# Virginia HB1353: Statewide maternal health safety initiative; Commissioner of Health, et al., to evaluate, report. Virginia HB1353, Statewide maternal health safety initiative; Commissioner of Health, et al., to evaluate, report., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Laura Jane Cohen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0781)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1353-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB1353 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Statewide maternal health safety initiative; Commissioner of Health, et al., to evaluate, report. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-19 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0781) - Sponsor: Laura Jane Cohen (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 11 (433 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Commissioner of Health; feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative; work group; reports. Directs the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders, described in the bill, to evaluate the feasibility of a statewide maternal health safety initiative. The bill directs the Commissioner to submit an interim report of the work group by November 1, 2026, and a final report with the work group's recommendations no later than July 1, 2027, to the House Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Commission on Women's Health. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Laura Jane Cohen (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-11 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Education and Health Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 14 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 96 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2026-02-03 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) | pass | 10 | 0 | | ## Actions (40) - 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0781) (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 781 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-31: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353) (House) - 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1353ER) (House) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Senate substitute agreed to by House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-10: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353) (House) - 2026-02-27: Committee substitute printed 26108478D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Assigned Education sub: Health (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353) (House) - 2026-02-12: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-11: Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-11: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House (House) - 2026-02-11: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-10: Engrossed by House as amended (House) - 2026-02-10: committee amendment agreed to (House) - 2026-02-10: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-09: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-05: Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-03: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-03: House subcommittee offered (House) - 2026-01-30: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1353) (House) - 2026-01-23: Assigned sub: Health (House) - 2026-01-19: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House) - 2026-01-19: Presented and ordered printed 26104986D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222820.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222819.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212468.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212467.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186927.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186926.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179118.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179117.PDF) - Engrossed, 2026-02-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131987.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131986.PDF) - Amendment, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128605.HTML) - Amendment, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1113824.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108288.HTML) - Introduced, 2026-01-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091138.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091137.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/1222820.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222819.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212468.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1212467.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186927.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186926.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179118.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1179117.PDF) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131987.HTML) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131986.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128605.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1113824.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108288.HTML) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091138.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091137.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-HB1353-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).