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HB1500 • 2026

Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-301 and 19.2-267 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 8.01-301.1, relating to civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Schmidt
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.

Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.

What This Bill Does

  • Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.
  • Provides that, in addition to methods for how service of process may be effected on certain corporations, any subpoena issued pursuant to a civil or criminal proceeding for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by a nonparty commercial enterprise may be served within or outside of the Commonwealth by hand, certified mail, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or electronic means.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 868 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0868)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0868)

  4. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  5. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  6. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  8. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  9. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  10. 2026-03-30 House

    Enrolled

  11. 2026-03-30 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1500ER)

  12. 2026-03-12 House

    Senate substitute agreed to by House (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Read third time

  14. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  15. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute

  16. 2026-03-11 Courts of Justice

    Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

  17. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  19. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  20. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Rules suspended

  21. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  22. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  23. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  24. 2026-03-09 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

  25. 2026-03-09 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26109466D-S1

  26. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  27. 2026-02-18 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  28. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

  29. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time and engrossed

  30. 2026-02-13 House

    Read first time

  31. 2026-02-11 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N)

  32. 2026-02-09 Civil

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)

  33. 2026-02-05 Civil

    Assigned HCJ sub: Civil

  34. 2026-02-02 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1500)

  35. 2026-01-23 House

    Presented and ordered printed 26101678D

  36. 2026-01-23 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.
Provides that, in addition to methods for how service of process may be effected on certain corporations, any subpoena issued pursuant to a civil or criminal proceeding for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by a nonparty commercial enterprise may be served within or outside of the Commonwealth by hand, certified mail, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or electronic means.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact §§
8.01-301
and
19.2-267
of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
8.01-301.1
, relating to civil and criminal actions; service of subpoena for certain electronic records.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§
8.01-301
and
19.2-267
of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
8.01-301.1
as follows:
§
8.01-301
. How process served on foreign stock or nonstock corporations and foreign limited liability companies generally.
Subject to §
8.01-286.1
, service of process on a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or a foreign limited liability company may be effected in the following manner:
1. By personal service on any officer or director or the registered agent of a foreign stock or nonstock corporation that is authorized to do business in the Commonwealth, by personal service on any agent of any such foreign corporation transacting business in the Commonwealth without such authorization, wherever any such officer, director, or agents be found within the Commonwealth, and by personal service on the registered agent of a foreign limited liability company that is registered to do business in the Commonwealth;
2. By substituted service on (i) a foreign stock or nonstock corporation in accordance with §§
13.1-766
and
13.1-928
, respectively, and on a foreign limited liability company in accordance with §
13.1-1018
, if any such corporation or limited liability company is authorized or registered to transact business or affairs within the Commonwealth, and (ii) a foreign stock or nonstock corporation in accordance with subsection F of §
13.1-758
and subsection E of §
13.1-920
, respectively, and on a foreign limited liability company in accordance with subsection E of §
13.1-1057
, if any such corporation or limited liability company is not authorized or registered to transact business within the Commonwealth;
3. By substituted service on a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or foreign limited liability company in accordance with §
8.01-329
, or by service in accordance with §
8.01-320
, where jurisdiction is authorized under §
8.01-328.1
, regardless of whether any such foreign corporation or foreign limited liability company is authorized or registered to transact business within the Commonwealth; or
4. By order of publication in accordance with §§
8.01-316
and
8.01-317
where jurisdiction in rem or quasi in rem is authorized, regardless of whether the foreign stock or nonstock corporation or foreign limited liability company so served is authorized or registered to transact business within the Commonwealth.
This section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or foreign limited liability company.
For the purposes of responding to a subpoena served in the manner prescribed by this section, a foreign corporation transacting business in the Commonwealth that has a registered agent in the Commonwealth shall be deemed to have consented to service
and shall respond to such subpoena in a manner consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth and the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia
.
§
8.01-301.1
. Subpoena for production of electronic records, etc., from nonparty commercial enterprise.
In addition to the methods by which service of process may be effected pursuant to §
8.01-301
, when a party in a civil action issues a subpoena for electronic records, electronically stored information, or other documents or records that are stored outside of the Commonwealth by a nonparty commercial enterprise, whether a domestic corporation or foreign corporation, that is transacting or has transacted any business in the Commonwealth, such subpoena may be served on such commercial enterprise within or outside of the Commonwealth by hand, certified mail, commercial delivery service, facsimile, or electronic means.
§
19.2-267
. Provisions applicable to witnesses in criminal as well as civil cases; obligation to attend; summons.
Sections

8.01-301.1
,

8.01-396.1
,
8.01-402
,
8.01-405
,
8.01-407
, and
8.01-408
to
8.01-410
, inclusive,
shall apply to a criminal as well as a civil case in all respects, except that a witness in a criminal case shall be obliged to attend, and may be proceeded against for failing to do so, although there may not previously have been any payment
,
or tender to him of anything for attendance, mileage, or tolls. In a criminal case
,
a summons for a witness may be issued by the attorney for the Commonwealth or other attorney charged with the responsibility for the prosecution of a violation of any ordinance or by the attorney for the defendant; however, any attorney who issues such a summons shall, at the time of the issuance, file with the clerk of the court the names and addresses of such witnesses except to the extent protected under §
19.2-11.2
.