# Virginia SB965: District courts; recording of proceedings.

Virginia SB965, District courts; recording of proceedings., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic); status to governor, last action 2025-03-24 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0509)) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB965-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB965
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: District courts; recording of proceedings.
- Status: to governor
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-06
- Last action: 2025-03-24, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0509)
- Sponsor: Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 6 (221 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Recording of proceedings in district courts. Allows an audio recording of proceedings in a district court, which includes both general district court and juvenile and domestic relations district court, to be made by a party or his counsel. Under current law, such recordings are only allowed in a general district court.Additionally, the bill (i) allows the judge of a juvenile and domestic relations district court to impose any restriction as necessary to comply with the confidentiality requirements applicable to such district court and (ii) prohibits the judge of a district court from (a) ordering or requiring a party or his counsel to submit a copy of such audio recording or transcript of such recording to the clerk of a district court to be maintained in such party's individual case file or (b) prohibiting a party or his counsel from providing such copy or transcript to the opposing party or his counsel.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-13 | House | Passed House Block Vote | pass | 96 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-10 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-07 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 8 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-21 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-17 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-15 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments | pass | 15 | 0 |   |

## Actions (32)

- 2025-03-24: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0509) (Governor)
- 2025-03-24: Approved by Governor-Chapter 509 (Effective 07/01/25) (Governor)
- 2025-03-03: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-03-03: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 3, 2025 (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB965) (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB965ER) (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-13: Passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-02-13: Read third time (House)
- 2025-02-12: Read second time (House)
- 2025-02-10: Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-02-07: Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-02-05: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal (House)
- 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House)
- 2025-02-05: Read first time (House)
- 2025-02-05: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2025-01-25: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB965) (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Printed as engrossed 25104354D-E (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Courts of Justice Amendments agreed to (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Reading of amendments waived (Senate)
- 2025-01-20: Read second time (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2025-01-15: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-01-11: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB965) (Senate)
- 2025-01-06: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate)
- 2025-01-06: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25104354D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1077008.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1077007.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2025-02-18: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1051269.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1051268.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2025-01-20: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023438.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023437.PDF)
- Amendment, 2025-01-15: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020954.HTML)
- Introduced, 2025-01-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014632.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014631.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/1077008.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1077007.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1051269.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1051268.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023438.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023437.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1020954.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014632.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014631.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-SB965-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).