# Virginia HB126: Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates.

Virginia HB126, Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Katrina Callsen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0073)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB126-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB126
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-02
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0073)
- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 10 (293 yes, 35 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Local, regional, and community correctional facilities; access to counsel for inmates. Requires the State Board of Local and Regional Jails to establish additional standards no later than January 1, 2027, to ensure access to legal counsel for inmates held in any local, regional, or community correctional facility and enumerates the standards that the Board shall include in such additional standards.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Confidential lawyer access for Virginia inmates: benefit, low. Virginia’s jail board must set confidential lawyer-access standards for local, regional, and community correctional facilities by January 1, 2027. The standards must cover private in-person visits, subject to safety, space, and resource limits. They must also provide secure phone or video meetings…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 92 | 4 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 27 | 13 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute | pass | 9 | 6 |   |
| 2026-02-20 | Senate | Rereferred from Rehabilitation and Social Services to Courts of Justice | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 89 | 8 |   |
| 2026-01-30 | House | Reported from Public Safety with amendment(s) | pass | 17 | 4 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 7 | 0 |   |

## Actions (36)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0073) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 73 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB126) (House)
- 2026-03-11: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB126ER) (House)
- 2026-03-11: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Senate substitute agreed to by House (92-Y 4-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB126) (House)
- 2026-03-02: Passed Senate with substitute (27-Y 13-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Committee substitute printed 26108384D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 6-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-20: Rereferred from Rehabilitation and Social Services to Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB126) (House)
- 2026-02-05: Read third time and passed House (89-Y 8-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-04: committee amendments agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-04: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read first time (House)
- 2026-01-30: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-01-30: Reported from Public Safety with amendment(s) (17-Y 4-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-16: Assigned HPS sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-02: Referred to Committee on Public Safety (House)
- 2026-01-02: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101260D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216260.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216259.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199271.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199270.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186464.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186463.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-25: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181440.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181439.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105137.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105136.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1104231.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103802.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082505.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082504.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216260.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216259.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199271.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1199270.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186464.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186463.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181440.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1181439.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105137.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105136.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1104231.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103802.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082505.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082504.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB126-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).