Robbery; conforms certain provisions of Code to degrees of robbery offenses.
Sponsored By: Vivian E. Watts (Democratic)
Passed House
Summary
Robbery. Conforms certain provisions of the Code referencing robbery to the degrees of robbery offenses established by Chapter 534 of the Acts of Assembly of 2021, Special Session I. These changes include: (i) limiting to the three higher degrees of robbery certain non-robbery crimes for which committing such crime with the intent to commit a robbery is an element of the offenses, (ii) limiting the types of robbery that are included in the definition of "acts of violence" to the two higher degrees of robbery, (iii) clarifying how robbery offenses will be scored on the sentencing guidelines, (iv) allowing persons convicted of the two lesser degrees of robbery to be eligible for conditional release if they are terminally ill and for enhanced earned sentence credits, (v) allowing persons who are ineligible for parole as a result of being convicted of three of certain enumerated offenses to be eligible for parole if convicted of an offense that would constitute robbery by presenting of firearms, and (vi) limiting the application of the three-strikes law to the two higher degrees of robbery and making persons convicted under the three-strikes law eligible for parole if one of the three convictions resulting in the mandatory life sentence would constitute one of the two lesser degrees of robbery. The bill leaves unchanged the current law making all degrees of robbery predicate criminal acts by adding the two lesser degrees of robbery to the definition of "predicate criminal act" and specifying that the two higher degrees of robbery are included in the definition of "act of violence." The bill requires the changes made to the eligibility for conditional release of terminally ill prisoners and enhanced earned sentence credits to apply retroactively if certain criteria are met.
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Bill Overview
No Economic Impacts Identified for this Bill
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Vivian E. Watts
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Continued from last session
7/21/2026SenateReferred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations
3/9/2026SenateSenate committee offered
3/9/2026SenateContinued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N)
3/9/2026SenateFiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB244)
3/5/2026HouseCommittee substitute printed 26108969D-S1
3/3/2026SenateReported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)
3/2/2026SenateFiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB244)
2/11/2026HouseReferred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2/4/2026SenateConstitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2/4/2026SenateRead third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)
2/3/2026HouseEngrossed by House as amended
2/2/2026Housecommittee amendments agreed to
2/2/2026HouseRead second time
2/2/2026HouseRead first time
1/30/2026HouseReported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (14-Y 6-N)
1/28/2026HouseSubcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 3-N)
1/23/2026HouseHouse subcommittee offered
1/23/2026HouseAssigned HCJ sub: Criminal
1/20/2026HouseReferred to Committee for Courts of Justice
1/8/2026HousePrefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102503D
1/8/2026House
Bill Text
Substitute
3/9/2026
Substitute
3/3/2026
Engrossed
2/2/2026
Amendment
1/29/2026
Introduced
1/8/2026
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