# Virginia HB127: Person not free on bail; court appearance, right to counsel.

Virginia HB127, Person not free on bail; court appearance, right to counsel., is a 2027 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Katrina Callsen (Democratic); status passed house, last action 2026-07-21 (Continued from last session) (as of 2026-10-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB127-2027
- As of: 2026-10-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB127
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2027 Regular Session
- Title: Person not free on bail; court appearance, right to counsel.
- Status: passed house
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-02
- Last action: 2026-07-21, Continued from last session
- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Finance and Appropriations
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Court appearance of a person not free on bail. Makes various changes to provisions regarding bail hearings in jurisdictions having a public defender office, including (i) the appointment of counsel for the accused and (ii) a requirement that counsel for the accused, when practicable, be provided with adequate time to confer with the accused prior to any bail hearing. The bill also allows a jurisdiction that does not have a public defender office establish to implement such provisions. The bill provides that, effective in due course, the chief judge in each circuit shall create a plan to be completed by November 1, 2026, that establishes the means by which the jurisdiction will meet such provisions. The remaining provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic), House

## Actions (28)

- 2026-07-21: Continued from last session (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N 1-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB127) (House)
- 2026-02-23: Committee substitute printed 26108450D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-23: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 3-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-19: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB127) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Read third time and passed House (84-Y 10-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-12: Engrossed by House - committee substitute as amended (House)
- 2026-02-12: committee amendment agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-12: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-12: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-11: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-09: Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (21-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-06: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-05: Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay (House)
- 2026-02-04: Committee substitute printed 26106177D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-04: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Racial and Ethnic Impact Statement From JLARC (2/4/2026 11:49 am) (House)
- 2026-02-04: Racial and Ethnic Impact Statement From JLARC (2/4/2026 11:36 am) (House)
- 2026-01-28: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-28: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-22: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal (House)
- 2026-01-21: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB127) (House)
- 2026-01-02: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2026-01-02: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101174D (House)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-02-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231614.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231613.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229060.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229059.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20271/HB127)
- Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230319.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230318.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230774.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230773.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-28: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228875.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228874.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229187.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229186.PDF)

## Related bills

- SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority, report. (in committee)
- HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements. (introduced)
- HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information. (introduced)
- SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset. (in committee)
- SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment. (in committee)
- SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion State Prison. (in committee)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231614.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1231613.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229060.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229059.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20271/HB127)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230319.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230318.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230774.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1230773.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228875.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1228874.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229187.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1229186.PDF)

## Related
- [SB844: Licensed clinical psychologists; prescriptive authority, report.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB844-2027)
- [HB1535: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of s…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1535-2027)
- [HB1534: School service providers; deletion of student and family personal information.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1534-2027)
- [SB843: Data centers; state permitting, local approval, moratorium, sunset.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB843-2027)
- [SB842: High school student athletes; eligibility, enrollment.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB842-2027)
- [SB840: Corrections, Director of the Department of; placement of inmates, Red Onion Sta…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB840-2027)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB127-2027 (as of 2026-10-13).