Proposed Virginia Firearm Legislation SB351
Legislation Overview
Title: Courthouses; definition of "arrest under civil process," certain civil arrests prohibited, penalty.
Description: Certain civil arrests prohibited in courthouses; penalty. Provides that a party who is required to attend any court of the Commonwealth, or such party's family or household member or person attending the court with such party to serve as a witness, shall be privileged from civil arrest, defined in the bill, while attending, going to, or coming from the court. The bill also prohibits a person with the lawful authority to perform civil arrests from entering a courthouse to conduct a civil arrest unless he complies with certain requirements, including presenting a judicial warrant or judicial order authorizing the civil arrest to a sheriff, deputy sheriff, law-enforcement officer, or other person designated to provide security to the courthouse. Additionally, the bill requires that any judicial warrant or judicial order authorizing the civil arrest be reviewed by a designated judicial officer or attorney before a civil arrest pursuant to such warrant or order can be performed. Finally, the bill provides that any person who conducts a civil arrest, or facilitates or assists with the performance of, a civil arrest in violation of the provisions of the bill shall be punished with contempt of court.
Session: 2026 Regular Regular Session
Last Action: Committee substitute printed 26108859D-H1
Last Action Date: February 27, 2026
Sponsors
Note: the first sponsor listed is normally the primary sponsor. If a sponsor's name is a hyperlink you can click on it to 'follow the money'.
6 sponsors: Saddam Salim (D); Jennifer Boysko (D); Creigh Deeds (D); Adam Ebbin (D); Mamie Locke (D); Stella Pekarsky (D);
Percentage of Senate sponsoring bill: 15% (6 of 40)
History
| Chamber | Date | Action |
| House | Feb 27, 2026 | Committee substitute printed 26108859D-H1 |
| House | Feb 27, 2026 | Reported from Public Safety with substitute (15-Y 7-N) |
| House | Feb 6, 2026 | Referred to Committee on Public Safety |
| House | Feb 6, 2026 | Read first time |
| House | Feb 6, 2026 | Placed on Calendar |
| Senate | Feb 3, 2026 | Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) |
| Senate | Feb 2, 2026 | Read second time |
| Senate | Feb 2, 2026 | Committee substitute printed 26106261D-S1 |
| Senate | Feb 2, 2026 | Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) |
| Senate | Feb 2, 2026 | Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) |
| Senate | Jan 30, 2026 | Rules suspended |
| Senate | Jan 30, 2026 | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) |
| Senate | Jan 30, 2026 | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| Senate | Jan 28, 2026 | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 6-N) |
| Senate | Jan 28, 2026 | Senate committee offered |
| Senate | Jan 13, 2026 | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| Senate | Jan 13, 2026 | Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101062D |
Texts
| Type | Date | State Link | Text |
| Comm Sub | Feb 27, 2026 | state link | bill text |
| Comm Sub | Feb 2, 2026 | state link | bill text |
| Comm Sub | Jan 28, 2026 | state link | bill text |
| Introduced | Jan 13, 2026 | state link | bill text |
Amendments
| Title | Description | Date | State Link | Text | Adopted |
| There are no amendments to this bill at this time | |||||
Votes - Click on description to view vote roll call
| Description | Vote Date | Yea Votes | Nay Votes | No Votes | Absent | Passed |
| Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 6-N) | 01/28/2026 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
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| resort votes by: party yeas nays name | ||||||
| Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A) | 01/30/2026 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Yes |
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| resort votes by: party yeas nays name | ||||||
| Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) | 02/3/2026 | 21 | 18 | 0 | 1 | Yes |
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| resort votes by: party yeas nays name | ||||||
| Reported from Public Safety with substitute (15-Y 7-N) | 02/27/2026 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
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| resort votes by: party yeas nays name | ||||||
Link: link to state bill page
