Virginia Accountability Commission; established.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 6 of Title 9.1 a section numbered
9.1-602
, relating to Virginia Accountability Commission established.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 6 of Title 9.1 a section numbered
9.1-602
as follows:

§
9.1-602
. Virginia Accountability Commission.

A.
The Virginia Accountability Commission (
the
Commission) is established
in the executive branch as an advisory commission
.

B
.
The
Commission shall have the following powers and duties:

1. Create a public record of the conduct of federal agents and
any federal military-style operations throughout the Commonwealth;

2. Examine the impact of that conduct on individuals and communities; and

3.
Consider policy
recommendations
to prevent future harm to
such
individuals and communities.

C.
As part of
the Commission's duties
, the Commission shall (i) determine the most effective manner in which the Commission can gather publicly-a
vailable videos documenting the actions of federal officers, including agents of the U
.
S
.
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS)
components
,
such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement
and Customs and Border Protection
,
and other federal agents working in coordination with DHS; (ii)
establish
a
procedure and
channel to be utilized for the purpose of receiving complaints and
gather
ing
additional information an
d documentation, to the extent possible, of the actions of federal law enforcement and the impact of those actions, including through testimony; (iii) create a public record, including through public hearings, to document the conduct of federal officers
and its impact on residents of the Commonwealth; (iv) analyze the documented conduct of federal officers and identify conduct requiring the most urgent corrective action and remediation based on its impact on the community and the egregiousness of the conduct; (v) make recommendations for law or polic
y changes to ensure greater protection for residents of the Commonwealth from violations of their rights and to ensure community safety; (vi) provide, not later than January 31, 2027, an
initial
status report outlining its
findings

and recommendations to the Governor and
,
not later than April 30, 2027, any supplementary reports the Commission deems appropriate; and (vii) refer, as appropriate, information or reports of potential violations of law to the agencies or entities responsible for investigating or enforcing such violations
.

D
. The Commission shall be composed of a
c
hair, a
v
ice
-c
hair, and up to seven additional members, for a total membership of up to nine Commission members.
The Governor, the House of Delegates, and the Senate
shall each appoint three Commission members
. The
c
hair
,
v
ice
-c
hair, and Commission members shall serve without compensation.

The term of each Commission member shall expire one year from the date of hi
s
appointment. Commissioners may be reappointed or replaced at the pleasure of
the
appointing authority
.

E
.
The Office of Civil Rights with the Office
of the Attorney General shall provide administrative and professional staff support to the operations of the Commission. In addition to support from the Office of Civil Rights, the Commission may, as it determines appropriate, work with subject matter
experts
, as well as non-profit organizations, to ensure i
t has access to appropriate staffing and expertise to conduct its review and analysis of the actions of federal law enforcement.