HB294 • 2026

Malicious bodily injury to correctional officers; penalties.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-51.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to malicious bodily injury to correctional officers; penalties.</p>

Crime

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Cornett
Last action: 2026-03-04
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary text provides detailed penalties and conditions under which the law applies, but it does not provide specific numerical details about sentences beyond the mandatory minimum terms.

Penalties for Malicious Bodily Injury to Correctional Officers

This law increases penalties for causing bodily injury to correctional officers with malicious intent or without malice but with intent to cause harm, setting mandatory minimum sentences and fines.

What This Bill Does

Makes it a felony if someone maliciously causes bodily injury to a correctional officer while the officer is performing their duties, knowing or having reason to know that the victim is a correctional officer. The penalty includes imprisonment for at least five years up to thirty years and a fine of not more than $100,000.
Sets a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years upon conviction under this law.

Who It Names or Affects

Correctional officers who are injured while performing their duties.
People who cause bodily injury to correctional officers with malicious intent or without malice but with the intent to harm.

Terms To Know

Felony: A serious crime that can result in a prison sentence of more than one year.
Mandatory minimum term of imprisonment: The shortest amount of time someone must spend in jail as part of their punishment, which cannot be reduced by the judge.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill does not specify who pays for the increased costs associated with longer prison sentences.
The exact cost to taxpayers for enforcing this law is not known and will depend on how often it is used.

Bill History

2026-03-04 Finance and Appropriations
Continued to 2027 in Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 5-N)
2026-02-25 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)
2026-02-18 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-18 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-02-17 House
Read third time and passed House (88-Y 8-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 House
Read second time and engrossed
2026-02-15 House
Read first time
2026-02-13 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice (13-Y 8-N)
2026-02-11 Criminal
Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)
2026-02-10 Criminal
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
2026-01-14 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB294)
2026-01-09 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103868D
2026-01-09 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-01-09 House
Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/9/2026 4:50 pm)

Official Summary Text

Malicious bodily
injury to correctional officers; penalties.
Provides that if any person maliciously causes bodily injury to another by any means, including the means set out in existing law, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill, and knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a correctional officer, as defined in relevant law, engaged in the performance of his public duties as a correctional officer, such person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years nor more than 30 years and, subject to existing law, a fine of not more than $100,000; upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years.

The bill also provides that if any person unlawfully, but not maliciously, with the intent aforesaid, causes bodily injury to another by any means, knowing or having reason to know such other person is a correctional officer engaged in the performance of his public duties as a correctional officer, he is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A BILL to amend and reenact §
18.2-51.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to malicious bodily injury to correctional officers; penalties.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
18.2-51.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
18.2-51.1
. Malicious bodily injury to correctional officers, law-enforcement officers, firefighters, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel; penalties; lesser-included offense.

A. As used in this section:

"Law-enforcement officer" means any full-time or part-time employee of a police department or sheriff's office that is part of or administered by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime and the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of the Commonwealth; any conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to §
10.1-115
; any conservation police officer appointed pursuant to §
29.1-200
; and
any
auxiliary police officer appointed or provided for pursuant to §§
15.2-1731
and
15.2-1733
and auxiliary deputy sheriff appointed pursuant to §
15.2-1603
.

"Search and rescue personnel" means any employee or member of a search and rescue organization that is authorized by a resolution or ordinance duly adopted by the governing body of any county, city, or town of the Commonwealth or any member of a search and rescue organization operating under a memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

B.
If any person maliciously causes bodily injury to another by any means
,
including the means set out in §
18.2-52
, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable
,
or kill, and knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a
correctional officer, as defined in §
53.1-1
,
law-enforcement officer
, as defined hereinafter
, firefighter, as defined in §
65.2-102
, search and rescue personnel
as defined hereinafter
, or emergency medical services personnel, as defined in §
32.1-111.1
,
engaged in the performance of his public duties as a
correctional officer,
law-enforcement officer, firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel, such person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years nor more than 30 years and, subject to subdivision (g) of §
18.2-10
, a fine of not more than $100,000. Upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years.

C.
If any person unlawfully, but not maliciously, with the intent aforesaid, causes bodily injury to another by any means, knowing or having reason to know such other person is a
correctional officer,
as defined in §
53.1-1
,
law-enforcement officer, firefighter, as defined in §
65.2-102
, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel,
as defined in §
32.1-111.1
,
engaged in the performance of his public duties as a
correctional officer,
law-enforcement officer, firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel
as defined in §
32.1-111.1
, he is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and upon conviction, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year.

D.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the right of any person charged with a violation of this section from asserting and presenting evidence in support of any defenses to the charge that may be available under common law.

As used in this section, "law-enforcement officer" means any full-time or part-time employee of a police department or sheriff's office that is part of or administered by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, who is responsible for the prevention or detection of crime and the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of the Commonwealth; any conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to §
10.1-115
; any conservation police officer appointed pursuant to §
29.1-200
; and auxiliary police officers appointed or provided for pursuant to §§
15.2-1731
and
15.2-1733
and auxiliary deputy sheriffs appointed pursuant to §
15.2-1603
.

As used in this section, "search and rescue personnel" means any employee or member of a search and rescue organization that is authorized by a resolution or ordinance duly adopted by the governing body of any county, city, or town of the Commonwealth or any member of a search and rescue organization operating under a memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

E.
The provisions of §
18.2-51
shall be deemed to provide a lesser-included offense hereof.

2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities; therefore, Chapter 725 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025 requires the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to assign a minimum fiscal impact of $50,000. Pursuant to §
30-19.1:4
of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.