# Virginia HB1500: Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records. Virginia HB1500, Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Charlie Schmidt (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0868)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1500-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB1500 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-23 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0868) - Sponsor: Charlie Schmidt (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 11 (401 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records. Provides that, in addition to methods for how service of process may be effected on certain corporations, any subpoena issued pursuant to a civil or criminal proceeding for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by a nonparty commercial enterprise may be served within or outside of the Commonwealth by hand, certified mail, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or electronic means. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More ways to subpoena out-of-state records: benefit, low. Parties in Virginia civil and criminal cases can subpoena electronic records and other documents stored outside Virginia. The business holding them must do or have done business in Virginia and cannot be a party to the case. The subpoena can be served inside or outside Virginia by hand, certified m… - Out-of-state corporations must answer Virginia subpoenas: cost, low. Corporations formed outside Virginia consent to subpoena service when they do business in Virginia and have a registered agent there. They must answer properly served subpoenas under Virginia law and the state Supreme Court's rules. For out-of-state corporations and limited liability companies, ser… - Criminal witnesses must attend without advance payment: mixed, low. The law applies the listed civil witness procedures, including the new electronic-record subpoena rules, to criminal cases. Criminal witnesses must attend even without advance payment of witness fees, mileage, or tolls, and face enforcement for not attending. In domestic cases, the Commonwealth's a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Charlie Schmidt (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-12 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | Senate | Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | Senate | Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2026-02-09 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 10 | 0 | | ## Actions (31) - 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0868) (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 868 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 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 (HB1500ER) (House) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Senate substitute agreed to by House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-11: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Committee substitute printed 26109466D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-16: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-02-13: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-11: Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-09: Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-05: Assigned HCJ sub: Civil (House) - 2026-02-02: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1500) (House) - 2026-01-23: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House) - 2026-01-23: Presented and ordered printed 26101678D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223248.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223247.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213597.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213596.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200602.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200601.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096020.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096019.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/1223248.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1223247.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213597.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213596.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200602.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200601.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096020.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096019.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-HB1500-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).