# Virginia SB608: Peer recovery specialists; VDH & DOC to develop guidelines for hiring.

Virginia SB608, Peer recovery specialists; VDH & DOC to develop guidelines for hiring., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Todd E. Pillion (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0091)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB608-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB608
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Peer recovery specialists; VDH & DOC to develop guidelines for hiring.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-14
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0091)
- Sponsor: Todd E. Pillion (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (212 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

Department of Health; Department of Corrections; peer recovery specialists. Directs the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Corrections to develop agency guidelines for hiring peer recovery specialists with previous criminal convictions for compensated employment. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 209.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Easier hiring for peer recovery specialists: benefit, low. The law requires the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Corrections to write hiring rules for peer recovery specialists. The rules must allow people with past criminal convictions to be hired for paid peer jobs in their programs. They cannot be stricter than the state’s ex…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Todd E. Pillion (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-24 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 98 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-19 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services | pass | 21 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-28 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate as amended Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | Senate | Rehabilitation and Social Services Amendment agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendment | pass | 15 | 0 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0091) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 91 (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)
- 2026-02-26: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB608) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB608ER) (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-02-24: Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-24: Read third time (House)
- 2026-02-23: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-19: Reported from Health and Human Services (21-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-13: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB608) (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House)
- 2026-02-04: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-04: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-28: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Engrossed by Senate as amended Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Rehabilitation and Social Services Amendment agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Read first time (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB608) (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with amendment (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102529D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216384.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216383.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-02-26: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178980.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178979.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-01-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097324.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097323.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095081.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095691.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-14: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091022.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091020.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/1216384.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216383.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178980.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178979.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097324.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1097323.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095081.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095691.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091022.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091020.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-SB608-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).