# Virginia SB198: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements.

Virginia SB198, Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status failed, last action 2026-03-09 (Tabled in Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)) (as of 2026-11-06).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB198-2026
- As of: 2026-11-06
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB198
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities; admissibility of statements.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-09
- Last action: 2026-03-09, Tabled in Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
- Sponsors: no sponsor on record
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Appropriations
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Admissibility of statements by individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities in certain cases. Prohibits admission of any evidence from an individual with developmental disabilities or intellectual disabilities, as defined in relevant law, in certain criminal prosecutions unless the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that such individual's decision to speak to law enforcement was not caused by and did not have a direct and substantial relationship to such individual's disability. The bill requires notice be given to the attorney for the Commonwealth if a defendant intends to introduce expert testimony regarding his disability. The bill prohibits any statements made by a defendant during an examination by an expert witness from being used against him except for impeachment or perjury. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by a subsequent regular or special session of the General Assembly.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- (none)

## Related bills

- HB20: Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees, temporary foreign workers. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB128: Covenants not to compete; includes health care professionals, civil penalty. (signed)
- HB1444: Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank; created, report, membership. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)

## Sources
- PRIA reads this page from its own corpus; the primary document is linked from the HTML page when it has one.

## Related
- [HB20: Minimum wage; farm laborers or farm employees, temporary foreign workers.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB20-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB128: Covenants not to compete; includes health care professionals, civil penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB128-2026)
- [HB1444: Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank; created, report, membership.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1444-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [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-SB198-2026 (as of 2026-11-06).