# Virginia HB1304: Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail.

Virginia HB1304, Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by R. Lee Ware (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0289)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1304-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1304
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Individuals receiving services in a hospital, training center, etc.; right to send and receive mail.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-15
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0289)
- Sponsor: R. Lee Ware (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 9 (229 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; individuals receiving services; right to send and receive mail. Allows state facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to process sealed letter mail for electronic delivery. This bill is identical to SB 580.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Patient rights in state behavioral care: benefit, low. The law protects people in hospitals, training centers, and programs run, funded, or licensed by the state behavioral health department. You keep your legal rights, get prompt evaluation and information, and must be treated with dignity, free from abuse or neglect. Care must be least restrictive, w…
- Public reporting on facility safety data: benefit, low. The Board sets rules so all public and private facilities and programs it licenses or funds report safety data to the Department. Reports include abuse or neglect investigations, deaths, serious injuries, and each use of seclusion or restraint with its length, type, and reason, plus findings by hum…
- State rules to enforce patient rights: benefit, low. The Board must write regulations, with public notice and a hearing, to put these rights into practice. The rules cover diet, safe housing, nontherapeutic labor, religious attendance, treatment choices with due process when you cannot decide, notices to a person you choose, phone use, clothing, and…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: R. Lee Ware (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Motion to rerefer to Finance and Appropriations agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-27 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 37 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | 6 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) | pass | 21 | 0 |   |

## Actions (35)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0289) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 289 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-25: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-25: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-16: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1304) (House)
- 2026-03-14: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1304ER) (House)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-14: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-14: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-09: Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Motion to rerefer to Finance and Appropriations agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Read third time (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)
- 2026-02-26: Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1304) (House)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee amendments agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-15: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-12: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-12: Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-12: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-30: Assigned sub: Behavioral Health (House)
- 2026-01-27: House committee offered (House)
- 2026-01-26: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1304) (House)
- 2026-01-15: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House)
- 2026-01-15: Presented and ordered printed 26101843D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217275.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217274.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209105.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209104.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145747.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145746.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1143260.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142976.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1143263.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-01-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097270.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-15: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089282.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089281.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/1217275.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217274.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209105.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209104.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145747.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145746.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1143260.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142976.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1143263.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097270.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089282.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1089281.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-HB1304-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).