# Virginia HB73: Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody. Virginia HB73, Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joshua G. Cole (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0058)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB73-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB73 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-12-31 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0058) - Sponsor: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (218 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody; custodians. Allows the custodian of a child to file a petition for relief of the care and custody of such child in a juvenile and domestic relations district court. Current law only authorizes the parent or parents of a child to file such petition for relief of care and custody. The bill also requires the petitioning parent or custodian to cooperate with any services provided by a local department of social services during the initial investigation by such local department of social services after such petition for relief of care and custody has been filed. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Commission on Youth and is identical to SB 206. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Adoption oversight and voluntary family contact: benefit, low. After legal custody transfers, birth parents and pre-adoptive parents can make a written agreement about contact and communication. Courts cannot require this agreement before entering an order in the child's case. When a parental-rights termination order authorizes a local board or licensed agency… - Court standards for changing children's custody: mixed, medium. The court can grant care and custody relief when the evidence shows good cause is more likely than not. Permanent relief that ends parental rights requires clear and convincing evidence that ending those rights serves the child's best interests. The court must also enter a custody or guardianship o… - Help and duties for custody-relief families: mixed, medium. Requests for relief from a child's care and custody go first to local social services for investigation and appropriate services. The parent or custodian requesting relief must cooperate with appropriate services offered. Social services must refer the parent to a local family assessment and planni… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-23 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2026-02-20 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-20 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-18 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice Block Vote | pass | 13 | 0 | | | 2026-02-03 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2026-01-28 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 19 | 0 | | | 2026-01-26 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 10 | 0 | | ## Actions (26) - 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0058) (Governor) - 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 58 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (House) - 2026-02-25: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB73) (House) - 2026-02-25: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB73ER) (House) - 2026-02-25: Enrolled (House) - 2026-02-25: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-02-23: Passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Reported from Courts of Justice Block Vote (13-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-02: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-01-30: Read first time (House) - 2026-01-28: Reported from Courts of Justice (19-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-26: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB73) (House) - 2026-01-26: Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-22: Assigned HCJ sub: Civil (House) - 2025-12-31: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House) - 2025-12-31: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102179D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216195.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216194.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-02-25: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177848.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177847.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-12-31: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082278.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082277.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/1216195.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216194.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177848.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177847.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082278.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082277.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-HB73-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).