# Virginia HB16: Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated.

Virginia HB16, Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Marcia S. "Cia" Price (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0544)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB16-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB16
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-12-22
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0544)
- Sponsor: Marcia S. "Cia" Price (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 13 (287 yes, 76 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs; work performed while incarcerated. Requires a court to establish a program and allow any person upon whom a fine and costs have been imposed to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by earning credits for the performance of (i) community service work performed before or after imprisonment or (ii) work performed while incarcerated, defined in the bill as any work done on or after July 1, 2023, by a person confined in any local, regional, or state correctional facility who is paid a wage that is less than the Virginia minimum wage.The bill requires such program to be available during such person's imprisonment in a local, regional, or state correctional facility. The bill provides that a person who is performing work while incarcerated shall be credited at the same rate as the community service work rate less any wages received. Under current law, a court is required to establish a program for providing an option for community service work in lieu of payment of fines and costs but offering such option is not mandatory. The bill also requires the local, regional, or state correctional facility to provide confirmation of the hours worked and the credits earned for such work upon request of any person who has performed work while incarcerated or his representative.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Work credits help pay Virginia court fines: benefit, medium. Virginia courts must let people reduce court fines and costs through community service before or after imprisonment, or qualifying work while incarcerated. Incarcerated work qualifies in local, regional, or state facilities if done on or after July 1, 2023, for less than Virginia’s minimum wage. Co…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Marcia S. "Cia" Price (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-10 | House | Senate amendments agreed to by House | pass | 79 | 20 |   |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Courts of Justice Amendments agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendments | pass | 21 | 19 |   |
| 2026-03-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 10 | 5 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 9 | 6 |   |
| 2026-02-06 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 72 | 25 |   |
| 2026-02-02 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-30 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 6 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations | pass | 19 | 1 |   |
| 2026-01-23 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations | pass | 10 | 0 |   |

## Actions (37)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0544) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 544 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB16) (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 (HB16ER) (House)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Senate amendments agreed to by House (79-Y 20-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-09: Passed Senate with amendments (21-Y 19-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Courts of Justice Amendments agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB16) (House)
- 2026-02-09: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Read third time and passed House (72-Y 25-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-05: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-05: committee amendment agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-05: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-04: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-02: Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-30: Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay (House)
- 2026-01-28: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (19-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2026-01-26: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB16) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-20: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal (House)
- 2025-12-22: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2025-12-22: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102053D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218670.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218669.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210507.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210506.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201666.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186716.HTML)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108360.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108359.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101080.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096272.HTML)
- Introduced, 2025-12-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081990.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081989.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/1218670.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218669.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210507.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1210506.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201666.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1186716.HTML)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108360.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1108359.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101080.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096272.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081990.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081989.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-HB16-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).