# Virginia HB861: Pregnant & postpartum inmates; reporting requirements of state, regional, & local correctional fac.

Virginia HB861, Pregnant & postpartum inmates; reporting requirements of state, regional, & local correctional fac., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Rae Cousins (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0685)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB861-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB861
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Pregnant & postpartum inmates; reporting requirements of state, regional, & local correctional fac.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0685)
- Sponsor: Rae Cousins (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 10 (329 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Reporting requirements of state, regional, and local correctional facilities; pregnant and postpartum inmates. Requires the warden or other official in charge of a state correctional facility that houses women prisoners to compile a monthly summary and the sheriff in charge of a local correctional facility, or his designee, or the jail superintendent of a regional correctional facility, or his designee, to compile a quarterly summary of all of the following and submit such summary to the Director of the Department of Corrections or State Board of Local and Regional Jails, as applicable: (i) the number of prisoners known to be pregnant in the facility, (ii) the number of prisoners in postpartum recovery in the facility, (iii) the number of women prisoners in the facility, (iv) the total number of prisoners in the facility, (v) the number of deaths of prisoners known to be pregnant in the facility, and (vi) the number of deaths of prisoners in postpartum recovery in the facility. The bill also requires such summary to be submitted to the Maternal Mortality Review Team and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. Lastly, the bill requires the sheriff in charge of a local correctional facility, or his designee, or the jail superintendent of a regional correctional facility, or his designee, to compile a quarterly summary of all written reports received pursuant to relevant law regarding use of restraints on any prisoner known to be pregnant or any prisoner who is in postpartum recovery and any body cavity search of a pregnant prisoner and submit such summary to the Board each quarter.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Local jails must report pregnancy data: benefit, low. Local and regional jails must send reports each quarter. Sheriffs or jail superintendents must file a summary of required written reports with the Board. They must also send quarterly counts through the Local Inmate Data System of pregnant prisoners, prisoners in postpartum recovery, women prisoner…
- State prisons must report pregnancy data: benefit, low. State prisons that house women must send two reports each month. Leaders must summarize all required written reports. They must also report counts of pregnant prisoners, prisoners in postpartum recovery, women prisoners, total prisoners, and prisoner deaths, including deaths of pregnant and postpar…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Rae Cousins (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Senate amendments agreed to by House | pass | 95 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Rehabilitation and Social Services Amendments agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate with amendments Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-20 | Senate | Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-30 | House | Reported from Public Safety with substitute | pass | 21 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-29 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 7 | 0 |   |

## Actions (34)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0685) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 685 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-13: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB861) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB861ER) (House)
- 2026-03-13: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-13: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-06: Senate amendments agreed to by House (95-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed Senate with amendments Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Rehabilitation and Social Services Amendments agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-20: Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB861) (House)
- 2026-02-06: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-04: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-04: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-02-04: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-02: Committee substitute printed 26106507D-H1 (House)
- 2026-01-30: Reported from Public Safety with substitute (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-29: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-01-29: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-23: Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2 (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Public Safety (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103318D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221728.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221727.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203399.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203398.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194537.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171847.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-02-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105891.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105890.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-01-29: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100757.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101091.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100756.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101090.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086551.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086550.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/1221728.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221727.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203399.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1203398.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1194537.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171847.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105891.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1105890.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100757.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101091.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1100756.PDF)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1101090.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086551.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086550.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-HB861-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).