senate

Obstructing health care facility; penalties.

Passed

Introduced by Stella Pekarsky, District 36

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

Obstructing reproductive health care facility; penalties. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who (i) by force or threat of force, or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, another person because such other person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services, defined in the bill, or (ii) intentionally damages or destroys, or attempts to damage or destroy, a reproductive health care facility, defined in the bill, because such facility provides reproductive health services. The bill also provides that the provisions of the bill shall not be construed to place any restriction on the content of any message that anyone may wish to communicate to anyone else, either inside or outside a reproductive health care facility.

Where it stands

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0991)

April 22, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

5 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 26100615D

  2. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  3. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB137)

  4. Reported from Courts of Justice (8-Y 7-N)

  5. Rules suspended

  6. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  7. Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

  8. Read second time

  9. Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)

  10. Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 19-N 0-A)

  11. Placed on Calendar

  12. Read first time

  13. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  14. Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  15. House subcommittee offered

  16. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)

  17. Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 7-N)

  18. Committee substitute printed 26108463D-H1

  19. Read second time

  20. Read third time

  21. committee substitute agreed to

  22. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  23. Passed House with substitute (64-Y 35-N 0-A)

  24. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB137)

  25. House substitute rejected by Senate (1-Y 39-N 0-A)

  26. House insisted on substitute

  27. House requested conference committee

  28. Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  29. Conferees appointed by Senate

  30. Senate Conferees: Pekarsky, Surovell, Sturtevant

  31. Conferees appointed by House

  32. House Conferees: Watts, Schmidt, Tata

  33. Conference Report released

  34. Conference report agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

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

  36. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB137)

  37. Enrolled

  38. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB137ER)

  39. Signed by President

  40. Signed by Speaker

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

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

  43. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB137)

  44. Governor's recommendation received by Senate

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

  46. House concurred in Governor's recommendation (66-Y 32-N 0-A)

  47. Governor's recommendation adopted

  48. Reenrolled

  49. Reenrolled bill text (SB137ER2)

  50. Signed by Speaker

  51. Signed by President

  52. Approved by Governor-Chapter 991 (effective 7/1/2026)

  53. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0991)

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.