# Virginia SB71: Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin.

Virginia SB71, Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Barbara A. Favola (Democratic); status failed, last action 2026-02-09 (Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)) (as of 2026-11-07).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB71-2026
- As of: 2026-11-07
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB71
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions, absence of next of kin.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-12-17
- Last action: 2026-02-09, Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N)
- Sponsor: Barbara A. Favola (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Courts of Justice
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 5 (64 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Health Care Decisions Act; patients incapable of making informed decisions; absence of next of kin. Authorizes, for purposes of the Health Care Decisions Act, the patient care consulting committee to make health care decisions for a patient incapable of making informed decisions when no next of kin is reasonably available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Barbara A. Favola (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-09 | Senate | Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate (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 |   |
| 2026-01-22 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with amendment | pass | 11 | 2 | 1 |

## Actions (17)

- 2026-02-09: Stricken at request of Patron in Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Passed by temporarily (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Rereferred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Education and Health Amendment agreed to (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)
- 2026-01-22: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-22: Reported from Education and Health with amendment (11-Y 2-N 1-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB71) (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Assigned Education sub: Health (Senate)
- 2025-12-17: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2025-12-17: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101398D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Engrossed, 2026-01-26: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096494.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096493.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095513.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-01-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092347.HTML)
- Introduced, 2025-12-17: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081920.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081919.PDF)

## 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)
- HB329: Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant/Manufactured Home Lot Rental Acts; retaliatory conduct prohibited. (became law)
- SB253: Electric utilities; pilot programs for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- SB226: Compost and other products containing organic soil amendments; waste disposal infrastructure, etc. (signed)

## Sources
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096494.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1096493.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095513.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092347.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081920.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1081919.PDF)

## 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)
- [HB329: Va. Residential Landlord & Tenant/Manufactured Home Lot Rental Acts; retaliator…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB329-2026)
- [SB253: Electric utilities; pilot programs for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB253-2026)
- [SB226: Compost and other products containing organic soil amendments; waste disposal i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB226-2026)
- [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-SB71-2026 (as of 2026-11-07).