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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia HB 318

Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties, juvenile offenders, parole procedures and considerations.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Cosponsors (4)

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Virginia Parole Board; powers and duties; juvenile offenders; parole procedures and considerations. Increases the members of the Virginia Parole Board (the Board) from up to five to at least 11 members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Governor within 60 days of inauguration, three of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates within 60 days of a new House being sworn in during a Senate election year, and three of whom shall be appointed by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules within 60 days of a new Senate being sworn in after an election, and all of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, if in session when such appointment is made, and if not in session, then at its next succeeding session. The bill specifies that all members of the Board shall have significant professional experience working in criminal law, corrections, reentry and community services, or victim services and that the Board members appointed by the Governor shall include (i) an attorney with significant experience in criminal prosecution; (ii) an attorney with significant experience in criminal defense; (iii) a qualified mental health professional with relevant background in adolescent development, trauma responses, psychology, and decision-making; and (iv) a representative of a crime victims organization or a victim of crime. These provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2028.The bill also requires the Board to provide a meaningful opportunity for release to certain juvenile offenders eligible for parole and specifies various factors the Board shall give substantial weight to when making a determination on whether to grant parole to such juvenile offender. The bill allows a juvenile offender to request for reconsideration or appeal of a decision by the Board not to grant parole based on (a) the Board's failure to give substantial weight to such juvenile offender's age and its related mitigating circumstances as required by the bill or (b) the Board's overreliance on static factors such as the nature and circumstances of the offense and failure to ground its decision in evidence of maturity, rehabilitation, and a lack of present danger to public safety. The bill requires the Board to provide individualized reasons for the grant or denial of parole upon reconsideration or appeal.The bill also requires that if parole is denied for any such juvenile offender, each Board member shall identify his reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast, including any youth-related factor and evidence of maturity and rehabilitation that was considered. The bill requires that the Board provide to such prisoner for whom parole is denied recommendations to demonstrate commitment to rehabilitation and at the next hearing, the Board is required to consider whether the prisoner has followed such recommendations. The bill also requires the Board to annually review the cases of such juvenile offenders eligible for parole. This bill is identical to SB 60.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 14, 2026, 8:01 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 13, 2026
Senate		Adopt Conference Committee Report RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 13, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 6, 2026
Senate		Insist & Request RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 4, 2026
House		H VOTE:failSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 2, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 26, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading)passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 25, 2026
Senate		Reported from Finance and AppropriationspassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 20, 2026
Senate		Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 17, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 11, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s)passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 11, 2026
House		Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s)passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 6, 2026
House		Reported from Public Safety with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 5, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

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