# Virginia HB629: Sex offenses, certain; sexual extortion, unlawful creation of image of another, penalties.

Virginia HB629, Sex offenses, certain; sexual extortion, unlawful creation of image of another, penalties., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Katrina Callsen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-10 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0539)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB629-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB629
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Sex offenses, certain; sexual extortion, unlawful creation of image of another, penalties.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-10, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0539)
- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 8 (237 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Certain sex offenses; sexual extortion; unlawful creation of image of another; penalties. Provides that any person who, with the intent to cause the complaining witness to engage in certain sexual acts, maliciously (i) threatens in writing, including electronically, (a) to disseminate, sell, or publish a videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, or (b) to not delete, remove, or take back a previously disseminated, sold, or published videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, that depicts the complaining witness or such complaining witness's family or household member, as defined in relevant law, as totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast or (ii) threatens eviction, loss of housing, property damage, or any financial loss, but such complaining witness does not thereby engage in such sexual acts is guilty of attempted sexual extortion and shall be punished as prescribed by relevant law.The bill also adds to the existing offense of unlawfully creating an image of another a prohibition on any person knowingly and intentionally creating any videographic or still image by any means whatsoever of any nonconsenting person if that person is not exposed to show the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in relevant law, when such nonconsenting person is in a restroom, dressing room, locker room, hotel room, motel room, tanning bed, tanning booth, bedroom, or other location. A violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor unless such nonconsenting person is younger than the age of 18, in which case it is elevated to a Class 6 felony.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- New protections against threats demanding sexual acts: benefit, low. Virginia law punishes malicious threats used to force a sexual act. It covers written or electronic threats to share intimate or obscene images, or refuse to remove images already shared. The images must depict the victim or a family or household member nude or undressed, or be obscene. It also cov…
- Changed protections against private images without consent: mixed, low. Virginia law changes which images are illegal to knowingly and intentionally make without a person's consent in private places. The person must have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as in a bedroom, restroom, or dressing room. Protection covers nudity, undressing that exposes certain intim…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Katrina Callsen (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 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 | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-25 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute | pass | 21 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 10 | 0 |   |

## Actions (36)

- 2026-04-10: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0539) (Governor)
- 2026-04-10: Approved by Governor-Chapter 539 (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)
- 2026-03-18: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) (House)
- 2026-03-14: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB629ER) (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: 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 (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (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)
- 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:59 am) (House)
- 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:55 am) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-16: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-15: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Committee substitute printed 26105586D-H1 (House)
- 2026-02-13: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-11: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-11: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-10: Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal (House)
- 2026-01-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) (House)
- 2026-01-13: Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/13/2026 3:26 pm) (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104107D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218346.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218345.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209051.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209050.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148815.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148814.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142721.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142919.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142720.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142918.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085263.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085262.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/1218346.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218345.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209051.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1209050.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148815.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148814.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142721.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142919.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142720.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1142918.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085263.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085262.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-HB629-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).