# Virginia SB596: Contraception; definitions, establishes right to obtain, applicability, enforcement. Virginia SB596, Contraception; definitions, establishes right to obtain, applicability, enforcement., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0525)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB596-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB596 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Contraception; definitions, establishes right to obtain, applicability, enforcement. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-14 - Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0525) - Sponsor: Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 13 (344 yes, 163 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Contraception; right to contraception; applicability; enforcement. Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as such terms are defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that none of its provisions shall be construed to permit or sanction the performance of any sterilization procedure without a patient's voluntary and informed consent. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right. This bill is identical to HB 6. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Right to contraception, no government limits: benefit, medium. You have the right to get and use contraceptives in Virginia. Licensed providers can give contraceptives and information within their professional scope. State or local rules cannot block, delay, or make it harder to get contraception or help others get it. In court, defenders of such rules must pr… - You and the state can enforce access: benefit, medium. The Virginia Attorney General can sue people or entities that enforce rules that break this chapter. Anyone harmed can bring a civil suit. Health care providers can sue for themselves, their staff, and their patients. If a court finds a violation, it sets the rule aside and can issue temporary or p… - What contraception means and consent rules: benefit, low. The law defines contraception and contraceptives. It includes pills, IUDs, implants, condoms, patches, rings, shots, barrier methods, and emergency contraception. Products must be legally marketed under federal law. Sterilization cannot be done without the patient’s voluntary, informed consent. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-13 | Senate | Conference report agreed to by Senate | pass | 24 | 15 | | | 2026-03-12 | House | Conference report agreed to by House | pass | 64 | 32 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Senate acceded to request Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | House substitute rejected by Senate | fail | 0 | 40 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 23 | 17 | | | 2026-02-26 | Senate | Reconsideration of House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-24 | House | Passed House with substitute | pass | 65 | 33 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute | pass | 14 | 7 | | | 2026-02-10 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 24 | 15 | | | 2026-02-09 | Senate | Education and Health Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-02-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with substitute | pass | 11 | 4 | | ## Actions (53) - 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0525) (Governor) - 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 525 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-04-01: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB596) (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 (SB596ER) (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB596) (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Conference report agreed to by Senate (24-Y 15-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 32-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-03-12: Conference Report released - 2026-03-04: House Conferees: Price, Cole, N.T., Bloxom (House) - 2026-03-04: Conferees appointed by House (House) - 2026-03-03: Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Senate Conferees: Carroll Foy, Favola, Suetterlein (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Conferees appointed by Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-27: House requested conference committee (House) - 2026-02-27: House insisted on substitute (House) - 2026-02-26: House substitute rejected by Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Reconsideration of House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-26: House substitute agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Passed House with substitute (65-Y 33-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-24: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House) - 2026-02-24: committee substitute agreed to (House) - 2026-02-24: Read third time (House) - 2026-02-23: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-22: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB596) (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Committee substitute printed 26108256D-H1 (House) - 2026-02-19: Reported from Health and Human Services with substitute (14-Y 7-N) (House) - 2026-02-18: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB596) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-13: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House) - 2026-02-13: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-10: Passed Senate (24-Y 15-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Committee substitute printed 26107196D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Senate committee offered (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Reported from Education and Health with substitute (11-Y 4-N) (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Assigned Education sub: Health (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB596) (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100201D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218287.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218286.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213818.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213817.PDF) - Conference Report, 2026-03-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207832.HTML) - Substitute, 2026-03-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207829.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207828.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-20: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171207.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171206.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169903.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169902.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132246.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132245.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128206.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128205.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115846.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115845.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115277.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115276.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-01-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098505.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098504.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090992.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090991.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/1218287.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1218286.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213818.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1213817.PDF) - [Conference Report (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207832.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207829.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1207828.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171207.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1171206.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169903.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1169902.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132246.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132245.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128206.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1128205.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115846.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115845.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115277.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115276.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098505.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1098504.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090992.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1090991.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-SB596-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).