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HB1388 • 2026
Police chiefs; creates independent protections and procedures.
<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 9.1 a chapter numbered 5.2, consisting of sections numbered 9.1-513 through 9.1-518, relating to Police Chief Bill of Rights.</p>
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
- Sponsor
- Cherry
- Last action
- 2026-02-13
- Official status
- Continued
- Effective date
- Not listed
Plain English Breakdown
The official source material does not provide details on what happens after a hearing or specific procedures for hearings, leaving these points as unknowns.
Police Chief Bill of Rights
This law creates special protections for certain police chiefs, requiring a fair process before they can be removed from their job.
What This Bill Does
- Requires that a police chief receive written notice about the specific reasons why they might lose their job.
- Ensures that a police chief has an opportunity to defend themselves in front of an impartial hearing panel.
Who It Names or Affects
- Police chiefs whose appointments and removals are governed by local charters enacted by the General Assembly.
Terms To Know
- just cause
- A good reason for taking an action, like firing someone from a job.
- impartial hearing panel
- A group of people who listen to both sides of an argument and make a fair decision without favoring either side.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not specify what happens if the chief is removed after the hearing.
- It's unclear how many police chiefs will be affected by this new law.
- The exact procedures for the hearings are not detailed in the summary provided.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment modifies a section of Virginia law to include chiefs of police appointed and removed according to specific local charters passed by the state legislature.
- Adds language to specify that the protections apply to chiefs of police whose appointments and removals are governed by local charters enacted by the General Assembly.
- The amendment text does not provide details on what specific protections or procedures will be added for these chiefs of police, only who they apply to.
Firearms Subcommittee Amendment
Plain English: The amendment modifies a bill to add specific protections for chiefs of police appointed under certain local charters.
- Removes the word 'or' after 'Police,' in line 22.
- Adds language after §15.2-1731 to include chiefs of police whose appointment and removal are governed by a local charter enacted by the General Assembly.
- The exact impact on existing protections for other chief positions is unclear from this amendment alone.
Bill History
-
2026-02-13
Public Safety
Continued to 2027 in Public Safety (Voice Vote)
-
2026-02-12
Subcommittee #2
Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2027 (Voice Vote)
-
2026-02-12
Firearms
House subcommittee offered
-
2026-02-10
Subcommittee #2
Assigned HMPPS sub: Subcommittee #2
-
2026-01-21
House
Presented and ordered printed 26105475D
-
2026-01-21
Public Safety
Referred to Committee on Public Safety
Official Summary Text
Police Chief Bill of Rights.
Creates independent protections and procedures for certain chiefs of police, defined in the bill, by requiring a showing of just cause when a chief of police is proposed for removal from office. The bill requires that a police chief be given written notice of the specific grounds for his proposed removal and that such police chief be afforded an opportunity to be heard in his own defense, personally and with counsel, before an impartial hearing panel.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HB 1388
SUBCOMMITTEE
1. Line 22, introduced, after
Police,
strike
or
SUBCOMMITTEE
2. Line 23, introduced, after
§
15.2-1731
insert
,
or any chief of police whose appointment and removal is expressly governed by local charter enacted by the General Assembly