# Virginia SB838: Recovery residences; certification required penalty, report. Virginia SB838, Recovery residences; certification required penalty, report., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic); status to governor, last action 2025-04-02 (Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB838-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB838 - State: Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Recovery residences; certification required penalty, report. - Status: to governor - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-02 - Last action: 2025-04-02, Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) - Sponsor: Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 12 (440 yes, 1 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; recovery residences; certification required; penalty; work group. Changes the existing civil penalty for a violation of law related to the operation of recovery residences to a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill allows the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to issue conditional certification to certain recovery residences. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to (i) make recommendations related to oversight and transparency for recovery residences and (ii) develop credentialing guidelines for recovery residences. The bill directs the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by November 1, 2025. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-02 | House | House concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 93 | 0 | | | 2025-04-02 | Senate | Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-02-20 | Senate | House Amendments agreed to by Senate | pass | 38 | 0 | | | 2025-02-19 | House | Passed House with amendments Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-02-14 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 21 | 0 | | | 2025-02-13 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2025-02-11 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations | pass | 8 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-02-03 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-01-30 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-01-29 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations with amendment | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2025-01-24 | Senate | Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 13 | 1 | 1 | | 2025-01-16 | Senate | Rereferred from Education and Health to Rehabilitation and Social Services | pass | 14 | 0 | | ## Actions (50) - 2025-04-02: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0608) (Governor) - 2025-04-02: Reenrolled bill text (SB838ER2) (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Reenrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Enacted, Chapter 608 (Effective 07/01/2025) (House) - 2025-04-02: Signed by Speaker as reenrolled (House) - 2025-04-02: Signed by President as reenrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Governor's recommendation adopted (Governor) - 2025-04-02: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (93-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-03-24: Governor's recommendation received by Senate (Governor) - 2025-03-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB838) (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor) - 2025-03-11: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB838ER) (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-02-20: House Amendments agreed to by Senate (38-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Passed House with amendments Block Vote (97-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-02-19: Engrossed by House as amended (House) - 2025-02-19: Health and Human Services Amendments agreed to (House) - 2025-02-19: Read third time (House) - 2025-02-18: Read second time (House) - 2025-02-14: Reported from Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-02-13: Reported from Health and Human Services with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-02-13: Assigned Approps sub: Health & Human Resources (House) - 2025-02-11: Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (8-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-02-06: Assigned sub: Behavioral Health (House) - 2025-02-06: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House) - 2025-02-06: Read first time (House) - 2025-02-06: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2025-02-03: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB838) (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Printed as engrossed 25105600D-ES1 (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute as amended (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Finance and Appropriations Amendment agreed to (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Rehabilitation and Social Services agreed to (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Read second time (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Reading of amendment waived (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Reading of substitute waived (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB838) (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 1-A) (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-01-29: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with amendment (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Committee substitute printed 25105600D-S1 (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 1-N 1-A) (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Rereferred from Education and Health to Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-01-02: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2025-01-02: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25102136D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2025-04-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079136.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079135.PDF) - Reenrolled, 2025-04-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1075290.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1075289.PDF) - Gov Recommendation, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073871.HTML) - Enrolled, 2025-03-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068517.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068516.PDF) - Amendment, 2025-02-19: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1061547.HTML) - Amendment, 2025-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1049928.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1050332.HTML) - Engrossed, 2025-01-31: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1036183.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1036182.PDF) - Amendment, 2025-01-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1034515.HTML) - Substitute, 2025-01-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1028654.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1028653.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-01-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012202.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012201.PDF) ## Related bills - HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted) - SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed) - HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed) - HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed) - SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed) - HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor) ## Sources - [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079136.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079135.PDF) - [Reenrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1075290.HTML) - [Reenrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1075289.PDF) - [Gov Recommendation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073871.HTML) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068517.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068516.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1061547.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1049928.HTML) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1050332.HTML) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1036183.HTML) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1036182.PDF) - [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1034515.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1028654.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1028653.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012202.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012201.PDF) ## Related - [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025) - [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025) - [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025) - [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025) - [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025) - [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025) - [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-SB838-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).