Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia HB 629
Sex offenses, certain; sexual extortion, unlawful creation of image of another, penalties.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Katrina Callsen (Democratic)
Cosponsors (1)
- Dan I. Helmer (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED
Certain sex offenses; sexual extortion; unlawful creation of image of another; penalties. Provides that any person who, with the intent to cause the complaining witness to engage in certain sexual acts, maliciously (i) threatens in writing, including electronically, (a) to disseminate, sell, or publish a videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, or (b) to not delete, remove, or take back a previously disseminated, sold, or published videographic or still image, created by any means whatsoever, that depicts the complaining witness or such complaining witness's family or household member, as defined in relevant law, as totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast or (ii) threatens eviction, loss of housing, property damage, or any financial loss, but such complaining witness does not thereby engage in such sexual acts is guilty of attempted sexual extortion and shall be punished as prescribed by relevant law.The bill also adds to the existing offense of unlawfully creating an image of another a prohibition on any person knowingly and intentionally creating any videographic or still image by any means whatsoever of any nonconsenting person if that person is not exposed to show the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast but such videographic or still image is obscene, as defined in relevant law, when such nonconsenting person is in a restroom, dressing room, locker room, hotel room, motel room, tanning bed, tanning booth, bedroom, or other location. A violation of such prohibition is a Class 1 misdemeanor unless such nonconsenting person is younger than the age of 18, in which case it is elevated to a Class 6 felony.
Text versions
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 4:19 PM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2026 Senate | Passage R | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 5, 2026 Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Mar 4, 2026 Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 25, 2026 Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 17, 2026 House | H VOTE: | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 13, 2026 House | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
| Feb 11, 2026 House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | Set your home in Virginia to see |
Actions
- Apr 10, 2026
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0539) - Apr 10, 2026
Approved by Governor-Chapter 539 (effective 7/1/2026) - Mar 25, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 - Mar 25, 2026 · House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026 - Mar 18, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) - Mar 14, 2026 · Senate
Signed by President - Mar 14, 2026 · House
Signed by Speaker - Mar 14, 2026 · House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB629ER) - Mar 14, 2026 · House
Enrolled - Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) - Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Read third time - Mar 6, 2026 · Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Passed by for the day (Voice Vote) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) - Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended - Mar 4, 2026 · Senate
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) - Feb 25, 2026 · Senate
Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) - Feb 18, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice - Feb 18, 2026 · Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) - Feb 17, 2026 · House
Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A) - Feb 17, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:59 am) - Feb 17, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:55 am) - Feb 16, 2026 · House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute - Feb 16, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) - Feb 16, 2026 · House
committee substitute agreed to - Feb 16, 2026 · House
Read second time - Feb 15, 2026 · House
Read first time - Feb 13, 2026 · House
Committee substitute printed 26105586D-H1 - Feb 13, 2026 · House
Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (21-Y 0-N) - Feb 11, 2026 · House
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) - Feb 11, 2026 · House
House subcommittee offered - Feb 10, 2026 · House
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal - Jan 17, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB629) - Jan 13, 2026 · House
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice - Jan 13, 2026 · House
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/13/2026 3:26 pm) - Jan 13, 2026 · House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104107D