VirginiaVirginia Parole Board; powers and duties, juvenile offenders, parole procedures and considerations.
What it does
Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Increases the members of the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) from up to five to at least 11 members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Governor within 60 days of inauguration, three of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates within 60 days of a new House being sworn in during a Senate election year, and three of whom shall be appointed by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules within 60 days of a new Senate being sworn in after an election, and all of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, if in session when such appointment is made, and if not in session, then at its next succeeding session. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, reentry and community services, or victim services and that the Board members appointed by the Governor shall include (i) an attorney with significant experience in criminal prosecution; (ii) an attorney with significant experience in criminal defense; (iii) a qualified mental health professional with relevant background in adolescent development, trauma responses, psychology, and decision-making; and (iv) a representative of a crime victims organization or a victim of crime.
More detail
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.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 11Governor's recommendation received by HouseLatest
- Apr 1Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)
- Mar 31Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026To Governor
- Mar 31Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026Minor
- Mar 31Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 30Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 30Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB318ER)Major
- Mar 30EnrolledMinor
- Mar 13Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Adopt Conference Committee Report R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 13Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A)Minor
- Mar 13Conference report agreed to by House (65-Y 29-N 0-A)Minor
- Mar 12Conference Report released
- Mar 10Senate Conferees: Surovell, VanValkenburg, Jordan
- Mar 10Conferees appointed by Senate
- Mar 10House Conferees: Hope, Seibold, Wachsmann
- Mar 10Conferees appointed by House
- Mar 9House acceded to request
- Mar 6Senate requested conference committeeMinor
- Vote recorded Insist & Request R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 6Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Mar 4Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N 0-A)
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: fail.Lower
- Mar 2Passed Senate with substitute (20-Y 19-N 0-A)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passage R. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 2Engrossed by Senate - committee substituteMajor
- Mar 2Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute agreed to
- Feb 27Passed by for the day
- Feb 27Read third timeMinor
- Feb 26Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 26Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Feb 26Rules suspended
- Feb 25Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 20Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)
- Vote recorded Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 20Committee substitute printed 26108306D-S1Major
- Feb 20Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)
- Feb 20Senate committee offered
- Feb 20Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)Minor
- Feb 18Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social ServicesMinor
- Feb 18Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- Feb 17Read third time and passed House (67-Y 29-N 0-A)Passed House
- Vote recorded H VOTE:. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 16Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amendedMajor
- Feb 16committee amendments agreed toMajor
- Feb 16committee substitute agreed toMajor
- Feb 16Read second timeMinor
- Feb 13Read first timeMinor
- Feb 11Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (15-Y 7-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s). Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 11House subcommittee offered
- Feb 11Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (5-Y 2-N)
- Feb 10Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public SafetyMinor
- Feb 10Referred to Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- Feb 10Motion to refer to Appropriations agreed to
- Feb 10Read first timeMinor
- Feb 9Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)
- Feb 6Committee substitute printed 26107070D-H1Major
- Vote recorded Reported from Public Safety with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 6Reported from Public Safety with substitute (19-Y 3-N)Minor
- Feb 5Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB318)
- Vote recorded Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 5Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N)Major
- Feb 5House subcommittee offered
- Jan 23Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2Minor
- Jan 20Referred from General Laws and referred to Public Safety (Voice Vote)Minor
- Jan 10Referred to Committee on General LawsMinor
- Jan 10Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104539DIntroduced