# Virginia SB276: State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report. Virginia SB276, State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0572)) (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB276-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB276 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: State correctional facilities; visitation policies, annual report. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0572) - Sponsor: Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 17 (393 yes, 138 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary State correctional facilities; visitation policies; work group. Sets additional visitation standards for visitors to state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (the Department) to provide extended or additional visitation access for long-distance visitors. The bill provides that each in-person visit shall last a minimum of two hours unless shortened at the request of either the visitor or the incarcerated individual, or in response to an active security event. The bill also provides that visitation privileges may be suspended only for conduct occurring during visitation that presents a direct and substantial threat to the physical safety of participants or the security of the correctional facility. The bill provides a timeline and process for appealing any suspension of visitation rights. Finally, the bill directs the Department to convene a work group to consider and develop practical policy and legislative recommendations regarding visitation. The work group is required to report its findings and specific legislative and policy recommendations to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 173. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fair limits on visit suspensions and bans: benefit, low. The law narrows when visits can be suspended. Only conduct during a visit that directly and substantially threatens safety or security can lead to suspension. Confinement status, nonviolent rule issues, or substance-screen results alone do not justify denial, suspension, or revocation. Every suspen… - More and longer in-person visits: benefit, low. The law expands in-person visitation at state correctional facilities. The Department must keep seating and scheduling at least at each site’s maximum safe seating capacity. Each visit lasts at least two hours, unless the visitor or the incarcerated person asks for less or a security event cuts it… - Clear rules for visitor screening: mixed, low. Facilities must tell visitors which items are allowed or banned at entry. Staff may store lawful items that are not allowed inside and return them after the visit if they have space. If scanners, wands, or detector dogs are available, facilities use them to screen visitors. If no contraband is indi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-14 | House | Conference report agreed to by House | pass | 64 | 32 | | | 2026-03-14 | Senate | Conference report agreed to by Senate | pass | 21 | 18 | | | 2026-03-12 | Senate | House substitute rejected by Senate | fail | 0 | 40 | | | 2026-03-12 | Senate | Senate acceded to request Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-12 | Senate | Reconsideration of House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-12 | Senate | House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | House | Passed House with substitute | pass | 64 | 34 | | | 2026-03-06 | House | Reported from Rules with substitute | pass | 13 | 5 | | | 2026-03-02 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 4 | 1 | | | 2026-03-02 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 4 | 1 | | | 2026-03-02 | House | Reconsidered by Rules (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-09 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-06 | Senate | Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-04 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2026-01-23 | Senate | Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 8 | 7 | | ## Actions (53) - 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0572) (Governor) - 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 572 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-04-01: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB276) (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB276ER) (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB276) (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-13: Conference Report released - 2026-03-12: House Conferees: Anthony, Gardner, McLaughlin (House) - 2026-03-12: Conferees appointed by House (House) - 2026-03-12: Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: House requested conference committee (House) - 2026-03-12: House insisted on substitute (House) - 2026-03-12: House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Reconsideration of House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Senate acceded to request (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Conferees appointed by Senate (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Senate Conferees: Williams Graves, Carroll Foy, DeSteph (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Passed House with substitute (64-Y 34-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-11: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House) - 2026-03-11: committee substitute agreed to (House) - 2026-03-11: Read third time (House) - 2026-03-10: Read second time (House) - 2026-03-06: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB276) (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Committee substitute printed 26108953D-H1 (House) - 2026-03-06: Reported from Rules with substitute (13-Y 5-N) (House) - 2026-03-02: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (4-Y 1-N) (House) - 2026-03-02: Reconsidered by Rules (Voice Vote) (House) - 2026-03-02: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (4-Y 1-N) (House) - 2026-03-01: Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee (House) - 2026-02-12: Referred to Committee on Rules (House) - 2026-02-12: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-12: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-09: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB276) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Committee substitute printed 26107155D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-28: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB276) (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104960D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218787.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218786.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1214446.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1214445.PDF) - Conference Report, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211162.HTML) - Substitute, 2026-03-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211159.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211158.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-03-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1197598.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1197597.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-03-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187665.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187664.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128652.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128651.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087072.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087071.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/1218787.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218786.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1214446.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1214445.PDF) - [Conference Report (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211162.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211159.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211158.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1197598.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1197597.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187665.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1187664.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128652.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128651.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087072.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087071.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-SB276-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).