# Virginia SB748: Human trafficking; issuance of vacatur for victims, definitions.

Virginia SB748, Human trafficking; issuance of vacatur for victims, definitions., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Mamie E. Locke (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0771)) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB748-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB748
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Human trafficking; issuance of vacatur for victims, definitions.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-19
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0771)
- Sponsor: Mamie E. Locke (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 9 (345 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

Issuance of vacatur for victims of human trafficking. Expands the current process for the issuance of writs of vacatur for victims of human trafficking to include ancillary matters, defined in the bill, and any charge or arrest related to a qualifying offense as defined in current law. The bill also expands the list of qualifying offenses eligible for such writ. This bill is identical to HB 1298.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Restitution relief and compensation for victims: benefit, medium. Before deciding on relief, the court must check whether restitution remains unpaid under the sentence. When relief is granted, the trafficking survivor no longer owes that restitution. The victim of the qualifying offense becomes eligible to apply for crime-victim compensation. That victim's claim…
- Trafficking survivors can challenge criminal records: benefit, medium. Trafficking survivors can ask a Virginia circuit court to set aside qualifying arrests, charges, convictions, and juvenile rulings. Qualifying felonies include attempts and conspiracies, but exclude violent felonies listed by law. Related probation, parole, suspended-sentence, contempt, failure-to-…
- Trafficking survivors get court cost refunds: benefit, medium. Survivors found unable to pay owe no filing fees or costs for their petition. When the court grants relief, the clerk must refund costs the survivor already paid. The clerk must also refund fines and penalties paid for the vacated offense or related matter. If court records of fines or penalties ar…
- Trafficking survivors get protected record clearing: benefit, medium. After a court grants relief, it must order the qualifying offense and related matters cleared once appeals are resolved. This follows no appeal to Virginia's Supreme Court, rejection of the Commonwealth's appeal request, or a decision upholding relief. The court sends the order to Virginia State Po…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Mamie E. Locke (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 99 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Courts of Justice Amendment agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 36 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments | pass | 13 | 0 |   |

## Actions (34)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0771) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 771 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB748) (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB748ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed House Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House (House)
- 2026-03-04: Passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-04: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-03: Read second time (House)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB748) (Senate)
- 2026-02-20: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-20: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2026-02-20: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Courts of Justice Amendment agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Blank Action (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by Senate as amended Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments (13-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB748) (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Presented and ordered printed 26104829D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222635.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222634.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1198792.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1198791.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149183.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149182.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145057.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1141859.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092288.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092286.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/1222635.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222634.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1198792.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1198791.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149183.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1149182.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145057.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1141859.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092288.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1092286.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-SB748-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).