# Virginia HB1280: State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report.

Virginia HB1280, State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joshua G. Cole (Democratic); status passed house, last action 2026-03-04 (Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)) (as of 2026-10-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1280-2026
- As of: 2026-10-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1280
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment & education program, report.
- Status: passed house
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-14
- Last action: 2026-03-04, Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
- Sponsor: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Finance and Appropriations
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 7 (175 yes, 8 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

State correctional facilities; participation of prisoners in employment and educational programs; reentry planning. Expands the program assignments in which the Director of the Department of Corrections may place a prisoner while such prisoner is confined in a state correctional facility. The bill requires the Director to place a prisoner in an appropriate program assignment within (i) 90 days of the arrival of a prisoner sentenced to a new term of confinement to a state correctional facility or (ii) 60 days of a prisoner already in custody being transferred to a new state correctional facility and provides that participation in such program assignments shall be for an average of 30 hours per week, calculated individually across the calendar year. Finally, the bill expands upon the requirements for a prisoner's reentry plan, including requiring an assessment, if necessary, of a prisoner's readiness to take a high school equivalency test and any modifications needed for the prisoner to take or improve upon such test, and making available peer and group educational programs developed and led by qualified prisoners.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 91 | 5 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Reported from Appropriations with substitute | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-30 | House | Reported from Public Safety and referred to Appropriations | pass | 18 | 3 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations | pass | 7 | 0 |   |

## Actions (23)

- 2026-03-04: Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280) (House)
- 2026-02-27: Committee substitute printed 26108856D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-27: Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280) (House)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House (91-Y 5-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-11: Committee substitute printed 26107749D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-11: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-11: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-11: Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1280) (House)
- 2026-01-31: Assigned HAPP sub: Transportation & Public Safety (House)
- 2026-01-30: Reported from Public Safety and referred to Appropriations (18-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Public Safety (House)
- 2026-01-14: Presented and ordered printed 26104959D (House)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186448.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186447.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142041.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142649.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142645.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142644.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142648.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142040.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088006.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088005.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
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186448.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186447.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142041.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142649.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142645.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142644.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142648.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142040.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088006.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1088005.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1280-2026 (as of 2026-10-13).