# Virginia SB206: Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody. Virginia SB206, Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by David R. Suetterlein (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0059)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB206-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB206 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Juvenile and domestic relations district courts; petitions for relief of care and custody. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-09 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0059) - Sponsor: David R. Suetterlein (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (212 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 HB 73. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Safety checks before children change caregivers: benefit, medium. For the covered custody transfers to someone with a legitimate interest, courts must make required findings using evidence showing they are more likely true than not. For transfers made as part of the court's decision on the child's care, the court must order an investigation. It must find that the… - Adoption progress tracked; contact agreements voluntary: benefit, low. When a final parental-rights termination order authorizes adoption placement, the local board or licensed child-placing agency must file written progress reports. Reports go to juvenile court every six months, measured from that order, until a final adoption order is entered. The court must send co… - Custodians gain access to custody relief: mixed, low. Parents and other custodians can ask juvenile courts to release them from a child's care and custody for good cause. Social services must refer the parent to a local family assessment and planning team. The department must investigate and prepare a written report about the child and family's histor… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: David R. Suetterlein (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-23 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2026-02-18 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2026-01-27 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-01-26 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-23 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-01-23 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-01-21 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 15 | 0 | | ## Actions (29) - 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0059) (Governor) - 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 59 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 59 (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 (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB206) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB206ER) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-02-23: Passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-23: Read third time (House) - 2026-02-20: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-18: Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House) - 2026-02-03: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-03: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-01-27: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB206) (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate (Senate) - 2026-01-26: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-01-21: Reported from Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-09: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate) - 2026-01-09: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102178D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216207.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216206.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-02-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177105.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177104.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083726.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083725.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/1216207.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216206.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177105.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1177104.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083726.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083725.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-SB206-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).